Learn How to Garden and Plant by the Moon's Phases
Gardening by the Moon is a great way to plan your garden. Many of our readers follow the age-old practice of planting by the Moon鈥檚 phases for healthier, more productive gardens.
Gardening by the Moon isn鈥檛 anything new. Gardeners and farmers have been using Moon-phase gardening for ages! Best of all, it鈥檚 a fairly simple process.
What Is Gardening by the Moon?
From what we are reading, many trend watchers are confused about Gardening by the Moon. No, it鈥檚 not about gardening at night or planting in your PJs!
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Gardening by the Moon
The basic idea behind Gardening by the Moon is that the cycles of the Moon affect plant growth. Just as the Moon鈥檚 gravitational pull causes tides to rise and fall, it also affects moisture in the soil.
Therefore, it鈥檚 said that seeds will absorb more water during the full Moon and the new Moon when more moisture is pulled to the soil surface. This causes seeds to swell, resulting in greater germination and better-established plants.
Moon phase gardening considers two periods of the lunar cycle: the time between the new Moon and the full Moon (the waxing of the Moon) and the time between the full Moon and the new Moon (the waning of the Moon). It鈥檚 considered best to plant certain types of plants during the waning of the Moon and other types during the waxing.
The Moon also impacts plant growth through geotropism鈥攈ow plants grow in response to gravity. Roots grow downward in the direction of gravitational pull, and stems grow in the opposite direction (i.e., upwards). This behavior can be easily demonstrated with potted plants. Lay one on its side, and the stem will grow upwards. Or, consider a tulip bulb: if you plant the bulb incorrectly with the pointed end down, it will turn around and send its shoots upward, even though it鈥檚 in total darkness.
How to Plant by the Moon鈥檚 Phases
To plant by the Moon, follow these guidelines:
- Plant your annual flowers and fruit and vegetables that bear crops above ground (such as corn, tomatoes, watermelon, and zucchini) during the waxing of the Moon鈥攆rom the day the Moon is new to the day it is full. As the moonlight increases night by night, plants are encouraged to grow leaves and stems.
- Plant flowering bulbs, biennial and perennial flowers, and vegetables that bear crops below ground (such as onions, carrots, and potatoes) during the waning of the Moon鈥攆rom the day after it is full to the day before it is new again. As the moonlight decreases night by night, plants are encouraged to grow roots, tubers, and bulbs.
Dates for Planting by the Moon
See the 蜜桃恋人 Planting Calendar for planting dates based on 1) average last frost dates and 2) the Moon phase. Both are customized to your local postal code (U.S. and Canada)!
The 蜜桃恋人 provides favorable dates for sowing seeds or transplanting in the ground for all popular vegetables and edibles.
You could also calculate planting dates yourself by looking at our Moon Phase Calendar and the guidelines above, though this method won鈥檛 take your climate into account.
Astrological 鈥淏est Days鈥 - Zodiac Signs for Planting
Some of our readers follow a different approach called the 鈥淏est Days.鈥 This is astrological, not astronomical. Let鈥檚 explain: Like Gardening by the Moon, astrological Best Days are based on the Moon. However, instead of depending on the Moon鈥檚 phase, Best Days consider the Moon鈥檚 position in the astrological zodiac. For example, when the Moon is in Taurus, it is regarded as a good time to plant, transplant, or graft. Everyday gardening activities are associated with certain signs, shown here:
| Activity | Associated Signs |
|---|---|
| Plant, Transplant, or Graft | Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces, or Taurus |
| Harvest | Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, Gemini, or Aquarius |
| Build/Fix Fences or Garden Beds | Capricorn |
| Control Insect Pests, Plow, or Weed | Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, Gemini, or Aquarius |
| Prune | Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius |
To see the dates of upcoming Best Days, check out our Best Days Timetable.
However you plant, check out our library of Growing Guides to learn how to grow all your favorite fruits, vegetables, and flowers!
You can also find a planting table in the annual , which contains the best planting days based on the Moon鈥檚 phases.
Do you garden by the Moon? Do you think the technique helps you grow better crops? Let us know in the comments!
Catherine Boeckmann
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Planting by the phases of the moon is so in tunning and in timing with the natural laws of nature. It's easy to see how God's hand is in the midst of Everything!
Explain more to me best days to plant
I鈥檓 loving that it gives me a place to start, especially when roughly factoring in 鈥渓ast鈥 frost date. It鈥檚 a tried and true practice and there鈥檚 an unexplainable joy to it. Today I planted mustard greens and annuals and went out to the garden later to look for the new moon behind the clouds. Simple pleasure.
I鈥檓 in a coastal area of south eastern Australia. I wish there was an 蜜桃恋人 for our seasons which are opposite to US. I find I also have to stop and translate F to Celsius.
I grew up hearing my mother, using the moon cycle to do planting, and even making some big decisions in life like wedding and moving into a house.
This "method" is ANCIENT!!!! It Works!!! I have been gardening and taking care of houseplants this way for over 40 years. I even teach a course on Lunar Gardening! It is so much fun to learn, and it really helps with your gardening schedule and what to do when. Makes it easier and more fun!!! Try It!!! You'll like it!!!!
I learned to garden by the moon signs many years ago by a grandmother of my husband. She said certain astrological signs were better for somethings i.e. do not have surgery when the moon is in that particular sign of the part you are having surgery on; plant head lettuce when the sign is in the head etc.
This is very true keep doing what you are doing
So, I recently started to propagate African violets. I tend to do everything the same way all the time. I could not figure our the reason sometimes my new plantlets would have a definite failure to thrive.
I thought about my grandpa鈥檚 garden, the experiment he used planting peas by the moon to show me the difference. Wow! And 52 Years later, it came floating back into my memory. And I said to myself, 鈥渨hy not try it with my African violets?!鈥.
So here I am, ready to learn. Fun stuff.
OK. THIS WILL SOUND TERRIBLY NAIVE. BUT THE ARTICLE GIVES NO "TIME" AS IN CLOCK HOURS TO PLANT DURING THE MOONS PHASES. SO STRUGGLING BETWEEN ASKING THE QUESTION AND RUNNING THE RISK OF DAMAGING MY CROP YIELD DUE TO MY IGNORANCE, I AM LEAPING INTO THE WORLD OF MAKE FUN OF ME.
IS THERE A SPECIFIC TIME DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS OR NIGHT TIME HOURS IN WHICH I SHOULD PLANT SEED INTO THE ACTUAL EARTH? OR IS IT JUST THAT IS DONE DURING THE TIME PERIOD OF THE MOON CYCLE THAT OCCURS AT THAT PERIOD KNOW AS WAXING OR WANING ET AL...
SINCERELY,
UNUSALLY CONFUSED AND STRESSED.
