Planting by the Moon — May 2006

The favourable sowing days in May 2006 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30 and 31. No sowing on 13 and 27 (Full Moon — 13 May · New Moon — 27 May).

What to sow when

Fruit
Days: 4, 5, 6 and 31

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

Root
Days: 16, 17, 25 and 26

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

Leaf
Days: 2, 3, 12, 29 and 30

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

Flower
Days: 1, 9, 10, 11 and 28

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

Day by day

DayPhaseSignPartRatingTasks
1 Mon 16% Gemini · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
2 Tue 25% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
3 Wed 34% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
4 Thu 43% Leo · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
5 Fri 53% Leo · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
6 Sat 62% Leo · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
7 Sun 71% Virgo · barren Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil Weeding Pest control
8 Mon 79% Virgo · barren Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil Weeding Pest control
9 Tue 86% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
10 Wed 92% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
11 Thu 97% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
12 Fri 99% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
13 Sat 100% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
14 Sun 98% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
15 Mon 94% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
16 Tue 88% Capricorn · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
17 Wed 80% Capricorn · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
18 Thu 71% Aquarius · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
19 Fri 60% Aquarius · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
20 Sat 49% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
21 Sun 37% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
22 Mon 27% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
23 Tue 17% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
24 Wed 9% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
25 Thu 4% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
26 Fri 1% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
27 Sat 0% Gemini · barren Flower Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
28 Sun 2% Gemini · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
29 Mon 6% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
30 Tue 12% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
31 Wed 19% Leo · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering 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

  • Cancer(Water · Leaf)1 May, 15:18
  • Leo(Fire · Fruit)4 May, 00:19
  • Virgo(Earth · Root)6 May, 12:18
  • Libra(Air · Flower)9 May, 01:08
  • Scorpio(Water · Leaf)11 May, 12:26
  • Sagittarius(Fire · Fruit)13 May, 20:58
  • Capricorn(Earth · Root)16 May, 02:58
  • Aquarius(Air · Flower)18 May, 07:20
  • Pisces(Water · Leaf)20 May, 10:43
  • Aries(Fire · Fruit)22 May, 13:28
  • Taurus(Earth · Root)24 May, 16:01
  • Gemini(Air · Flower)26 May, 19:17
  • Cancer(Water · Leaf)29 May, 00:33
  • Leo(Fire · Fruit)31 May, 08:53

Times are UTC.

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Frequently asked questions

Which are the best days to sow in May 2006?

The favourable sowing and planting days in May 2006 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30 and 31 — 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 2006?

Root crops (potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic) are traditionally sown under a waning Moon in an earth sign — in May 2006 that falls on 16, 17, 25 and 26.

Which are the rest days in May 2006?

Tradition treats the day of the new moon and the day of the full moon as days without sowing — in May 2006 those are 13 and 27 (Full Moon — 13 May · New Moon — 27 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.