Moon gardeners firmly believe that the power of the moon also affects plant growth. They choose days when the earth's satellite is favorable for cultivating, weeding or for specific maintenance measures. To do this, they use lunar calendars geared towards their green hobby. We'll tell you in this article what it's all about and how you can use a lunar calendar.
What can a lunar calendar do for the garden?
A lunar calendar for the garden helps you find favorable times for sowing, caring for and harvesting plants by taking into account the different phases of the moon and signs of the zodiac. This can contribute to better growth, increased yield and reduced pest infestation.
What is a lunar calendar for the garden? General explanation lunar calendar
Lunar calendars are based on centuries-old but still valid experiences from gardeners and farmers. In these recommendations you will find the best time when gardening work should be done. Depending on the lunar calendar used, these are represented in clear symbols, often supplemented by a short explanation.
The different phases of the moon
The moon is not always in the same position in the sky. In the course of a sidereal lunar cycle, which is the basis for almost all lunar calendars, it rises from the lowest point in the constellation of Sagittarius to the turning point in Gemini and down again to the zodiac sign of Sagittarius.
Waxing Moon
A waxing moon attracts plant sap
The sickle is gradually becoming fuller, our earth's satellite is moving away from the sun on its orbit. The earth breathes out, the plant sap is attracted by the moon and flows into the upper parts of the plant. Now is the best time to care for plants that bear fruit.
Full Moon
The sun and moon essentially take the earth into their center. It is the alternation of waxing and waning, the impulses are in balance and the power of the moon reaches its peak. If you cut trees now, they could suffer greatly from the injury. However, it is the ideal time to fertilize, as the plants absorb the nutrients particularly well.
Waning Moon
The moonlight is getting smaller and smaller, the earth is breathing in. The plants draw the sap back into their underground storage organs. On these days you should harvest, store and preserve. Since a large part of the juices are in the roots, hedges and trees recover quickly from pruning.
New Moon
The moon stands between the earth and the sun and does not reflect any light. Nature is gathering its strength for a new beginning and you should give it a break. At this point in time, only work that helps regenerate the plants, such as combating pests, makes sense.
Wieso gibt es Mondphasen?
How can the moon help me garden?
For many people, gardening naturally and ecologically means paying attention to the rhythm of the moon. Our satellite influences numerous processes on Earth. The sea moves due to its gravitational pull, which can be seen in the tides. At low tide, the water masses move out to the open sea due to attraction, and at high tide they move back to the coast.
Without the moon, not only the climate on Earth would be different. It could even be the case that we humans don't even exist. (Unknown)
The earth's surface also measurably rises and falls in accordance with the rhythm of our ebbing and waxing cosmic neighbor. Foresters report that tree trunks are thicker or thinner depending on the cycle. All of this suggests that the moon has an influence on large and small amounts of water.
What do the symbols of the lunar calendar mean?
The different symbols that you find in a lunar calendar for gardeners represent the positive forces that affect the plants on that day. As an example, we would like to explain five characters in more detail below:
(Graphic designer please insert the symbols)
| Symbol | Description | Element | Zodiac Signs | Plants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symbol | Leaf Plants | Water | Cancer, Scorpio, Fish | Lettuce, spinach, chard, kohlrabi, rose, white, red cabbage, leek, fennel, parsley |
| Symbol | Root plants | Earth | Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn | Carrots, celery, beetroot, radishes, radishes, garlic, potatoes |
| Symbol | Fruit plants | Fire | Aries, Leo, Sagittarius | Beans, peas, zucchini, pumpkin, corn, berries, fruit, nuts |
| Symbol | Flowering plants | Air | Aquarius, Gemini, Libra | Perennials, roses, bulb flowers, summer flowers, flowering trees |
What are good and bad days?
Plants that grow underground should be sown on the waning moon
We would like to explain this to you based on the sowing dates. Depending on the geographical location and the current weather conditions, many gardeners start sowing in cold frames or outdoors in March.
- Good days to sow or plant plants that grow underground are those during the waning moon. You should choose a soil day for root vegetables.
- Favorable days to grow or sow leafy vegetables such as salads are water days when the moon is waxing.
However, there are deviations from this: Although you should plant lettuce on a water day, this should be done when the moon is waning. This lettuce likes to sprout when the moon is waxing and then it no longer forms dense heads. This also applies to the various types of cabbage and asparagus.
But even if you garden in harmony with the moon, you should definitely pay attention to the current weather conditions. A lunar day chosen for sowing when it is far too cold or too wet will not produce a good result. The lunar calendar should not be seen as a rigid set of rules, but rather serves as an orientation as to when which work makes sense.
What sowing dates in spring does the moon dictate?
In the following table we have collected the most common flowering and vegetable plants and their most favorable sowing and planting times for you:
| Plant | Plant type | Element | Moon phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eggplant | Fruit | Fire | increasing |
| Berries | Fruit | Fire | increasing |
| Leafy herbs | Leaf | Water | increasing |
| flowering perennials | Bloom | Air | increasing |
| Cauliflower | Leaf | Water | increasing |
| Beans | Fruit | Fire | increasing |
| Broccoli | Bloom | Air | increasing |
| Peas | Fruit | Fire | increasing |
| Strawberries | Fruit | Fire | increasing |
| Cucumbers | Fruit | Fire | increasing |
| Carrots | Root | Earth | decreasing |
| Potatoes | Root | Earth | decreasing |
| garlic | Root | Earth | decreasing |
| Cabbage (white cabbage, red cabbage, kohlrabi) | Leaf | Water | decreasing |
| Lettuce | Leaf | Water | decreasing |
| Pumpkin | Fruit | Earth | increasing |
| Leek | Root | Earth | decreasing |
| Peppers | Fruit | Fire | increasing |
| Radish | Root | Earth | decreasing |
| Radish | Root | decreasing | Earth |
| Beetroot | Root | Earth | decreasing |
| Spinach | Leaf | Water | increasing |
| Tomatoes | Fruit | increasing | Fire |
| Salad (exception: lettuce) | Leaf | Water | increasing |
| Onions | Root | Earth | decreasing |
Excursus
Working with the lunar calendar
On April 21, 2020, the waning moon will be in the zodiac sign Taurus. It is a fruit day when you should pay special attention to crops such as berries, fruit trees, tomatoes and zucchini. It is the ideal time to plant or grow these plants. If you also care for tree and shrub fruit intensively today, you can expect a richer harvest.
Watering and fertilizing
Watering thoroughly is best when the moon is in a water sign
Many plants, both in the garden and in the house, are watered too much rather than too little and suffer from this care error. If they are permanently too wet, there is a risk of root rot. The storage organs can no longer fulfill their task and the plant dries up despite the good water supply.
Watering deeply or diving houseplants should be preferred when the moon is in
- Curb,
- Scorpio,
- Fish
is written, i.e. in a watermark.
On these days the plants absorb moisture better. Often, even during warm periods in summer, they can get by with this extensive watering until the next watering day, which effectively prevents overwatering.
Tip
Do not water plants on an air day (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius), as watering on these days can result in heavy pest infestation.
Fertilizer applications
In an organic garden, you should only apply as many nutrients as the plants can actually absorb. Moon gardeners should preferably fertilize when the moon is full or waning, as both the soil and the plants' storage organs have the best absorption capacity at this time.
- Vegetables, fruits and grains on an Aries or Sagittarius day,
- Flowers and ornamental plants on a water day
Provide with nutrients.
You should avoid fertilization if the earth's satellite is in the zodiac sign of Leo. On these days the soil tends to dry out, which can cause the plants to literally burn from the fertilizer applied.
Plant Care
If weeds are removed on the right lunar days, they grow back less quickly
Herbs fulfill important functions even in ornamental gardens. However, a bed overgrown with nettles and groundweed doesn't look very nice. In addition, weeds compete with ornamental and crop plants and result in poorer yields. So even in a natural garden you can't do without weeding.
However, this work is not one of the most popular tasks and every gardener is happy if the effort is kept to a manageable level. If you rely on the power of the moon, you should choose a Capricorn day when the moon is waning or an Aquarius day when the moon is waxing.
Excursus
Sustainably clear areas of weeds
Areas that are overgrown with weeds should be worked on for the first time during the waxing moon in Leo. This stimulates the weeds to grow and literally shoot out of the ground. Weed a second time during the waning moon in Capricorn and thoroughly remove all unwanted plants and their roots. Thanks to the power of the earth's satellite, hardly any weeds grow back.
Fighting pests
Sucking pest insects that spread en masse can cause so much damage to plants that they even die. If you sow and plant at the times specified in the lunar calendar and pay attention to the recommended plant neighbors and crop rotation, pest infestation will be effectively prevented.
If aphids or snails populate your garden due to the weather conditions, you can tackle them with biological measures. The right time is always when the moon is waning:
- Declare war on pests that live above ground on a Cancer, Gemini or Sagittarius day.
- Take action against root and soil pests on a Taurus, Virgo or Capricorn day.
- You fight snails on Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces days.
Harvesting, preserving and storing
Harvesting is particularly advisable when the moon is waxing
The time of the rising moon is particularly favorable for all yield and conservation work, preferably on an Aries day.
This can't always be done on the best days. If the only option is to harvest on a fish day, you should use everything quickly or preserve it immediately, as the products then tend to rot.
Preservation should be avoided entirely on a Cancer or Virgo day, as the energy of this zodiac sign can cause the food to start to mold and spoil.
Frequently asked questions
Why are there different lunar calendars with different information?
This is because some calendars are based on the sidereal moon cycle and others on the synodic moon cycle.
The sidereal course of the moon refers to the orbital period of the earth's satellite in the fixed star sky and thus a period of exactly 27 days, 7 hours and 43 minutes. The synodic cycle of the moon corresponds to the period between two full moons. That's exactly 29 days, 12 hours and 44 minutes.
Is there scientific evidence that the moon method works?
So far, the power of the moon has not been consistently proven. But what speaks against trying it out yourself and documenting any successes? Many hobby gardeners and farmers are convinced of the effect of our earth's satellite on plants and can prove that working with the lunar calendar helps them achieve better harvest success.
If you have doubts, try it yourself and cultivate some plants in the same location in harmony with the moon and some in the same way as before. So you can see for yourself whether there is a difference between the methods.
What are the “Sowing Days of Maria Thun” all about?
This is a special lunar calendar that goes back to the knowledge of Maria Thun. She is considered a pioneer of biodynamic plant cultivation and discovered about 70 years ago that plants thrive better if the constellation of the planets is taken into account during sowing, planting and care.
Do I have to wait to water during hot periods?
No, if the weather puts a damper on your planning, you should carry out work such as watering, sowing or harvesting even when the moon is not so favorable. However, make sure that the moisture does not remain standing.
On lunar days, water thoroughly. As a result, you will probably find that this measure means you no longer have to reach for the watering can as often.
How do I know which day is ideal?
Lunar calendars are available in different versions in well-stocked bookstores. Alternatively, you can use a lunar calendar on the Internet, such as the one you can find on our homepage. These use symbols and short explanations to clearly show you which activities the current day is suitable for.
