Planting by the Moon — October 2008

The favourable sowing days in October 2008 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 24, 25, 30 and 31. No sowing on 14 and 29 (Full Moon — 14 October · New Moon — 29 October).

What to sow when

Fruit
Days: 4, 5, 13 and 31

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

Root
Days: 15, 16, 24 and 25

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

Leaf
Days: 1, 2, 3, 11, 12 and 30

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

Flower
Days: 9 and 10

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

Day by day

DayPhaseSignPartRatingTasks
1 Wed 5% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
2 Thu 10% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
3 Fri 17% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
4 Sat 24% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
5 Sun 33% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
6 Mon 42% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
7 Tue 51% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
8 Wed 61% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
9 Thu 70% Aquarius · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
10 Fri 79% Aquarius · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
11 Sat 87% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
12 Sun 93% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
13 Mon 98% Aries · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
14 Tue 100% Aries · barren Fruit Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
15 Wed 99% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
16 Thu 96% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
17 Fri 90% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
18 Sat 82% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
19 Sun 72% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
20 Mon 61% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
21 Tue 50% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
22 Wed 39% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
23 Thu 29% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
24 Fri 20% Virgo · barren Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising Weeding Pest control
25 Sat 12% Virgo · barren Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising Weeding Pest control
26 Sun 6% Libra · fruitful Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning
27 Mon 2% Libra · fruitful Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning
28 Tue 0% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
29 Wed 0% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
30 Thu 2% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
31 Fri 6% Sagittarius · 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

  • Scorpio(Water · Leaf)1 Oct, 04:26
  • Sagittarius(Fire · Fruit)3 Oct, 15:14
  • Capricorn(Earth · Root)6 Oct, 03:46
  • Aquarius(Air · Flower)8 Oct, 16:01
  • Pisces(Water · Leaf)11 Oct, 01:33
  • Aries(Fire · Fruit)13 Oct, 07:09
  • Taurus(Earth · Root)15 Oct, 09:33
  • Gemini(Air · Flower)17 Oct, 10:29
  • Cancer(Water · Leaf)19 Oct, 11:42
  • Leo(Fire · Fruit)21 Oct, 14:34
  • Virgo(Earth · Root)23 Oct, 19:39
  • Libra(Air · Flower)26 Oct, 02:49
  • Scorpio(Water · Leaf)28 Oct, 11:49
  • Sagittarius(Fire · Fruit)30 Oct, 22:42

Times are UTC.

September 20082008November 2008
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Frequently asked questions

Which are the best days to sow in October 2008?

The favourable sowing and planting days in October 2008 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 24, 25, 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 October 2008?

Root crops (potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic) are traditionally sown under a waning Moon in an earth sign — in October 2008 that falls on 15, 16, 24 and 25.

Which are the rest days in October 2008?

Tradition treats the day of the new moon and the day of the full moon as days without sowing — in October 2008 those are 14 and 29 (Full Moon — 14 October · New Moon — 29 October). 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.