Planting by the Moon — May 2023
The favourable sowing days in May 2023 are 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 and 31. No sowing on 5 and 19 (Full Moon — 5 May · New Moon — 19 May).
What to sow when
tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, courgettes, aubergine, beans, peas, sweetcorn, strawberries, fruit trees
potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, beetroot, radishes, turnips, parsnips, celeriac, root parsley
lettuce, salad leaves, spinach, cabbage, rocket, parsley, dill, basil, leeks, chard
broccoli, cauliflower, artichokes, roses, lavender, sunflowers, bedding flowers, bulbs
Day by day
| Day | Phase | Sign | Part | Rating | Tasks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Mon | 82% | Virgo · barren | Root | Maintenance day | Transplant and prick out Working the soil Weeding Pest control |
| 2 Tue | 89% | Libra · fruitful | Flower | Favourable for sowing | Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out |
| 3 Wed | 95% | Libra · fruitful | Flower | Favourable for sowing | Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out |
| 4 Thu | 98% | Libra · fruitful | Flower | Favourable for sowing | Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out |
| 5 Fri | 100% | Scorpio · most fruitful | Leaf | Rest day — no sowing | Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation |
| 6 Sat | 99% | Scorpio · most fruitful | Leaf | Maintenance day | Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering |
| 7 Sun | 96% | Sagittarius · barren | Fruit | Maintenance day | Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control |
| 8 Mon | 90% | Sagittarius · barren | Fruit | Maintenance day | Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control |
| 9 Tue | 83% | Capricorn · fruitful | Root | Favourable for sowing | Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising |
| 10 Wed | 73% | Capricorn · fruitful | Root | Favourable for sowing | Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising |
| 11 Thu | 62% | Aquarius · barren | Flower | Maintenance day | Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control |
| 12 Fri | 51% | Aquarius · barren | Flower | Maintenance day | Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control |
| 13 Sat | 40% | Pisces · most fruitful | Leaf | Maintenance day | Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering |
| 14 Sun | 29% | Pisces · most fruitful | Leaf | Maintenance day | Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering |
| 15 Mon | 19% | Aries · barren | Fruit | Maintenance day | Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control |
| 16 Tue | 11% | Aries · barren | Fruit | Maintenance day | Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control |
| 17 Wed | 5% | Aries · barren | Fruit | Maintenance day | Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control |
| 18 Thu | 1% | Taurus · fruitful | Root | Favourable for sowing | Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising |
| 19 Fri | 0% | Taurus · fruitful | Root | Rest day — no sowing | Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation |
| 20 Sat | 1% | Gemini · barren | Flower | Favourable for sowing | Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control |
| 21 Sun | 4% | Gemini · barren | Flower | Favourable for sowing | Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control |
| 22 Mon | 9% | Cancer · most fruitful | Leaf | Favourable for sowing | Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering |
| 23 Tue | 15% | Cancer · most fruitful | Leaf | Favourable for sowing | Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering |
| 24 Wed | 22% | Cancer · most fruitful | Leaf | Favourable for sowing | Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering |
| 25 Thu | 31% | Leo · barren | Fruit | Favourable for sowing | Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control |
| 26 Fri | 40% | Leo · barren | Fruit | Favourable for sowing | Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control |
| 27 Sat | 49% | Virgo · barren | Root | Maintenance day | Transplant and prick out Working the soil Weeding Pest control |
| 28 Sun | 59% | Virgo · barren | Root | Maintenance day | Transplant and prick out Working the soil Weeding Pest control |
| 29 Mon | 68% | Virgo · barren | Root | Maintenance day | Transplant and prick out Working the soil Weeding Pest control |
| 30 Tue | 77% | Libra · fruitful | Flower | Favourable for sowing | Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out |
| 31 Wed | 85% | Libra · fruitful | Flower | Favourable for sowing | Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out |
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
- Libra(Air · Flower)2 May, 06:09
- Scorpio(Water · Leaf)4 May, 14:36
- Sagittarius(Fire · Fruit)6 May, 20:05
- Capricorn(Earth · Root)8 May, 23:31
- Aquarius(Air · Flower)11 May, 02:06
- Pisces(Water · Leaf)13 May, 04:44
- Aries(Fire · Fruit)15 May, 08:01
- Taurus(Earth · Root)17 May, 12:29
- Gemini(Air · Flower)19 May, 18:47
- Cancer(Water · Leaf)22 May, 03:30
- Leo(Fire · Fruit)24 May, 14:36
- Virgo(Earth · Root)27 May, 03:00
- Libra(Air · Flower)29 May, 14:46
- Scorpio(Water · Leaf)31 May, 23:46
Times are UTC.
Frequently asked questions
Which are the best days to sow in May 2023?
The favourable sowing and planting days in May 2023 are 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 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 May 2023?
Root crops (potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic) are traditionally sown under a waning Moon in an earth sign — in May 2023 that falls on 9, 10 and 18.
Which are the rest days in May 2023?
Tradition treats the day of the new moon and the day of the full moon as days without sowing — in May 2023 those are 5 and 19 (Full Moon — 5 May · New Moon — 19 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.