SVCS

Planting by the Moon — September 2023

The favourable sowing days in September 2023 are 4, 5, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 27 and 28. No sowing on 14 and 29 (New Moon — 14 September · Full Moon — 29 September).

What to sow when

Fruit
Days: 21 and 22

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

Root
Days: 4, 5 and 13

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

Leaf
Days: 18, 19, 20, 27 and 28

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

Flower
Days: 16, 17, 25 and 26

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

Day by day

DayPhaseSignPartRatingTasks
1 Fri 97% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
2 Sat 91% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
3 Sun 84% Aries · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
4 Mon 74% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
5 Tue 65% Taurus · fruitful Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising
6 Wed 54% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
7 Thu 44% Gemini · barren Flower Maintenance day Cutting flowers Pruning Weeding Pest control
8 Fri 34% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
9 Sat 26% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
10 Sun 18% Cancer · most fruitful Leaf Maintenance day Harvest for fresh use Feeding and fertilising Watering
11 Mon 11% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
12 Tue 6% Leo · barren Fruit Maintenance day Harvest for storage Pruning Weeding Pest control
13 Wed 2% Virgo · barren Root Favourable for sowing Sow and plant root crops Harvest for storage Feeding and fertilising Weeding Pest control
14 Thu 0% Virgo · barren Root Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
15 Fri 0% Virgo · barren Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil Weeding Pest control
16 Sat 2% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
17 Sun 6% Libra · fruitful Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out
18 Mon 11% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
19 Tue 18% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
20 Wed 27% Scorpio · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
21 Thu 36% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
22 Fri 47% Sagittarius · barren Fruit Favourable for sowing Sow fruiting vegetables Grafting Watering Weeding Pest control
23 Sat 58% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
24 Sun 69% Capricorn · fruitful Root Maintenance day Transplant and prick out Working the soil
25 Mon 79% Aquarius · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
26 Tue 88% Aquarius · barren Flower Favourable for sowing Sow flowers and flowering veg Transplant and prick out Weeding Pest control
27 Wed 95% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
28 Thu 99% Pisces · most fruitful Leaf Favourable for sowing Sow leafy greens Transplant and prick out Watering
29 Fri 100% Aries · barren Fruit Rest day — no sowing Weeding Working the soil Compost and preparation
30 Sat 98% Aries · 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

  • Aries(Fire · Fruit)1 Sept, 13:33
  • Taurus(Earth · Root)3 Sept, 15:04
  • Gemini(Air · Flower)5 Sept, 20:08
  • Cancer(Water · Leaf)8 Sept, 05:04
  • Leo(Fire · Fruit)10 Sept, 16:40
  • Virgo(Earth · Root)13 Sept, 05:18
  • Libra(Air · Flower)15 Sept, 17:44
  • Scorpio(Water · Leaf)18 Sept, 05:01
  • Sagittarius(Fire · Fruit)20 Sept, 14:09
  • Capricorn(Earth · Root)22 Sept, 20:22
  • Aquarius(Air · Flower)24 Sept, 23:30
  • Pisces(Water · Leaf)27 Sept, 00:21
  • Aries(Fire · Fruit)29 Sept, 00:22

Times are UTC.

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Frequently asked questions

Which are the best days to sow in September 2023?

The favourable sowing and planting days in September 2023 are 4, 5, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 27 and 28 — 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 September 2023?

Root crops (potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic) are traditionally sown under a waning Moon in an earth sign — in September 2023 that falls on 4, 5 and 13.

Which are the rest days in September 2023?

Tradition treats the day of the new moon and the day of the full moon as days without sowing — in September 2023 those are 14 and 29 (New Moon — 14 September · Full Moon — 29 September). 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.