"Moon phase rings" ? in osage. anybody know?

[lukelawrence171]

  I have worked with many pieces of osage orange and always wondered what these were i know there not annual growth rings and it is ok to break through one of these because i have done it many times before and they are very thin
 
I have heard that these rings between the annual growth rings are called moon phase rings. sudden growth spurts caused by different phases in the moon. maybe they have do do with having good weather for a week or something that would cause the tree to grow differently. and i haven't seen them between every ring i have worked.
 
Does anyone know what these are or have any links to articles anout the subject i just cant seem to find much ?         


In the picture the line to the right was early wood that had not been scraped away yet and the arrows point to the small rings i am talking about                                                                                                                                                 

[JW_Halverson]

Phases of the moon have nothing to do with those "lunar rings", probably has more to do with seasonal fluctuation of rain, temps, sunlight, etc. 

Nothing to worry about.  Ignore them as you wish, or try chasing them. 

[PatM]

Are you sure about that? The moon could very likely influence the way water fluctuates within the wood and the rings do seem to correspond to the length of the growing season for the tree.

[SLIMBOB]

Lot's of anecdotal evidence that suggests just that Pat.  Plants taking up more water during certain moon phases and less during others.  Pick certain fruits or harvest certain woods at certain times during the lunar cycle.  Makes sense to me.  JW is right from a practical stand point.  Ignore them, as they will drive you crazy (see lunatic) if you try and chase them.

[JW_Halverson]

Yes Pat, I am pretty sure of that.  Because two trees side by side will vary in "lunar rings".  In fact within one tree there will be growthrings without lunar rings and growthrings with lunar rings.  My understanding of astrophysics may not be similar to that of Dr. Brian May, but I do know that the old moon she keeps a going, year in and year out.  I'll pick the fruit when it is ripe, not when lunar rituals tell me it is opportune.

[osage outlaw]

Lunar rings seem to be a hot topic lately. 

[Badger]

  I see that on locust fairly often. I always wondered what causes it.

[SLIMBOB]

It do Clint. 

[TRACY]

Here's what I posted about it in another post. I'm pretty certain after researching the topic that there is no significant research or growth data to suggest that there are lunar rings. I would consult a dendrochronologist for an expert opinion on the matter.


I've been curious about the term and idea and even felt like I missed something in my dendrology classes at Purdue so I did a little research on lunar rings. I did not find any information that was credible or useful for lunar rings with respect to annual growth rings in trees. The few publishings on the topic refer to lunar phases and growth in plants and more specifically best times to harvest timber in temperate zones. I still like the term, it sounds cool

Tracy

[PatM]

Yes Pat, I am pretty sure of that.  Because two trees side by side will vary in "lunar rings".  In fact within one tree there will be growthrings without lunar rings and growthrings with lunar rings.  My understanding of astrophysics may not be similar to that of Dr. Brian May, but I do know that the old moon she keeps a going, year in and year out.  I'll pick the fruit when it is ripe, not when lunar rituals tell me it is opportune.

It seems odd that you would be sure and yet admit you don't know what causes them.
 Remember sometimes trees will completely forgo a growth ring for a year so I wouldn't necessarily say that an absence of a lunar ring  is so telling.
 If a tree can skip a year of growth, why not a month out of a year?

[Badger]

  I kind of agree with the lunar theory relating to making water more accessable. It may only show on a tree that is hanging at a certain ballance point where it can almost get the water and the full moon just raises the table just enough to make the difference.

[Jim Davis]

Yes Pat, I am pretty sure of that.  Because two trees side by side will vary in "lunar rings".  In fact within one tree there will be growthrings without lunar rings and growthrings with lunar rings.  My understanding of astrophysics may not be similar to that of Dr. Brian May, but I do know that the old moon she keeps a going, year in and year out.  I'll pick the fruit when it is ripe, not when lunar rituals tell me it is opportune.

It seems odd that you would be sure and yet admit you don't know what causes them.
 Remember sometimes trees will completely forgo a growth ring for a year so I wouldn't necessarily say that an absence of a lunar ring  is so telling.
 If a tree can skip a year of growth, why not a month out of a year?

Pray tell how one would determine that a tree  had skipped a year's growth ring--cut it down and look at the rings, then cut it down again the next year. Har, Har! It is to laugh!

And not know what causes something has no bearing on knowing what DOES NOT cause something.

There is a bit of lunacy involved in bowyering though.

[lukelawrence171]

thanks for all the input guys you might want to check out this web page and a few others it seems to be relevant to the subject 

http://itsgreenday.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-moon-affects-plant-growth.html

[lukelawrence171]

  I kind of agree with the lunar theory relating to making water more accessable. It may only show on a tree that is hanging at a certain ballance point where it can almost get the water and the full moon just raises the table just enough to make the difference.

             
 
 i like what you stated here i think that it is probably the most scientifically backed conclusion

[Badger]

   I have a method I use for watering my lawns in So Cal where it is very dry. I soak the lawn and then don't water again until it start to loose some vibrancy. This forces the roots to go deeper chasing the water. I can go all summer with 3 waterings and maybe 2 for the entire winter. If the moon were to raise the water table just enough for a tree with marginal access to water the roots would chase that water back down showing us as a growth spurt. I vote in favor of lunar rings.