Planting by the Moon — May 2010

The favourable sowing days in May 2010 are 2, 3, 4, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 and 31. No sowing on 14 and 27 (New Moon — 14 May · Full Moon — 27 May).

What to sow when

Fruit
Days: 19 and 20

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

Root
Days: 2, 3, 4, 12, 13, 30 and 31

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

Leaf
Days: 17, 18, 25 and 26

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

Flower
Days: 15, 16, 23 and 24

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

Day by day

DayPhaseSignPartRatingTasks
1 Sat 90% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
2 Sun 83% Capricorn · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
3 Mon 75% Capricorn · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
4 Tue 66% Capricorn · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
5 Wed 56% Aquarius · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
6 Thu 47% Aquarius · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
7 Fri 38% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
8 Sat 29% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
9 Sun 20% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
10 Mon 13% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
11 Tue 7% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
12 Wed 3% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
13 Thu 0% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
14 Fri 0% Taurus · fruitful Root Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
15 Sat 3% Gemini · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
16 Sun 7% Gemini · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
17 Mon 14% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
18 Tue 23% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
19 Wed 33% Leo · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
20 Thu 45% Leo · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
21 Fri 56% Virgo · barren Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil Weeding Pest control
22 Sat 67% Virgo · barren Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil Weeding Pest control
23 Sun 77% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
24 Mon 86% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
25 Tue 93% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
26 Wed 97% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
27 Thu 100% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
28 Fri 100% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
29 Sat 97% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
30 Sun 93% Capricorn · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
31 Mon 87% Capricorn · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising

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 May, 10:02
  • Aquarius(Air · Flower)4 May, 20:57
  • Pisces(Water · Leaf)7 May, 09:38
  • Aries(Fire · Fruit)9 May, 21:32
  • Taurus(Earth · Root)12 May, 06:53
  • Gemini(Air · Flower)14 May, 13:23
  • Cancer(Water · Leaf)16 May, 17:48
  • Leo(Fire · Fruit)18 May, 21:06
  • Virgo(Earth · Root)20 May, 23:59
  • Libra(Air · Flower)23 May, 02:53
  • Scorpio(Water · Leaf)25 May, 06:20
  • Sagittarius(Fire · Fruit)27 May, 11:16
  • Capricorn(Earth · Root)29 May, 18:45

Times are UTC.

April 20102010June 2010
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Frequently asked questions

Which are the best days to sow in May 2010?

The favourable sowing and planting days in May 2010 are 2, 3, 4, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 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 May 2010?

Root crops (potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic) are traditionally sown under a waning Moon in an earth sign — in May 2010 that falls on 2, 3, 4, 12, 13, 30 and 31.

Which are the rest days in May 2010?

Tradition treats the day of the new moon and the day of the full moon as days without sowing — in May 2010 those are 14 and 27 (New Moon — 14 May · Full Moon — 27 May). 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.