Planting by the Moon — December 2010

The favourable sowing days in December 2010 are 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 26 and 27. No sowing on 5 and 21 (New Moon — 5 December · Full Moon — 21 December).

What to sow when

Fruit
Days: 6, 14, 15 and 16

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

Root
Days: 26 and 27

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

Leaf
Days: 12 and 13

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

Flower
Days: 9, 10, 11, 19 and 20

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

Day by day

DayPhaseSignPartRatingTasks
1 Wed 21% Libra · fruitful Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning
2 Thu 13% Libra · fruitful Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning
3 Fri 6% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
4 Sat 2% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
5 Sun 0% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
6 Mon 1% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
7 Tue 4% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
8 Wed 8% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
9 Thu 15% Aquarius · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
10 Fri 22% Aquarius · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
11 Sat 31% Aquarius · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
12 Sun 40% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
13 Mon 49% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
14 Tue 59% Aries · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
15 Wed 68% Aries · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
16 Thu 77% Aries · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
17 Fri 84% Taurus · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
18 Sat 91% Taurus · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
19 Sun 96% Gemini · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
20 Mon 99% Gemini · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
21 Tue 100% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
22 Wed 98% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
23 Thu 94% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
24 Fri 87% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
25 Sat 79% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
26 Sun 69% Virgo · barren Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising Weeding Pest control
27 Mon 58% Virgo · barren Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising Weeding Pest control
28 Tue 46% Libra · fruitful Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning
29 Wed 35% Libra · fruitful Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning
30 Thu 25% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
31 Fri 16% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering

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)2 Dec, 14:50
  • Sagittarius(Fire · Fruit)4 Dec, 18:03
  • Capricorn(Earth · Root)6 Dec, 23:17
  • Aquarius(Air · Flower)9 Dec, 07:35
  • Pisces(Water · Leaf)11 Dec, 18:48
  • Aries(Fire · Fruit)14 Dec, 07:18
  • Taurus(Earth · Root)16 Dec, 18:50
  • Gemini(Air · Flower)19 Dec, 03:41
  • Cancer(Water · Leaf)21 Dec, 09:25
  • Leo(Fire · Fruit)23 Dec, 12:49
  • Virgo(Earth · Root)25 Dec, 15:11
  • Libra(Air · Flower)27 Dec, 17:38
  • Scorpio(Water · Leaf)29 Dec, 20:54

Times are UTC.

November 20102010January 2011
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Frequently asked questions

Which are the best days to sow in December 2010?

The favourable sowing and planting days in December 2010 are 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 26 and 27 — 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 December 2010?

Root crops (potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic) are traditionally sown under a waning Moon in an earth sign — in December 2010 that falls on 26 and 27.

Which are the rest days in December 2010?

Tradition treats the day of the new moon and the day of the full moon as days without sowing — in December 2010 those are 5 and 21 (New Moon — 5 December · Full Moon — 21 December). 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.