Planting by the Moon
- Sow flowers and flowering veg
- Transplant and prick out
The favourable sowing days in September 2026 are 1, 2, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29 and 30. No sowing on 11 and 26 — the new and full moon.
What to sow when in September 2026
tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, courgettes, aubergine, beans, peas, sweetcorn, strawberries, fruit trees
potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, beetroot, radishes, turnips, parsnips, celeriac, root parsley
lettuce, salad leaves, spinach, cabbage, rocket, parsley, dill, basil, leeks, chard
broccoli, cauliflower, artichokes, roses, lavender, sunflowers, bedding flowers, bulbs
How to read the calendar
New moon → full moon. Sow what is harvested above ground — fruiting, leafy and flowering crops. Also the time for grafting and watering.
Full moon → new moon. Sow root crops, harvest for storage, prune and feed.
Each day's verdict comes from the phase combined with the sign's element. We also mark whether the sign is fruitful or barren — a second, separate tradition, shown for information but deliberately kept out of the verdict.
| Element | Signs | Plant part |
|---|---|---|
| Fire | ♈ Aries (barren) · ♌ Leo (barren) · ♐ Sagittarius (barren) | 🍅 Fruit |
| Earth | ♉ Taurus (fruitful) · ♍ Virgo (barren) · ♑ Capricorn (fruitful) | 🥕 Root |
| Air | ♊ Gemini (barren) · ♎ Libra (fruitful) · ♒ Aquarius (barren) | 🌸 Flower |
| Water | ♋ Cancer (most fruitful) · ♏ Scorpio (most fruitful) · ♓ Pisces (most fruitful) | 🥬 Leaf |
Planting calendar by year
Frequently asked questions
Is today a good day to sow?
Today the Moon is waxing and sits in Libra (Air), the sign tradition links to the "Flower" part of the plant. Verdict: favourable for sowing.
Which are the best sowing days in September 2026?
In September 2026 the favourable sowing days are 1, 2, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29 and 30.
How do you read a lunar planting calendar?
Two rules combine. Under a waxing Moon (new → full) tradition sows the crops harvested above ground — fruiting, leafy and flowering plants. Under a waning Moon it sows root crops. The zodiac sign holding the Moon decides which part of the plant is favoured: fire → fruit, earth → root, air → flower, water → leaf. The new moon and full moon days are rest days.
What do you do on rest days?
Tradition does not sow on the day of the new moon or the day of the full moon. Those days go to weeding, working the soil, composting and preparing tools.
What do "fruitful" and "barren" signs mean?
That is a second, separate tradition — the older farming almanac, in which Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces are most fruitful, Taurus, Capricorn and Libra are fruitful, and the remaining six are barren. Barren does not mean a bad day: it is the traditional time for weeding, pruning and pest control. We show the sign for information, but the day's verdict comes only from the element → plant-part rule, because the two systems are distinct and merging them distorts both.
Which zodiac is used — tropical or sidereal?
Tropical, as in the published farming almanacs. Biodynamic calendars (after Maria Thun) use the sidereal zodiac and differ by about 24°, roughly one sign.
Is there scientific evidence?
No. The moon phase and its zodiac sign are computed astronomically and are verifiable, but their link to plant growth is traditional practice, not agronomic advice.
The moon phase and its zodiac sign are computed astronomically (tropical zodiac, sampled at 12:00 UTC) and check out against any ephemeris. The sowing rules are traditional practice from folk farming almanacs — reproduced faithfully, but with no agronomic claim and no scientific confirmation.