I’d like to share a secret I use in my garden to get great results. Strong, healthy happy plants. This ‘secret weapon’ saves me a LOT of time and money. It’s moon gardening or planting by the moon!
OK, ‘moon gardening’ may sound a little strange if you’ve never heard of it before! Stay with me and I’ll reveal the secret in more detail and how YOU can use this to your advantage.
You are probably already familiar with your climate zone and are planting in the right season for your location. One easy way for you to maximise your gardening success is by working with nature’s lunar cycles. By that, I don’t mean getting outdoors with a shovel in the middle of the night! Moon planting has been practiced by farmers and gardeners who were in tune with nature’s patterns. In our busy modern world, many gardeners have lost sight of this age old science-based technique.
How Does Moon Gardening Work?
The moon has four ‘phases’ or ‘quarters’ – each last about 7 days. In the first two quarters, the ‘new’ dark moon you see gets bigger and more visible. This is known as the ‘waxing’ phase. You see an increase in light until the full moon is visible. The 3rd and 4th quarters are after the full moon. This is when the light begins to ‘wane’ or decrease. Then the cycle starts again.
So why am I sharing this with you?
“Because what goes on in your garden is very much influenced by the moon … and that can bring you some distinct advantages!”
If you’re still taking a ‘hit and miss’ approach to timing in your garden, there’s a much easier way!
Just as the moon influences the rise and fall of the tides, it also has a gravitational effect on the moisture in plants (sap), the soil and water table. These effects are magnified at different times of the month’s moon cycle.
“Moon gardening is simply learning to garden according the moon’s phases. Sowing and harvesting in harmony with the flow of moisture as it is drawn up the plant into the stem and leaves, fruit and seeds. Or down into the root zone with the gravitational pull of the moon.” – Anne Gibson
What’s the significance of moon phases for you?
There is more moisture in the soil at this time. This encourages seeds to swell, burst and sprout because that’s when they will absorb the most water. If you’ve ever had trouble germinating seeds, I encourage you to try again. At the right time of the month. The difference I’ve had in results over the years has convinced me timing has a major effect on successful seed germination.
The amount of moonlight at different times also influences the growth of plants. As the moonlight increases (new moon and second quarter), this stimulates leaf growth.
After the full moon, the moonlight decreases, putting energy into the plant roots. At this time, the above-ground leaf growth slows down. So this becomes a favourable time to plant your root crops and bulbs, because of the active root growth.
At different moon phases, the gravitational pull of the sun and moon are combined to create a high sap run in plants. This is an optimum time to plant above-ground crops like leafy greens. At other times, these natural forces create a rest period for plants. This is an ideal time to prepare new gardens, prune, weed or harvest. Or just take a well-deserved rest yourself!
“The practice of moon gardening is simply about planting at the right phases in this lunar cycle.”
My Experiences with Moon Gardening
Over ten years ago when I found out about moon gardening, I started to test out for myself whether it would make any difference in my garden. I experimented by planting edible crop seeds and seedlings in the same garden beds and seed trays under identical conditions except for the timing. Some were planted at the optimum time for growth and some when it was not ideal.
“I believe in working with nature and using any smart strategies for less work and more food from my garden!”
From my experiences over thirteen years, moon gardening provides many benefits over just planting with a ‘hit and miss approach’ at any time during the month.
- Seeds definitely germinate sooner. So you can speed up the time taken to get crops on the table. Root vegetables and bulbs also shoot more quickly. This is especially valuable if you have a short growing season or are raising seeds late in the season.
- Plants appear to grow faster and are healthier. When comparing plants sown at the optimum time to those that weren’t, I have noticed they are larger, more robust and not weak and straggly like the others.
- Plants produce higher yields. I’m all for that!
- Plants have less pests because they are stronger. This minimises the need for intervention to fix a problem + the cost and time it takes for pest management. Love that!
Does Timing your Planting with Moon Phases Make a Difference?
I’ve done dozens of experiments with numerous crops that grow above and below ground, when taking cuttings, sowing seeds and fertilising. I’ve always been a curious gardener! I really have to see something working before I share it with others. I’ve put moon cycle planting to the test and find it a fascinating way to fine-tune your timing.
The best way to see moon gardening work is to experiment and observe. That’s what scientists do! I watch details carefully and have come to the conclusion that timing makes an incredible difference. It can have beneficial results or be a disaster. My sister is a scientist and I have learned to isolate just one criteria that is contributing to your results. In the case of moon gardening that’s TIMING. So I have a control group of seeds, seedlings or conditions to make sure I know it’s only the TIMING factor that is different. I keep notes in my garden journal of planting, fertilising and pruning times and record results.
Here’s just one example of what happened when I pruned in the new moon phase – when sap was running high. I think you’ll find it fascinating!
For me personally, I know it works. I’ve seen the evidence. I think tuning into nature’s rhythms makes sense, but I understand not everyone will give it a try. This is a video of one experiment I did with garlic. I hope you find it interesting. I think the results speak for themselves.
How to Plant and Garden using a Moon Calendar
So how DO you moon garden or plant by the moon exactly? The method I use, is to follow the moon phases on a simple, easy-to-use moon calendar. I set the new moon date at the start of each month and use it year after year. It tells me exactly what activities to do at different times of the month.
You can obtain more information on and buy your very own moon calendar by clicking the image below:
To start working with moon phases, on the first of the month, all I do is align the new moon symbol on the calendar wheel (green) to the date of the new moon for the current month. I leave it set in that position until the next month.
What are the advantages of this Moon Calendar?
There are a few annual moon calendars available, but I like this one because it:
- Is PERPETUAL! So you buy once and never need another moon calendar EVER again (less waste, more sustainable and cheaper!).
- Never goes out of date and is SO easy to use.
- Applies to any climate, anywhere in the world.
- Was designed by market garden farmers who also owned a plant propagating nursery and they needed to be successful! It turned their businesses around.
How Can Moon Gardening Benefit You?
The key benefit is TIMING. One of the practical things I use the moon calendar for is to show me when to apply liquid fertilisers, so the plants make the most of them. i.e. taking up the plant food when the sap is running strongly.
Watch this Video about Moon Gardening
Learn what Helen C of Sydney, Australia has to say about her experiences with moon gardening and using a moon calendar.
If you use sprays, this moon calendar also indicates when to apply them for pests, weeds and diseases for optimum effect. By applying at the best time, you can save money by not wasting product. You can optimize the benefits of using it by getting your timing right.
It also helps you to pace your garden activities throughout the month. You don’t always have to be planting – just try to plant at the BEST time. I use the moon calendar to plan the best dates for sowing what I intend growing. I’m a more organised gardener now!
Other Benefits of using a Moon Calendar are:
It provides you with directions for the optimum time to:
- Sow and plant above ground crops (such as salad greens, tomatoes, peas, beans, melons, cucumber etc).
- Sow and plant root crops (including carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, bulbs etc).
- Take cuttings and propagate when sap run is high to produce strong growth.
- Graft and plant fruit trees and ornamentals.
- Sow flowers.
- Divide and repot house plants.
- Achieve quick germination and a rapid growth spurt of edible sprouting seeds and microgreens.
- Prune, weed and harvest (including for long storage life).
- Cultivate and apply fertiliser.
- Even go fishing for best results!
A few last practical tips …
- I’m certainly not fanatical about rigidly doing everything by the moon – the reality is, that life happens! I use it as much as I can. But, if it’s more important to get a pot-bound plant into the ground for example, then I don’t wait for the perfect moment! I’ve had to rescue plants what would have turned into ‘dried arrangements’ just to save them and plant at the ‘wrong time’ of the month. That’s common sense gardening!
- Sometimes the weather means I have to make a decision to plant earlier than is ideal. At other times, I don’t want to wait until the absolute best time in the following month, because it will be too late in the season to sow. It’s OK!
“So, use your common sense about making decisions in your garden … these choices are just as important as moon gardening too.”
So, I hope I’ve given you something to think about – and perhaps shed a little ‘light’ on a new secret weapon to use! You’ll certainly save money and time in the garden using a moon calendar. You can obtain more information on and BUY YOUR OWN HERE.
If you’ve already been moon gardening, I’d love you to share your experiences or if you have questions, please leave a comment.
For more tips , check out posts in the How to Grow and Tips & Tricks categories.
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© Copyright Anne Gibson, The Micro Gardener 2016. https://themicrogardener.com. All rights reserved.
What an interesting article. Can you tell me, what phase of the lunar calendar would you plant a green manure crop, and in what phase would you slash and dig it in.
Thanks
Hi Wendy
What we are aiming to do is work with Nature’s rhythms and time our planting accordingly. A green manure crop is generally grown for its leaf and chopped back before it goes to seed as a soil improver. So, it would usually benefit most being planted when the sap is running high during the new moon phase. I would probably slash it around the full moon at the end of this phase when the plants have the most moisture and nutrient content but it could depend on the crop and weather at the time. Peas and beans may be treated as a root crop if growing as a green manure to slash and plough in due to the nitrogen fixing bacteria in their roots. We have to experiment and work around rain, etc too. It’s best to keep records so you have data to work with. Have fun experimenting in your garden ‘lab’!
Cheers Anne
I’ve never heard about this moon gardening and had no idea that it has a lot of benefits. I must try this kind of gardening, thanks for sharing this article.
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Hello, really interesting topic and I prefer the astronomical to astrological. My question is does this work for container plants that don’t come into contact with the soil on and below the ground? I don’t have ground space so I do my planting in containers. I am also new in the gardening space.
Thanks
Hi Titilayo, this is a common question. Do you have to plant by the moon if you’re sowing seeds in seed raisers or container gardening? Or is it just for gardening in the ground?
Using the moon phases for planting works for starting seeds, transplanting seedlings or plants in both the ground and in containers. Why? Simply because they are in contact with the soil (and thus moisture) which the moon has an influence over. Getting your timing right can help seeds swell, absorb water and germinate much faster, whether you sow in pots or garden soil. Likewise, roots develop more quickly at certain times of the month. The moon’s gravity has an impact on the whole water cycle! Not just groundwater tables, but also the flow of water in soil via the root zone as well as sap flow in plants. If you do your own experiments and record the timing and results from sowing seeds or plants in the ideal moon phase vs a ‘hit and miss’ approach, you will see for yourself the difference in growth!
Hope this helps. Cheers Anne
Good afternoon Anne. I just discovered your site, and am new to delving into the “Lunar Gardening” technique. Makes perfectly good sense. However, in my research so far . . . I find that the most accurate “Moon Calendars” are ones based on the “astrological” moon vs. the “astronomical” constellation of the same name — and is based on the “Tropical Zodiac”. Can you tell me if the Moon Calendar you promote is astrological-based or astronomical-based? And by all means, if you have more to share on the differences, I’d hugely appreciate your feedback/comments. Thanks so much. ~Sheila
Hi Sheila
Thanks for raising an interesting question. This Moon Calendar is based on the moon’s influence only – using its various phases to determine growing times and dormant times. It not based on any zodiac constellations – astrological or astronomical. Rather, it was developed around the moon’s influence over tides, groundwater and sap flow in plants at various times of the month.
Just as the moon influences the rise and fall of the tides each day, it also creates a monthly lunar cycle of rise and fall in the groundwater tables. Without the pull of the moon on the Earth’s water, it is believed the Earth’s rotation would only take 10 hours instead of 24 hours. This movement of the groundwater also creates a rise and fall in the pressure of water in the plants, resulting in periods of high and low sap run at different times of the lunar month. It creates prolific top growth when sap run is high and favours the development of root crops at other times.
It aligns with much of the traditional moon gardening folklore gathered over the centuries by farming cultures. The A4 calendar has a moving dial that divides the 28-day lunar cycle into six periods of various lengths for different activities such as planting above-ground crops, another time for root crops, when to fertilise, cultivate and propagate. The new moon on the inner rotating dial is lined up with the matching date of the new moon for each month and the relevant gardening advice read off for each day. In this way it can be used month after month for years ahead.
The Australian farmers who created this calendar have used this system for more than 40 years as gardeners – growing vegetables and nursery plants commercially. Their experiences with successfully using moon phases for both growing food commercially and propagating plants at their nursery, led them to design the calendar to help others. Having known them for the past 8 years, and used this calendar myself every month over that time, from my experiments and experiences, it has proven its worth over and over.
It is also a perpetual design which is more sustainable because there’s no need to buy a new calendar year after year, wasting trees and resources on our beautiful earth. I choose to use this particular one because these values sit with my own ethics and values, as well as its simplicity. Having studied biodynamics, I originally used an annual biodynamic calendar however, in practice I found it too complicated. I have a busy life!
I hope this helps you make a decision if this is the right Moon Calendar for your own use.
Warm regards Anne
Thank You so much, so glad I found your site, it is great. I have always believed in planting by the moon.
thanks again Joann
Thanks for your feedback Joann. Glad you’re enjoying the articles. If you’d like regular tips on growing a nutrient-dense food garden, please join my newsletter. Cheers Anne
What a great article!
At the new moon, the lunar gravity pulls water up, and causes the seeds to swell and burst. This factor, coupled with the increasing moonlight creates balanced root and leaf growth. This is the best time for planting above ground annual crops that produce their seeds outside the fruit. Examples are lettuce, spinach, celery, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and grain crops.
Thanks for your feedback and comments Shari. Happy planting!
I really want to try this for next year gardening. Does this work same even if we sow seeds and transplant veggies in container?
Hi Isha
Yes! Moon gardening works in the soil or a container containing moisture in the soil mix that is drawn up or down during the moon cycle. You can find the Moon Calendar here – it’s a helpful tool to get started and follow each month.
Let me know if you need any further help! Anne
Moon gardening seems to be a unique idea. Are you sharing your own experience or it has some scientific facts behind this?
I am sharing from my personal experience and experiments. If you’d like to read more about moon gardening, there are some interesting scientific research links @ http://www.ianslunarpages.org/Lunar_gardening.html.