Planting by the Moon — February 2013

The favourable sowing days in February 2013 are 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26 and 27. No sowing on 10 and 25 (New Moon — 10 February · Full Moon — 25 February).

What to sow when

Fruit
Days: 13, 14, 23 and 24

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

Root
Days: 7, 8, 26 and 27

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

Leaf
Days: 11, 12, 20, 21 and 22

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

Flower
Days: 18 and 19

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

Day by day

DayPhaseSignPartRatingTasks
1 Fri 72% Libra · fruitful Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning
2 Sat 62% Libra · fruitful Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning
3 Sun 51% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
4 Mon 40% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
5 Tue 29% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
6 Wed 19% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
7 Thu 11% Capricorn · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
8 Fri 5% Capricorn · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
9 Sat 1% Aquarius · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
10 Sun 0% Aquarius · barren Flower Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
11 Mon 2% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
12 Tue 6% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
13 Wed 12% Aries · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
14 Thu 20% Aries · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
15 Fri 28% Taurus · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
16 Sat 38% Taurus · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
17 Sun 47% Taurus · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
18 Mon 56% Gemini · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
19 Tue 66% Gemini · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
20 Wed 74% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
21 Thu 82% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
22 Fri 89% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
23 Sat 94% Leo · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
24 Sun 98% Leo · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
25 Mon 100% Virgo · barren Root Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
26 Tue 99% Virgo · barren Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising Weeding Pest control
27 Wed 97% Virgo · barren Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising Weeding Pest control
28 Thu 92% Libra · fruitful Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning

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 Feb, 12:04
  • Sagittarius(Fire · Fruit)4 Feb, 15:49
  • Capricorn(Earth · Root)6 Feb, 17:56
  • Aquarius(Air · Flower)8 Feb, 19:16
  • Pisces(Water · Leaf)10 Feb, 21:20
  • Aries(Fire · Fruit)13 Feb, 01:52
  • Taurus(Earth · Root)15 Feb, 10:10
  • Gemini(Air · Flower)17 Feb, 21:54
  • Cancer(Water · Leaf)20 Feb, 10:49
  • Leo(Fire · Fruit)22 Feb, 22:15
  • Virgo(Earth · Root)25 Feb, 06:55
  • Libra(Air · Flower)27 Feb, 13:03

Times are UTC.

January 20132013March 2013
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Frequently asked questions

Which are the best days to sow in February 2013?

The favourable sowing and planting days in February 2013 are 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 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 February 2013?

Root crops (potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic) are traditionally sown under a waning Moon in an earth sign — in February 2013 that falls on 7, 8, 26 and 27.

Which are the rest days in February 2013?

Tradition treats the day of the new moon and the day of the full moon as days without sowing — in February 2013 those are 10 and 25 (New Moon — 10 February · Full Moon — 25 February). 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.