SVCS

Planting by the Moon — May 1978

The favourable sowing days in May 1978 are 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25 and 26. No sowing on 7 and 22 (New Moon — 7 May · Full Moon — 22 May).

What to sow when

Fruit
Days: 13, 14 and 15

tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, courgettes, aubergine, beans, peas, sweetcorn, strawberries, fruit trees

Root
Days: 6, 24, 25 and 26

potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, beetroot, radishes, turnips, parsnips, celeriac, root parsley

Leaf
Days: 11, 12, 20 and 21

lettuce, salad leaves, spinach, cabbage, rocket, parsley, dill, basil, leeks, chard

Flower
Days: 8, 9, 10, 18 and 19

broccoli, cauliflower, artichokes, roses, lavender, sunflowers, bedding flowers, bulbs

Day by day

DayPhaseSignPartRatingTasks
1 Mon 33% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
2 Tue 23% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
3 Wed 14% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
4 Thu 8% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
5 Fri 3% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
6 Sat 1% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
7 Sun 0% Taurus · fruitful Root Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
8 Mon 2% Gemini · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
9 Tue 5% Gemini · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
10 Wed 10% Gemini · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
11 Thu 17% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
12 Fri 24% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
13 Sat 33% Leo · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
14 Sun 42% Leo · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
15 Mon 52% Leo · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
16 Tue 61% Virgo · barren Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil Weeding Pest control
17 Wed 71% Virgo · barren Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil Weeding Pest control
18 Thu 80% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
19 Fri 88% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
20 Sat 94% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
21 Sun 98% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
22 Mon 100% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
23 Tue 99% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
24 Wed 94% Capricorn · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
25 Thu 88% Capricorn · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
26 Fri 79% Capricorn · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
27 Sat 69% Aquarius · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
28 Sun 58% Aquarius · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
29 Mon 47% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
30 Tue 36% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
31 Wed 26% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control

Phase and sign are computed for 12:00 UTC on each day. The Moon changes sign every ~2.3 days — the exact moments are listed below.

The Moon changes sign

  • Pisces(Water · Leaf)1 May, 09:03
  • Aries(Fire · Fruit)3 May, 14:28
  • Taurus(Earth · Root)5 May, 21:52
  • Gemini(Air · Flower)8 May, 07:19
  • Cancer(Water · Leaf)10 May, 18:41
  • Leo(Fire · Fruit)13 May, 07:11
  • Virgo(Earth · Root)15 May, 19:10
  • Libra(Air · Flower)18 May, 04:23
  • Scorpio(Water · Leaf)20 May, 09:37
  • Sagittarius(Fire · Fruit)22 May, 11:29
  • Capricorn(Earth · Root)24 May, 11:43
  • Aquarius(Air · Flower)26 May, 12:14
  • Pisces(Water · Leaf)28 May, 14:38
  • Aries(Fire · Fruit)30 May, 19:51

Times are UTC.

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Frequently asked questions

Which are the best days to sow in May 1978?

The favourable sowing and planting days in May 1978 are 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25 and 26 — the days on which the Moon's direction of travel and its zodiac sign agree under the traditional rule.

When should root crops be sown in May 1978?

Root crops (potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic) are traditionally sown under a waning Moon in an earth sign — in May 1978 that falls on 6, 24, 25 and 26.

Which are the rest days in May 1978?

Tradition treats the day of the new moon and the day of the full moon as days without sowing — in May 1978 those are 7 and 22 (New Moon — 7 May · Full Moon — 22 May). They suit weeding, soil work and composting instead.

How does a lunar planting calendar work?

Two rules combine. Under a waxing Moon (new → full) you sow the crops harvested above ground — fruiting, leafy and flowering plants. Under a waning Moon (full → new) you sow root crops. At the same time the zodiac sign holding the Moon decides which part of the plant is favoured: fire → fruit, earth → root, air → flower, water → leaf.

Is there scientific evidence for lunar planting?

No. The moon phase and its zodiac sign are astronomically computed and verifiable, but their link to plant growth is traditional practice, not agronomic advice. This page reproduces the rules exactly as the centuries-old farming almanacs apply them.

The moon phase and its zodiac sign are computed astronomically (tropical zodiac). The sowing rules are traditional practice taken from folk farming almanacs — they are not agronomic advice and have no scientific confirmation.