SVCS

Planting by the Moon — October 2012

The favourable sowing days in October 2012 are 2, 3, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30 and 31. No sowing on 15 and 29 (New Moon — 15 October · Full Moon — 29 October).

What to sow when

Fruit
Days: 18, 19, 27 and 28

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

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

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

Leaf
Days: 16, 17, 24, 25 and 26

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

Flower
Days: 22 and 23

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

Day by day

DayPhaseSignPartRatingTasks
1 Mon 98% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
2 Tue 95% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
3 Wed 90% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
4 Thu 83% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
5 Fri 76% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
6 Sat 67% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
7 Sun 58% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
8 Mon 48% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
9 Tue 38% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
10 Wed 29% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
11 Thu 20% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
12 Fri 12% Virgo · barren Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising Weeding Pest control
13 Sat 6% Virgo · barren Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising Weeding Pest control
14 Sun 2% Libra · fruitful Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning
15 Mon 0% Libra · fruitful Flower Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
16 Tue 2% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
17 Wed 6% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
18 Thu 13% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
19 Fri 22% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
20 Sat 32% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
21 Sun 43% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
22 Mon 54% Aquarius · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
23 Tue 65% Aquarius · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
24 Wed 74% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
25 Thu 83% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
26 Fri 90% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
27 Sat 95% Aries · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
28 Sun 98% Aries · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
29 Mon 100% Taurus · fruitful Root Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
30 Tue 100% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
31 Wed 97% Taurus · 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

  • Taurus(Earth · Root)1 Oct, 23:28
  • Gemini(Air · Flower)4 Oct, 11:51
  • Cancer(Water · Leaf)7 Oct, 00:49
  • Leo(Fire · Fruit)9 Oct, 11:58
  • Virgo(Earth · Root)11 Oct, 19:26
  • Libra(Air · Flower)13 Oct, 23:07
  • Scorpio(Water · Leaf)16 Oct, 00:13
  • Sagittarius(Fire · Fruit)18 Oct, 00:30
  • Capricorn(Earth · Root)20 Oct, 01:40
  • Aquarius(Air · Flower)22 Oct, 05:00
  • Pisces(Water · Leaf)24 Oct, 11:00
  • Aries(Fire · Fruit)26 Oct, 19:33
  • Taurus(Earth · Root)29 Oct, 06:18
  • Gemini(Air · Flower)31 Oct, 18:44

Times are UTC.

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Frequently asked questions

Which are the best days to sow in October 2012?

The favourable sowing and planting days in October 2012 are 2, 3, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 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 October 2012?

Root crops (potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic) are traditionally sown under a waning Moon in an earth sign — in October 2012 that falls on 2, 3, 12, 13, 30 and 31.

Which are the rest days in October 2012?

Tradition treats the day of the new moon and the day of the full moon as days without sowing — in October 2012 those are 15 and 29 (New Moon — 15 October · Full Moon — 29 October). 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.