Planting by the Moon — August 2008

The favourable sowing days in August 2008 are 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 22 and 23. No sowing on 1, 16 and 30 (New Moon — 1 August · Full Moon — 16 August · New Moon — 30 August).

What to sow when

Fruit
Days: 2, 10 and 11

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

Root
Days: 22 and 23

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

Leaf
Days: 7, 8 and 9

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

Flower
Days: 5, 6 and 15

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

Day by day

DayPhaseSignPartRatingTasks
1 Fri 0% Leo · barren Fruit Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
2 Sat 2% Leo · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
3 Sun 6% Virgo · barren Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil Weeding Pest control
4 Mon 12% Virgo · barren Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil Weeding Pest control
5 Tue 19% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
6 Wed 28% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
7 Thu 37% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
8 Fri 47% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
9 Sat 56% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
10 Sun 66% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
11 Mon 74% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
12 Tue 82% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
13 Wed 89% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
14 Thu 94% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
15 Fri 98% Aquarius · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
16 Sat 100% Aquarius · barren Flower Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
17 Sun 100% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
18 Mon 97% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
19 Tue 92% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
20 Wed 85% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
21 Thu 77% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
22 Fri 67% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
23 Sat 56% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
24 Sun 44% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
25 Mon 33% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
26 Tue 23% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
27 Wed 14% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
28 Thu 7% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
29 Fri 2% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
30 Sat 0% Virgo · barren Root Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
31 Sun 1% Virgo · barren Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil 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

  • Virgo(Earth · Root)2 Aug, 20:58
  • Libra(Air · Flower)5 Aug, 02:29
  • Scorpio(Water · Leaf)7 Aug, 11:32
  • Sagittarius(Fire · Fruit)9 Aug, 23:14
  • Capricorn(Earth · Root)12 Aug, 11:41
  • Aquarius(Air · Flower)14 Aug, 22:57
  • Pisces(Water · Leaf)17 Aug, 07:50
  • Aries(Fire · Fruit)19 Aug, 14:10
  • Taurus(Earth · Root)21 Aug, 18:36
  • Gemini(Air · Flower)23 Aug, 21:50
  • Cancer(Water · Leaf)26 Aug, 00:23
  • Leo(Fire · Fruit)28 Aug, 02:54
  • Virgo(Earth · Root)30 Aug, 06:16

Times are UTC.

July 20082008September 2008
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Frequently asked questions

Which are the best days to sow in August 2008?

The favourable sowing and planting days in August 2008 are 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 22 and 23 — 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 August 2008?

Root crops (potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic) are traditionally sown under a waning Moon in an earth sign — in August 2008 that falls on 22 and 23.

Which are the rest days in August 2008?

Tradition treats the day of the new moon and the day of the full moon as days without sowing — in August 2008 those are 1, 16 and 30 (New Moon — 1 August · Full Moon — 16 August · New Moon — 30 August). 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.