SVCS

Planting by the Moon — October 2018

The favourable sowing days in October 2018 are 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25 and 26. No sowing on 8 and 24 (New Moon — 8 October · Full Moon — 24 October).

What to sow when

Fruit
Days: 12, 13, 14, 22 and 23

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

Root
Days: 6, 7, 25 and 26

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

Leaf
Days: 10, 11, 20 and 21

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

Flower
Days: 9, 17, 18 and 19

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

Day by day

DayPhaseSignPartRatingTasks
1 Mon 60% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
2 Tue 49% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
3 Wed 37% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
4 Thu 27% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
5 Fri 17% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
6 Sat 9% Virgo · barren Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising Weeding Pest control
7 Sun 4% Virgo · barren Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising Weeding Pest control
8 Mon 1% Libra · fruitful Flower Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
9 Tue 0% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
10 Wed 3% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
11 Thu 7% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
12 Fri 13% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
13 Sat 21% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
14 Sun 29% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
15 Mon 39% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
16 Tue 48% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
17 Wed 57% Aquarius · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
18 Thu 67% Aquarius · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
19 Fri 75% Aquarius · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
20 Sat 83% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
21 Sun 90% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
22 Mon 95% Aries · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
23 Tue 98% Aries · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
24 Wed 100% Aries · barren Fruit Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
25 Thu 99% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
26 Fri 96% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
27 Sat 91% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
28 Sun 83% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
29 Mon 74% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
30 Tue 63% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
31 Wed 52% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control

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

  • Cancer(Water · Leaf)1 Oct, 18:00
  • Leo(Fire · Fruit)3 Oct, 21:14
  • Virgo(Earth · Root)5 Oct, 23:20
  • Libra(Air · Flower)8 Oct, 01:09
  • Scorpio(Water · Leaf)10 Oct, 04:08
  • Sagittarius(Fire · Fruit)12 Oct, 09:52
  • Capricorn(Earth · Root)14 Oct, 19:18
  • Aquarius(Air · Flower)17 Oct, 07:39
  • Pisces(Water · Leaf)19 Oct, 20:24
  • Aries(Fire · Fruit)22 Oct, 07:02
  • Taurus(Earth · Root)24 Oct, 14:36
  • Gemini(Air · Flower)26 Oct, 19:41
  • Cancer(Water · Leaf)28 Oct, 23:26
  • Leo(Fire · Fruit)31 Oct, 02:41

Times are UTC.

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Frequently asked questions

Which are the best days to sow in October 2018?

The favourable sowing and planting days in October 2018 are 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25 and 26 — 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 2018?

Root crops (potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic) are traditionally sown under a waning Moon in an earth sign — in October 2018 that falls on 6, 7, 25 and 26.

Which are the rest days in October 2018?

Tradition treats the day of the new moon and the day of the full moon as days without sowing — in October 2018 those are 8 and 24 (New Moon — 8 October · Full Moon — 24 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.