By Susan Belsinger and Tina Marie Wilcox. Originally published in The Herbarist 2009, a publication of The Herb Society of America. Reprinted with permission of the authors in Let’s Talk Plants! November 2024.
LTP! newsletter editor’s note: I, Karen England, recently had the pleasure of attending (and presenting to) the International Herb Association Conference held in conjunction with the 2024 annual Ozark Folk Center’s Wild Herbal Field Trip & Medicinal Plant Symposium at the Ozark Folk Center State Park Heritage Herb Garden in Arkansas. One of the Medicinal Plant Symposium sessions was an enlightening Lunar Gardening presentation given by Susan Belsinger and Tina Marie Wilcox based on this 2009 article.
Lunar Gardening — Gardening by the Moon
"Lunar gardening is the oldest form of gardening known to man." --R.J. Harris, gardener and author of R.J. Harris Moon Gardening
Feeling the Pull
The moon, the dominating light of the night sky, has been a focus for the eyes and minds of thinkers, farmers, and dreamers since primitive peoples first gazed into the heavens.
Ever changing, yet a constant, predictable companion to the living earth, it alternatively pulls and releases fluids—from oceans to tears, from taproot tip to treetop—exerting undeniable influence.
Our ancestors observed the moon’s phases and noted the rhythm of its rise and set, the change of appearance from full to new to full again, and the twelve constellations of stars it passed through on its journey across the sky. Since the movement of heavenly bodies was predictable, sky watching was a way to measure time. Along the way, people believed that they could perceive certain cyclic energies on earth as the sun and the moon moved through the twelve signs of the zodiac. The brightest stars in the sky, the planets, were given godly attributes and names.
Living close to the Earth, humans were dependent upon crops and animals for food grown within walking distance of their homes. To survive and flourish, people had to plant at the proper time. The soil, water, light, and warmth had to be right, to grow the food to feed people and livestock for the entire year. Crops had to be harvested and stored correctly. They looked to the place they believed held higher powers than themselves for guidance in the activities that kept them alive. The sky, home to the sun, which warmed the soil and fueled the growth of plants, and the moon and stars that influenced the fluid and other subtle processes of plants, guided the schedule of work.
How It Works
“There are two types of influence that the moon has on planting. The first is the phase, increasing or decreasing in light, which controls the amount of moisture in the soil. The second factor is the astrological sign the moon is traveling through, which changes every few days.” describes Caren Catterall in Gardening by the Moon 2006 Calendar.
Both the earth and moon have gravity and the earth is affected by the moon’s gravitational pull. During the increase or waxing moon, the moon’s pull increases on the earth. Around the time of the full moon, the light and gravitational forces are at their strongest. When the moon is decreasing or waning, the moon’s gravitational pull on the earth decreases. R.J. Harris’ book Moon Gardening helps us to understand, referring to the effect of the moon’s gravitational pull in the following statement,
“In response, Earth's water table—which is beneath Earth's surface no matter where in the world gardeners tend their gardens and farmers farm their land—is drawn up and then permitted to drop back, exerting increasing and then decreasing upward pressure.”
This constant lunar cycle establishes a monthly rhythm in our garden earth.
When the moon is building to full, the water table rises and this force creates more moisture in the soil. This is the best time and conditions for sowing seed and planting, since a higher water level will help seeds germinate and plants to absorb water, nutrients, and settle in.
Thus, we have the opposite effect when the moon is waning or decreasing. The water pressure decreases and creates downward energy so it is the ideal time to plant roots, tubers, bulbs, and perennial plants. It is also said to be the best time for pruning, since less sap is lost where the branches are cut.
A gardener for nearly half a century, R.J. Harris observes,
“Overall, every department of horticulture—from preparation and feeding through to harvesting, crop storage and general management—is aided when the moon is worked with, not ignored.”
Although Harris’ gardening practice is influenced by the moon, he does not use the astrological aspects; for his advice check out his book available on Amazon or the Web site www.gardnerbooks.co.uk.
Moon Phases
The moon goes through its lunation cycle about every 28 to 29 days. The first half of this cycle is when the moon is on the increase, in the first and second quarters and the second half, signaled by the full moon, begins the decrease in the third and fourth quarters. For people who do not believe that the stars influence natural events and the course of human lives, gardening according to the phases have a scientific basis worth consideration.
The moon travels through all twelve astrological signs in this cycle, and people who study astrology believe they, too, have their effect on gardening.
The increase or light of the moon, from New moon to Full moon, favors the planting of annuals that produce yields or flowers above ground. It is also known as waxing (Susan, who relates words to trigger meanings, thinks of “waxy yellow build-up” to remember that the moon is visually building from new to full.)
The decrease or dark of the moon, from Full moon to New moon, favors the planting of crops that produce yields below ground. Often referred to as a root moon, it also favors the planting of perennials, biennials, bulbs, and tubers. This phase is also known as waning, which rhymes with “raining”, (or imagine Elmer Fudd saying this…) rain falls down and the moon also appears to be going down in size from full to new.
The First Quarter, increasing from the New Moon, favors leafy plants that produce seed outside of the fruit like all of the leafy salad greens such as arugula, basil, chervil, cilantro, dill, lettuce, nasturtium, spinach, and most of the big leafy greens and brassicas like broccoli, cabbage, chard, collards, kale, etc. Cereals and grains do best planted in this phase. This moon rises at dawn and sets at dusk and is good for new projects and the expansion of energy.
The Second Quarter favors the planting of annuals that produce vines and/or seed inside the fruit. Purple hyacinth beans, chili peppers, poppies, morning glories, melons, beans, squash, gourds, tomatoes and peppers are examples of the kinds of plants that flourish when planted during this phase. This moon, which rises about noon and sets about midnight, favors growth and development.
Above-ground crops can be planted in either first or second quarter, there are no hard and fast rules here, if life takes precedence and you need to plant your basil in the second quarter and your beans during the first, go ahead and do it—just try to do it in a fruitful sign. To encourage the growth of a lawn, mow in the first and second quarter moons. (We even trim our hair when the moon is waxing to encourage healthy growth.)
Grafting of plants is recommended during the increase of the moon. This is also the best time to harvest fruits and vegetables for eating fresh, since they will be nice and juicy.
The Third Quarter, decreasing from the Full Moon, favors root growth of biennials, perennials, bulbs, and roots. Some examples of herbs and other root crops to plant during the Third Quarter include garlic, echinacea, astragalus, fennel, rosemary and sage; pretty much all perennial and biennial flowering plants and trees; and vegetables like onions, potatoes, parsnips, radishes, beets and carrots. Rising in the east near sunset, and a little
later each day, this moon finds all living things are charged and pulsating, full of energy.
The Fourth Quarter favors cultivation, weeding, destroying pests, harvesting and pruning, especially in barren signs. Some gardeners till the ground at night during the Fourth Quarter to reduce the germination of weed seeds. This is a good time for garden clean-up chores. The waning moon rises about midnight, is overhead when we arise, and sets around noon. Tina notices that the soil releases weeds and falls away from plant roots better during this moon.
Pruning is done in the Third and Fourth Quarters to retard growth and encourage better fruiting. This is also the time to mow your lawn to decrease growth. It is also the optimum time to harvest, preferably in a dry sign. Fertilizing organically and transplanting is best done in a waning moon when the energy is being directed downward so the nutrients are pulled into the earth and roots. The waning moon is when wood should be cut, although it is best to steer clear of water signs. In some states it is still illegal to cut wood when the moon is in the waxing stage. Harvest root crops for storage in a waning moon. Turn or till the garden earth in the Fourth Quarter when it has less water and less weight.
Lunar Astrological Gardening
Astrology is a belief system that studies the timing of events and flows of energy in relation to the movements and aspects of heavenly bodies. Now, we have arrived at the point of controversy.
Ancient traditional lunar gardening tasks are timed according to the movement and influences of the moon through the signs of the zodiac and are based upon geocentric astrology. The geocentric view, first printed in Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos, places the earth at the center of the universe. The zodiac refers to a belt of space, divided into twelve equal segments, extending out into the universe from the equator of the earth.
Each segment is named after mythological shapes created by the fixed stars in each sign of the zodiac.
There are two zodiac systems. The tropical zodiac system is used by lunar astrological gardeners. A simplified explanation of this system is that calculations for the Spring Equinox (which is the beginning of the lunar calendar as well as the zodiac) are based on 0 degrees of Aries and of the date and time that the sun is directly overhead at noon along the earth’s equator. For gardeners who wish to apply this method of lunar gardening, we consult the following references: Llewellyn’s Moon Sign Book and Gardening Almanac (in its 102nd year!), Gardening by the Moon (Divine Inspiration Publications), and The Old Farmer’s Almanac (published since 1792).
Astronomy, with the heliocentric view of the solar system, was born when Copernicus discovered that the earth circles the sun. With that realization, astronomy became the scientific division of sky watching. Astronomy charts the movement, distribution, composition and evolution of celestial bodies. Astronomically, the moon’s position is charted by its position in the sidereal zodiac system. This system is different from the tropical zodiac because its calculations are based on the position of Aries in relation to the fixed position of the stars, rather than the view of the stars from the earth.
The earth wobbles slightly on its axis as it rotates and orbits around the sun. A complete orbit takes 28,800 years. In time, the wobble makes it seem as if the stars in the zodiac have changed positions.
While the moon’s phases are the same in both the heliocentric and geocentric systems, its position in relation to the zodiac is different, sometimes as much as four days. Today, both heliocentric and geocentric ephemerides are made to catalog the moon’s position in the constellation and the zodiac. Most common almanacs and calendars list the moon’s position in the sidereal zodiac. Gardeners who want to follow the tropical system need to consult the astrological moon sign books or calendars, or look in The Old Farmer’s Almanac under “Gardening by the Moon Sign”.
Personal Experience
As far as planting by the moon goes, both of us have been using this method for many years and keep the dates, aspects, and moon phases in our gardening journals when we sow seed and transplant. We also try to fertilize, weed, and control pests in conjunction with the astrological signs. In addition, we garden organically and amend the soil as part of our gardening practice.
A few years ago, Susan ordered three varieties of organic potatoes to plant in the spring. She anticipated their arrival any day and the moon was right for root crops, so two 50 foot rows with organic matter were prepared, and the trenches were ready and waiting.
To her dismay, the potatoes arrived when the moon was just new. So she opened the box and was going to keep it on the back porch until after the full moon. Well, she and her husband had a disagreement because he thought they should be planted right away and Susan wanted to wait for the root moon.
Since there were two rows, Susan decided to do an experiment and plant one row with the waxing moon and one with the proper waning moon. The garden soil and space were pretty much identical and the three varieties of potatoes were divided in half, so each row was divided into thirds with each kind of potato. The first row was planted on April 29, First Quarter moon in Cancer and the second row was planted on May 7, Third Quarter moon in Scorpio. Of course, the first row sprouted first, but the second row of plants caught up in growth and size within the first 4 to 6 weeks.
When the potato vines withered and Susan harvested them, she found that the second row of potatoes, which had been planted in the root moon (in Scorpio which is one of the best planting signs) were bigger in size and more prolific. She estimated the yield to be about 25 to 30% more than the first row. Although her husband insisted that it wasn’t a true scientific experiment, it reinforced Susan’s belief in gardening by the moon.
Scientific Corroboration
According to National Geographic News (nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/07/0710_030710_moongarden_2)
“What the moon gardening movement currently lacks is a body of modern scientific work that validates its benefits. John Teasdale, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Systems Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, said he is not aware of any research on the lunar influences on agriculture, though he said an experiment could be established. ‘We know that the moon influences some natural phenomena such as tides,’ he said. ‘I would guess that a simple hypothesis would be that lunar cycles could influence meteorological cycles which in turn could influence crops.’"
There are people that relegate astrology and planting by the moon signs to the arena of old wives tales and superstition. We believe ancient wisdom contains both superstition and truth. Even if there is no real scientific validation that the lunar phases and astrological signs effect the growth of plants (which we firmly believe they do), we feel comfortable working with this planting calendar as it gives us a sense of the cosmic rhythm that connects the universe together. This schedule allows us a plan to follow, a garden tradition for us as we sense the feelings and physical processes within our own female bodies in relation to the moon, sun, and the stars. It makes us aware of the movement of our earth within our solar system. We respect and honor our earth to grow plants to feed and nourish us, which is our future. If we can do a better job of this by using the lunar phases, which affects our water tables, we are simply incorporating an age-old tool to make our gardening more successful.
Signs of the Zodiac: Their Effect on Gardening
Aries is barren and dry, fiery and masculine. Good sign to harvest, or destroy weeds and pests.
Taurus is productive and moist, earth and feminine. It is a good sign to plant roots and tubers; also when hardiness is desired as in cool season plants such as cilantro, pansies cabbage, and lettuce.
Gemini is barren and dry, airy and masculine. Use this sign to destroy pests and weeds.
Cancer is fruitful and moist, watery and feminine. It is thought to be the most productive sign for planting, transplanting, and irrigation.
Leo is barren and dry, fiery and masculine. It is considered to be the most barren sign; weed and destroy pests, or harvest.
Virgo is barren and moist, earthy and feminine. Virgo favors medicinal herbs and flowers and is a good pest moon.
Libra is semi-fruitful and moist, airy and masculine. Libra favors herbs, flowers, vines, hay, and corn, as well as the development of strong roots.
Scorpio is very fruitful and moist, watery and feminine. Plant anything, especially if you desire sturdy plants; irrigate and fertilize organically.
Sagittarius is barren and dry, fiery and masculine. Harvest root crops; cultivate the soil, destroy weeds and pests.
Capricorn is productive and dry, earthy and feminine. Potatoes and tubers are planted; prune and graft.
Aquarius is barren and dry, airy and masculine. This is a good pest moon, time to harvest fruits and roots.
Pisces is very fruitful and moist, watery and feminine. Plant and transplant anything, especially if root growth is desired; good moon for irrigation.
When the moon is in a barren sign it is best to cultivate, weed and destroy pests.
Barren signs:
Aries
Gemini
Leo
Virgo
Sagittarius
Aquarius
Look for fruitful signs when sowing seed, planting, or transplanting.
Fruitful signs:
Taurus
Cancer
Libra
Scorpio
Capricorn
Pisces
Elemental signs
All of the fire signs are considered barren signs, as well as earth sign Virgo, and air signs Gemini and Aquarius. Earth signs Taurus and Capricorn and air sign Libra are semi fruitful, while all of the water signs are considered to be the most fruitful.
Fire:
Aries
Leo
Sagittarius
Earth:
Taurus
Virgo
Capricorn
Air:
Gemini
Libra
Aquarius
Water:
Cancer
Scorpio
Pisces
Sources
Books
Stevens, Jane Hawley. The Celestial Garden. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2024.
Llewellyn Publications. Llewellyn’s Moon Sign Book. 2024. www.llewellyn.com
(insert 2025 cover pic here)
Summers, Will. RJ Harris’s Moon Gardening, revision. www.gardnersbooks.co.uk. R J Harris's Moon Gardening : Summers, Will, Harris, R. J.: Amazon.co.uk: Books
Rush, Anne Kent. Moon, Moon. Random House/ Moon Books.
York, Ute. Living by the Moon. Bluestar Communications.
Calendars
Gardening by the Moon. Divine Inspiration Publications. www.gardeningbythemoon.com
Web sites
Astrological signs and how they influence what we do in the garden.
Month-long images of moon phases.
Susan Belsinger teaches, lectures, and writes about gardening and cooking, and is a food writer, editor and photographer who has authored and edited over 25 books and hundreds of articles. Susan delights in kitchen alchemy—the blending of harmonious foods, herbs, and spices—to create real, delicious food, as well as libations, that nourish our bodies and spirits and titillate our senses. Susan is a member of the International Herb Association, the Herb Society of America and was Honorary President of the HSA for the 2018 to 2020 term. Susan delights in each new Herb of the Year™: doing research, growing the specimens, taking photos, creating recipes, sharing her findings, and celebrating the plants. Her latest book about flavor, the perfect bite, was released in 2022. Find Susan online at: www.susanbelsinger.com, https://www.instagram.com/cookinwithherbs/, https://www.facebook.com/susan.belsinger, and https://www.facebook.com/CreativeHerbalHome
Tina Marie Wilcox has been the head gardener and herbalist at the Ozark Folk Center State Park’s Heritage Herb Garden in Mountain View, Arkansas since 1984. Tina's philosophy is based upon experiencing the joy of the process, perpetrating no harm, and understanding life through play with plants and people.
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