Planting by the Moon — April 2003

The favourable sowing days in April 2003 are 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 21 and 22. No sowing on 1 and 16 (New Moon — 1 April · Full Moon — 16 April).

What to sow when

Fruit
Days: 2, 11 and 12

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

Root
Days: 21 and 22

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

Leaf
Days: 8, 9 and 10

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

Flower
Days: 6, 7 and 15

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

Day by day

DayPhaseSignPartRatingTasks
1 Tue 0% Aries · barren Fruit Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
2 Wed 1% Aries · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
3 Thu 3% Taurus · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
4 Fri 6% Taurus · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
5 Sat 12% Taurus · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
6 Sun 19% Gemini · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
7 Mon 27% Gemini · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
8 Tue 36% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
9 Wed 45% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
10 Thu 55% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
11 Fri 66% Leo · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
12 Sat 76% Leo · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
13 Sun 85% Virgo · barren Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil Weeding Pest control
14 Mon 92% Virgo · barren Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil Weeding Pest control
15 Tue 97% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
16 Wed 100% Libra · fruitful Flower Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
17 Thu 99% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
18 Fri 96% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
19 Sat 90% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
20 Sun 81% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
21 Mon 71% Capricorn · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
22 Tue 61% Capricorn · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
23 Wed 50% Aquarius · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
24 Thu 40% Aquarius · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
25 Fri 30% Aquarius · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
26 Sat 22% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
27 Sun 14% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
28 Mon 8% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
29 Tue 4% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
30 Wed 1% 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

  • Taurus(Earth · Root)3 Apr, 08:21
  • Gemini(Air · Flower)5 Apr, 21:26
  • Cancer(Water · Leaf)8 Apr, 09:41
  • Leo(Fire · Fruit)10 Apr, 18:58
  • Virgo(Earth · Root)13 Apr, 00:08
  • Libra(Air · Flower)15 Apr, 01:42
  • Scorpio(Water · Leaf)17 Apr, 01:19
  • Sagittarius(Fire · Fruit)19 Apr, 00:56
  • Capricorn(Earth · Root)21 Apr, 02:22
  • Aquarius(Air · Flower)23 Apr, 06:59
  • Pisces(Water · Leaf)25 Apr, 15:04
  • Aries(Fire · Fruit)28 Apr, 01:55
  • Taurus(Earth · Root)30 Apr, 14:26

Times are UTC.

March 20032003May 2003
Advertisement

Frequently asked questions

Which are the best days to sow in April 2003?

The favourable sowing and planting days in April 2003 are 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 21 and 22 — 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 April 2003?

Root crops (potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic) are traditionally sown under a waning Moon in an earth sign — in April 2003 that falls on 21 and 22.

Which are the rest days in April 2003?

Tradition treats the day of the new moon and the day of the full moon as days without sowing — in April 2003 those are 1 and 16 (New Moon — 1 April · Full Moon — 16 April). 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.