Planting by the Moon — August 2014

The favourable sowing days in August 2014 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 16, 17, 28, 29, 30 and 31. No sowing on 10 and 25 (Full Moon — 10 August · New Moon — 25 August).

What to sow when

Fruit
Days: 5, 6 and 7

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

Root
Days: 16 and 17

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

Leaf
Days: 3, 4, 30 and 31

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

Flower
Days: 1, 2, 28 and 29

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

Day by day

DayPhaseSignPartRatingTasks
1 Fri 26% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
2 Sat 35% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
3 Sun 45% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
4 Mon 55% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
5 Tue 66% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
6 Wed 76% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
7 Thu 85% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
8 Fri 92% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
9 Sat 97% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
10 Sun 100% Aquarius · barren Flower Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
11 Mon 99% Aquarius · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
12 Tue 95% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
13 Wed 89% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
14 Thu 81% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
15 Fri 71% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
16 Sat 61% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
17 Sun 50% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
18 Mon 40% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
19 Tue 30% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
20 Wed 22% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
21 Thu 14% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
22 Fri 8% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
23 Sat 4% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
24 Sun 1% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
25 Mon 0% Virgo · barren Root Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
26 Tue 1% Virgo · barren Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil Weeding Pest control
27 Wed 3% Virgo · barren Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil Weeding Pest control
28 Thu 8% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
29 Fri 14% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
30 Sat 21% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
31 Sun 30% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out 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)3 Aug, 03:00
  • Sagittarius(Fire · Fruit)5 Aug, 10:19
  • Capricorn(Earth · Root)7 Aug, 13:35
  • Aquarius(Air · Flower)9 Aug, 13:53
  • Pisces(Water · Leaf)11 Aug, 13:03
  • Aries(Fire · Fruit)13 Aug, 13:08
  • Taurus(Earth · Root)15 Aug, 16:00
  • Gemini(Air · Flower)17 Aug, 22:43
  • Cancer(Water · Leaf)20 Aug, 08:49
  • Leo(Fire · Fruit)22 Aug, 20:52
  • Virgo(Earth · Root)25 Aug, 09:33
  • Libra(Air · Flower)27 Aug, 21:56
  • Scorpio(Water · Leaf)30 Aug, 08:57

Times are UTC.

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Frequently asked questions

Which are the best days to sow in August 2014?

The favourable sowing and planting days in August 2014 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 16, 17, 28, 29, 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 August 2014?

Root crops (potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic) are traditionally sown under a waning Moon in an earth sign — in August 2014 that falls on 16 and 17.

Which are the rest days in August 2014?

Tradition treats the day of the new moon and the day of the full moon as days without sowing — in August 2014 those are 10 and 25 (Full Moon — 10 August · New Moon — 25 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.