Planting by the Moon — August 2009

The favourable sowing days in August 2009 are 1, 5, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29. No sowing on 6 and 20 (Full Moon — 6 August · New Moon — 20 August).

What to sow when

Fruit
Days: 1, 27, 28 and 29

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

Root
Days: 12 and 13

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

Leaf
Days: 25 and 26

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

Flower
Days: 5, 23 and 24

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

Day by day

DayPhaseSignPartRatingTasks
1 Sat 83% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
2 Sun 89% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
3 Mon 94% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
4 Tue 98% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
5 Wed 100% Aquarius · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
6 Thu 100% Aquarius · barren Flower Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
7 Fri 98% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
8 Sat 94% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
9 Sun 89% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
10 Mon 82% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
11 Tue 73% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
12 Wed 64% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
13 Thu 53% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
14 Fri 42% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
15 Sat 31% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
16 Sun 21% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
17 Mon 12% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
18 Tue 5% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
19 Wed 1% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
20 Thu 0% Leo · barren Fruit Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
21 Fri 2% Virgo · barren Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil Weeding Pest control
22 Sat 6% Virgo · barren Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil Weeding Pest control
23 Sun 13% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
24 Mon 21% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
25 Tue 31% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
26 Wed 40% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
27 Thu 50% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
28 Fri 60% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
29 Sat 69% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
30 Sun 78% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
31 Mon 85% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil

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

  • Capricorn(Earth · Root)2 Aug, 08:08
  • Aquarius(Air · Flower)4 Aug, 21:09
  • Pisces(Water · Leaf)7 Aug, 09:37
  • Aries(Fire · Fruit)9 Aug, 20:26
  • Taurus(Earth · Root)12 Aug, 04:52
  • Gemini(Air · Flower)14 Aug, 10:28
  • Cancer(Water · Leaf)16 Aug, 13:13
  • Leo(Fire · Fruit)18 Aug, 13:55
  • Virgo(Earth · Root)20 Aug, 13:58
  • Libra(Air · Flower)22 Aug, 15:11
  • Scorpio(Water · Leaf)24 Aug, 19:16
  • Sagittarius(Fire · Fruit)27 Aug, 03:16
  • Capricorn(Earth · Root)29 Aug, 14:44

Times are UTC.

July 20092009September 2009
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Frequently asked questions

Which are the best days to sow in August 2009?

The favourable sowing and planting days in August 2009 are 1, 5, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29 — 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 2009?

Root crops (potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic) are traditionally sown under a waning Moon in an earth sign — in August 2009 that falls on 12 and 13.

Which are the rest days in August 2009?

Tradition treats the day of the new moon and the day of the full moon as days without sowing — in August 2009 those are 6 and 20 (Full Moon — 6 August · New Moon — 20 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.