Planting by the Moon — September 2008

The favourable sowing days in September 2008 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 27, 28 and 30. No sowing on 15 and 29 (Full Moon — 15 September · New Moon — 29 September).

What to sow when

Fruit
Days: 6, 7 and 8

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

Root
Days: 18, 19, 27 and 28

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

Leaf
Days: 4, 5 and 14

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

Flower
Days: 1, 2, 3, 11, 12, 13 and 30

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

Day by day

DayPhaseSignPartRatingTasks
1 Mon 3% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
2 Tue 8% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
3 Wed 15% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
4 Thu 22% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
5 Fri 31% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
6 Sat 40% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
7 Sun 49% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
8 Mon 59% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
9 Tue 68% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
10 Wed 77% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
11 Thu 84% Aquarius · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
12 Fri 91% Aquarius · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
13 Sat 96% Aquarius · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
14 Sun 99% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
15 Mon 100% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
16 Tue 98% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
17 Wed 94% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
18 Thu 88% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
19 Fri 79% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
20 Sat 69% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
21 Sun 58% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
22 Mon 47% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
23 Tue 36% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
24 Wed 25% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
25 Thu 16% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
26 Fri 9% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
27 Sat 4% Virgo · barren Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising Weeding Pest control
28 Sun 1% Virgo · barren Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising Weeding Pest control
29 Mon 0% Libra · fruitful Flower Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
30 Tue 2% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out

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

  • Libra(Air · Flower)1 Sept, 11:42
  • Scorpio(Water · Leaf)3 Sept, 20:03
  • Sagittarius(Fire · Fruit)6 Sept, 07:12
  • Capricorn(Earth · Root)8 Sept, 19:42
  • Aquarius(Air · Flower)11 Sept, 07:18
  • Pisces(Water · Leaf)13 Sept, 16:07
  • Aries(Fire · Fruit)15 Sept, 21:40
  • Taurus(Earth · Root)18 Sept, 00:55
  • Gemini(Air · Flower)20 Sept, 03:15
  • Cancer(Water · Leaf)22 Sept, 05:50
  • Leo(Fire · Fruit)24 Sept, 09:16
  • Virgo(Earth · Root)26 Sept, 13:52
  • Libra(Air · Flower)28 Sept, 20:04

Times are UTC.

August 20082008October 2008
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Frequently asked questions

Which are the best days to sow in September 2008?

The favourable sowing and planting days in September 2008 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 27, 28 and 30 — 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 September 2008?

Root crops (potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic) are traditionally sown under a waning Moon in an earth sign — in September 2008 that falls on 18, 19, 27 and 28.

Which are the rest days in September 2008?

Tradition treats the day of the new moon and the day of the full moon as days without sowing — in September 2008 those are 15 and 29 (Full Moon — 15 September · New Moon — 29 September). 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.