SVCS

Planting by the Moon — October 2020

The favourable sowing days in October 2020 are 4, 5, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30. No sowing on 1, 16 and 31 (Full Moon — 1 October · New Moon — 16 October · Full Moon — 31 October).

What to sow when

Fruit
Days: 19, 20, 28, 29 and 30

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

Root
Days: 4, 5, 13 and 14

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

Leaf
Days: 17, 18, 26 and 27

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

Flower
Days: 24 and 25

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

Day by day

DayPhaseSignPartRatingTasks
1 Thu 100% Aries · barren Fruit Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
2 Fri 99% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
3 Sat 97% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
4 Sun 94% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
5 Mon 88% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
6 Tue 82% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
7 Wed 74% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
8 Thu 65% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
9 Fri 55% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
10 Sat 45% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
11 Sun 35% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
12 Mon 25% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
13 Tue 16% Virgo · barren Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising Weeding Pest control
14 Wed 8% Virgo · barren Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising Weeding Pest control
15 Thu 3% Libra · fruitful Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning
16 Fri 0% Libra · fruitful Flower Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
17 Sat 1% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
18 Sun 5% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
19 Mon 11% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
20 Tue 19% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
21 Wed 29% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
22 Thu 39% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
23 Fri 50% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
24 Sat 60% Aquarius · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
25 Sun 70% Aquarius · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
26 Mon 78% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
27 Tue 86% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
28 Wed 92% Aries · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
29 Thu 96% Aries · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
30 Fri 99% Aries · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
31 Sat 100% Taurus · fruitful Root Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation

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

  • Aries(Fire · Fruit)1 Oct, 02:50
  • Taurus(Earth · Root)3 Oct, 15:12
  • Gemini(Air · Flower)6 Oct, 04:03
  • Cancer(Water · Leaf)8 Oct, 15:49
  • Leo(Fire · Fruit)11 Oct, 00:27
  • Virgo(Earth · Root)13 Oct, 04:55
  • Libra(Air · Flower)15 Oct, 05:55
  • Scorpio(Water · Leaf)17 Oct, 05:13
  • Sagittarius(Fire · Fruit)19 Oct, 04:51
  • Capricorn(Earth · Root)21 Oct, 06:45
  • Aquarius(Air · Flower)23 Oct, 12:15
  • Pisces(Water · Leaf)25 Oct, 21:21
  • Aries(Fire · Fruit)28 Oct, 08:49
  • Taurus(Earth · Root)30 Oct, 21:20

Times are UTC.

← September 20202020November 2020 →
Advertisement

Frequently asked questions

Which are the best days to sow in October 2020?

The favourable sowing and planting days in October 2020 are 4, 5, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 — 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 2020?

Root crops (potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic) are traditionally sown under a waning Moon in an earth sign — in October 2020 that falls on 4, 5, 13 and 14.

Which are the rest days in October 2020?

Tradition treats the day of the new moon and the day of the full moon as days without sowing — in October 2020 those are 1, 16 and 31 (Full Moon — 1 October · New Moon — 16 October · Full Moon — 31 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.