SVCS

Planting by the Moon — May 2021

The favourable sowing days in May 2021 are 1, 2, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28 and 29. No sowing on 11 and 26 (New Moon — 11 May · Full Moon — 26 May).

What to sow when

Fruit
Days: 18 and 19

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

Root
Days: 1, 2, 10, 28 and 29

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

Leaf
Days: 15, 16, 17, 24 and 25

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

Flower
Days: 13, 14, 22 and 23

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

Day by day

DayPhaseSignPartRatingTasks
1 Sat 74% Capricorn · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
2 Sun 64% Capricorn · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
3 Mon 53% Aquarius · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
4 Tue 43% Aquarius · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
5 Wed 33% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
6 Thu 24% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
7 Fri 16% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
8 Sat 10% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
9 Sun 5% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
10 Mon 1% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
11 Tue 0% Taurus · fruitful Root Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
12 Wed 0% Taurus · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
13 Thu 3% Gemini · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
14 Fri 7% Gemini · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
15 Sat 12% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
16 Sun 19% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
17 Mon 28% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
18 Tue 37% Leo · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
19 Wed 47% Leo · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
20 Thu 58% Virgo · barren Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil Weeding Pest control
21 Fri 69% Virgo · barren Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil Weeding Pest control
22 Sat 79% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
23 Sun 87% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
24 Mon 94% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
25 Tue 99% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
26 Wed 100% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
27 Thu 98% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
28 Fri 94% Capricorn · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
29 Sat 87% Capricorn · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
30 Sun 78% Aquarius · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
31 Mon 68% Aquarius · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers 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

  • Aquarius(Air · Flower)2 May, 19:32
  • Pisces(Water · Leaf)5 May, 02:10
  • Aries(Fire · Fruit)7 May, 11:54
  • Taurus(Earth · Root)9 May, 23:47
  • Gemini(Air · Flower)12 May, 12:45
  • Cancer(Water · Leaf)15 May, 01:34
  • Leo(Fire · Fruit)17 May, 12:49
  • Virgo(Earth · Root)19 May, 21:03
  • Libra(Air · Flower)22 May, 01:36
  • Scorpio(Water · Leaf)24 May, 02:59
  • Sagittarius(Fire · Fruit)26 May, 02:40
  • Capricorn(Earth · Root)28 May, 02:25
  • Aquarius(Air · Flower)30 May, 04:06

Times are UTC.

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Frequently asked questions

Which are the best days to sow in May 2021?

The favourable sowing and planting days in May 2021 are 1, 2, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28 and 29 — 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 May 2021?

Root crops (potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic) are traditionally sown under a waning Moon in an earth sign — in May 2021 that falls on 1, 2, 10, 28 and 29.

Which are the rest days in May 2021?

Tradition treats the day of the new moon and the day of the full moon as days without sowing — in May 2021 those are 11 and 26 (New Moon — 11 May · Full Moon — 26 May). 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.