I’d like to dispel the myth that using the Moon Signs for your Gardening is somehow practicing astrology, which is a false religion. Instead, we are told that the moon & stars (constellations) were given for Times and for seasons.
Even though the current names are Ancient Greek in origin, I hasten to assure you that the results for gardening are the same as if we named the signs Jim and Mary.
There are two parts to the reckoning. One is the PHASE of the moon, commonly known as New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, Third Quarter. During the New Moon, we want to plant the fruits and vegetables with seeds on inside and “bolting” vegetables, such as asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, barley, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, corn, cress, endive, kohlrabi, lettuce, leeks, oats, onion, parsley, and spinach.
The First Quarter is for planting fruits and vegetables with seeds on the outside and some cucurbits, such as beans, eggplant, muskmelon, peas, peppers, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, and watermelon.
The Full Moon is for the root crops, such as beets, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, radishes, and turnips. I also like to plant my ornamentals on root days. I figure that a few years of root growth will give my shrubs the strength they need to grow well.
Finally, the Third Quarter is for destroying weeds.
The Phase of the Moon is only one important part. The astrological PLACE also matters. One year, we ran out of daylight when planting our tomatoes. It worked that the first bed was planted on the right phase and place of the moon. The second bed was planted only during the right phase of the moon. There was a marked difference in the yields of these two beds of tomatoes. The second was acceptable, and actually quite normal. The first bed had more than double the yield. We’ve been believers ever since!
So, I use The Old Farmer’s Almanac to find the Moon’s Astrological Place each year. Most calendars already have the phases marked on them. Sometime in January each year, I plot out the entire year’s dates for planting & sowing.
My method is quite simple. I get the chart in the almanac and mark the CAN, SCO, PSC, and TAU dates in one color. This year, that was blue. Then, I go through and mark all the dates in GEM, LEO, VIR…the orange ones. The first four are good days for planting for growth, the last three are the best for killing weeds. So, when I combine the Third Quarter dates with those last three, then I have the very best days for tilling or plowing.
In my Garden Calendar then, I mark the phases and their appropriate planting days. Less than an hour, and I have my entire year planned out! It would be wise to mark the last spring frost and the first fall frost, too, if that applies.