Gardening by the Moon, or more specifically, according to the phases of the Moon, is an idea that has been around for as long as humans have been growing their own food.
Here at the Farmers’ Almanac gardening by the Moon has always been our philosophy, and our print editions always include a Gardening by the Moon Calendar that uses phases and position of the Moon to predict the best times to perform specific gardening tasks.
Our readers have long sworn by this method of managing their gardens and crops.
But how could a chunk of rock more than 200,000 miles away affect how plants on Earth grow?
Those who swear by this ancient growing method say the water in both the ground and in plants are affected by the gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon, just like ocean tides are. Just as the tides are highest during the new and full phases of the Moon, this theory holds, seeds, too, will absorb the most water during these times.
Learn how Gardening by the Moon works – Tap here.
Farmers’ Almanac Planting by the Moon Calendar
The dates listed below are consistent across all growing zones. Please consider your regional weather and climate before following our suggestions. We recommend that you talk with your local greenhouse or agricultural extension office to discover optimal windows of time within which you may use the dates below.
Be sure to check out your average frost dates and learn more about your plant hardiness zone.
A glossary of our gardening terms is below the calendar. Let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Plan Your Best Garden! Here’s one month of our Gardening by the Moon Calendar. Get the next 12 Months by Joining Our Farmhouse Now. Already a member? Sign in.
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1st – 5th
A barren period. Favorable for killing plant pests, cultivating, or taking a short vacation. Last day is a good harvest day.
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6th – 7th
Plant flowers. Fine for sowing hay, fodder crops, and grains. Favorable days for planting root crops.
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8th – 10th
Start seedbeds. Good days for transplanting. Plant carrots, beets, onions, turnips, Irish potatoes, and other root crops in the South.
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11th – 12th
Do no planting. First day is a good harvest day.
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13th – 14th
Plant sweet corn, beans, peppers, and other aboveground crops where climate is suitable.
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15th – 16th
Barren days. Fine for clearing, plowing, fertilizing, and killing plant pests.
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17th – 18th
Extra good for cucumbers, peas, cantaloupes, and other vine crops. Plant peppers, sweet corn, tomatoes, and other aboveground crops in southern Florida, California, and Texas.
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19th – 20th
A barren period.
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21st – 23rd
Fine for planting beans, peppers, cucumbers, melons, and other aboveground crops where climate is suitable.
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24th – 25th
Seeds planted now tend to rot in ground.
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26th – 27th
Start seedbeds and flower gardens. Good days for transplanting. Most favorable days for planting beets, onions, turnips, and other root crops where climate allows.
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28th – 31st
A barren period. Favorable for killing plant pests, cultivating, or taking a short vacation.
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1st – 1st
A barren time. Best for killing weeds, briars, poison ivy, and other plant pests. Clear wood lots and fencerows.
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2nd – 4th
A favorable time for sowing grains, hay, and forage crops. Plant flowers. Favorable days for planting root crops.
Farmers’ Almanac Official Gardening Terms Cheat Sheet
Above ground crops: Crops that produce their yield above the soil (corn, peppers, squash, etc.)
Root Crops: Crops that produce their yield below the soil (potatoes, radishes, carrots, etc.)
Seedbeds: A bed of soil cultivated for planting seeds or seedlings before being transplanted.
Seedlings: Young plants—especially ones that grow from seeds (rather than from a cutting).
Transplanting: To uproot and replant a growing plant or an already well-established plant.
The terms “Favorable,” “Good,” and “Best” are all considered beneficial days for planting. “Favorable” and “Good” mean the same thing. However, “Best” is considered the optimal day for planting seeds.
Related Articles
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Protect Your Garden From A Heat Wave
7 Gardening Mistakes You Might Be Making
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Tell us more about your experience in the comments below.
Hi, I am fairly new to gardening. Looking forward to learning more.
Hi Lea, we have a lot tips and information on here but one of the best pieces of advice is to keep on trying! Sometimes what you do one season doesn’t always work the next season! But the reward is worth it!
I have some spring bulbs to plant and wanted to know when is the best time to plant them? I’m in NC and it think its zone 7 or 6 not sure which.
In general, try to plant when nightly temperatures are around 40 or 50 degrees, or about six weeks before you expect the ground to freeze. We recommend following our Planting Calendar for days that are positive for planting – especially root crops. My best advice is to reach out to a local greenhouse or your agricultural extension for details on your local climate that will ensure your success!
How do I go back to previous months for the planting calendar?
We don’t have an online backlog of the Planting Calendar, however we do have it available in our Farmers’ Almanac. If you email me at [email protected] I would be happy to assist you with past dates.
Is there a way to see last week’s calendar? It helps when I forget what I did AND forgot to journal it.
I’m wanting to sow some leaf lettuce and missed the day that was good for leafy vegetables and there’s not another day till the end of the month, will I have any luck going ahead and sowing seeds now?
I always recommend succession planting with lettuce (plant smaller amounts over a couple of weeks so that you have different harvest times), and with this concept you can plant now AND on the next Best Day for leafy vegetables. Happy Planting!
I bought some tomato and pepper plants today and the next day good for transplanting is a week away. Is it important to get those plants in the ground right away or should I wait for the date on the “plant by the moon” calendar? The moon is waning so it is time to plant root crops now. TIA
My recommendation will depend on how much care you can offer your plants while you wait for the planting window. If you are able to assure they are somewhat sheltered from extremes in temperature, can get adequate sun, and watered well – than a week will not bother them. If that isn’t possible – it is better they go in the ground sooner than later. Happy Planting!
I want to plant some lettuce with my tomatoes will that work well??
That should work well – here’s a great article that might help https://www.farmersalmanac.com/companion-planting-guide
Where can I buy the 2023 gardening by the moon planting calendar?
Thank you for your interest! We don’t currently have them for sale, but with a Farmhouse Membership, at either level, you would have access to a year in advance on our Gardening by the Moon dates on the website.
I planted wildflower seeds may 4th and may 5th, but I can’t see if those were good days to sow seeds. Its saying may 6th-7th are not good days, so now I’m worried lol does anyone know if the 4th and the 5th were good days to sow seeds?
You are in luck! May 4-5th were listed as good days to plant seedbeds! Happy Growing!
Can you transplant on no seed starting days? Are there specific times NOT to transplant?
The Garden by the Moon calendar will have separate dates for both. We do list days that are good for planting and barren days where it is not a good time to plant.
I want to plant onion plants, carrot seeds and radish seeds on Friday may 5th, should I wait for the May 8th & 9th for more favorable results?
Want to plant some potatoe that have sprouted do I leave sprouts on or tear them off?
Hi Carol, here is a great article that may have some good advice for you – https://www.farmersalmanac.com/grow-your-own-potatoes-26953
Leave them. They are the roots. Cut the potato with a sprout on each piece and separately they will be a plant. I grew a food-safe bucket (purchased at Lowe’s) and put the chunks in the bottom, covered with soil, kept watered to the top of the chunks, waited ’til the leaves appeared, added another layer of soil and kept doing that ’til the growth was to the top of the bucket, kept it watered (you could have punched a few holes before beginning the process) and then waited to the maturity date or a little beyond, and then pulled one up. A lot of trouble for a crop that is so cheap to buy, but I can tell you the taste was far superior to spuds purchased in the grocery store. You can even grow these lined up around the garden where they won’t take up planting space. Good luck.
I have some strawberries that I ordered from Park seeds and I put them into two large containers. They said to keep them indoors and shaded for ten days and I have but they are really growing fast, I am in south west Michigan when will it be safe to transplant them outside.
Debra, you really need to check when your last average frost date usually occurs. That is best, or keep an eye on the weather and protect them or bring them if if possible. Here is a link to the average frost dates we list – https://www.farmersalmanac.com/average-frost-dates
What type of half runners are”corn field” beans?
How long does it take potatoes and carrots to grow
Potatoes Plant April/May, Harvest July, Aug & 1st 1/2 Sept.
Carrots Plant Apr-Jun, Harvest Last 1/2 Jul – 1st 1/2 Dec
Ian Walter I would like to know the best time to set out my collard greens. I live in cincinnati ohio.
Plant last 1/2 Apr- 1/2 Aug
Right away. Collards are very cold hardy but sensitive to heat. Start picking baby size around 2-3 weeks after planting. Plant collards again in late August -September. They can be wintered over.
I bought tulips in pots at lowes. They have already flowering. They won’t live in the small pots much longer. When is the best dates to transplant them. I live in southwest va.
Take the bulbs out of the pots and let them dry, laying flat on some newspaper or the like in a dry space. Bulbs go into the ground late September-early October
What if any difference is there between the Henderson and Carolina sieva. My brother says daddy planted Henderson but back in the 70s I started a gardening and I got the sieva. I remember he told me. Then the sieva disappeared. Anywhere is there any dif d erence. Thank you for your response
Hi Ann. Henderson is a bush bean although it can produce what is called a half runner. Carolina sieva is a pole bean. Both are good Lima bean plants. I prefer the pole bean because of how prolific they are. But they are hard to find. What few places are selling them are sold out. I have used the Henderson in place of them. Nice size and taste. Both produce what we call here in the South a butter bean. The bean is small. The only other pole Lima I can find is King of the Garden and they produce very large beans. So Henderson it is for my garden this year.
What does it mean to set strawberries
It is another name for Planting out your Strawberry Plants
When is the best time to plant tomatoes in Southwest la.
Tomatoes like warm soil and warm conditions. Mid March to April would be fine (depending on your growing zone and local climate of course). Your area might actually get too warm, so early spring, or even a late summer crop would be best unless you are planting a heat set plant. Good luck and please share your success!
I live in Lake Luzerne NY. Years of experience has proven to me our last frost date is June 1st. It is March 19 (2 days before spring) and we have 18″ of snow on the ground. Your planting calendar is telling me to plant squash on March 28-29 where climate permits. Your last frost date schedule shows early May as my last frost date. I can’t go by any of your dates because they are way off. Please update and make your planting schedule accurate for upstate NY. I am a member and extremely disappointed. Your schedule planting dates for upstate NY are more consistent with Maryland or Delaware.
Thank you for your feedback. Our planting by the moon is always going to be individual to your climate as it is based on the phases of the Moon and its position in the zodiac. These planting dates will repeat each month and are not specific to local areas. As for our frost dates, it is difficult to include all areas of a State, but we do try our best to pick areas that are distributed through a State. We have recently updated our frost dates to reflect NOAA’s most recent National Climatic Data Center information for a 30% chance of weather below 32degrees.
Best time to start planting tomatoes and herbs I live in the southeast
When is the best time in central KY to move and transplant tame blackberries?
I’d love to see just the planting dates in a downloadable format for ICalendar. I currently copy and paste as “All Day Events” over a series of days (10th-12th) with no notifications. When I look at future dates, I can see planting days and plan my other schedules around them. If I forget to copy and paste, I come here to look. I’ve never tried to do the whole year at a time even though I bought a subscription to do that. Thanks
Thank you for this suggestion – I will make sure this is shared with the team! We appreciate you taking the time to share!
I’m a newbie and it shows. I planted too late last year and too early it seems this year. I did the three sisters method and I have my corn, sunflowers, beans, and melons in seed beds but they’re either dying due to disease, overgrowth or the cat T_T.
My lettuce is doing great though as are my strawberries.
Wish I knew about this site before I began trying to garden.
Quick question though, am I trying to save my plants right? The weather forcast is calling for more frost out of no where (We had 80 degree temps last week and now we’re almost snowing again near Nashville TN!) All my container beds are indoors, I’ve put a blanket over my lettuce and strawberries at night but I’m worried about my potatoes, they have straw and leaves over top of them, will that be enough? I can’t lug 10 potato pots inside!
We are so happy you found us! This site has helped me many, many times in my gardening adventures. Sorry to hear that this year is starting off rough for you, trust me though, all gardeners go through a learning stage – you’ll figure it out. The potato situation has me a little stumped as I usually put them out too late (see, we all struggle with this!) so frost isn’t my usual issue. I would group them as close together as possible, the straw and leaves should definitely help – but you could cover tham at night as well to add another layer of protection. Good luck and we’re here for you!
Hi Jen,
I too am originally from TN! About 45 miles SW of Knoxville. I grew up in Cumberland County and my Mamaw and Papaw gardened by the Almanac. Get your information from the Almanac along with an “old time” gardener. Good luck and never give up.!! Oh, I think your potatos will be fine
When is the best days to plant okra in South Alabama to get a high stalk yield
Hi Deloris, you should pay attention to last frost dates in your area as that is best if you plan on sowing it directly outside. If you are looking at the average frost date, then you can use the aboveground crop dates listed here. Good luck!
Hi there! Does your almanac contain the planting calender for moon phase and zodiac? Thanks!!
Does the moon calendar apply to repotting? For instance, can I repot on barren days?
Martha, repotting usually falls under transplant so if you truly want to Garden by the Mon, we’d suggest you wait.
I am a new gardner and my zones says 5b and 6s i want to plant cabbage, collards (i wish i could find collard trees, potatoes, herbs like basil, rosemary and parsley, string beans and tomatoes. And maybe watermelon. It all seems so scary but i’m going to do my best with everyones help!
collards are started from seed and are a cool weather crop, as are cabbages. You may have to cover if you have a late freeze. I was raised in Central IL and my grandfather always planted potatoes on Good Friday. Your other items are all warm weather and shouldn’t be planted until after your last frost. Rosemary will be an annual in your zone. buy a plant, enjoy it and let it go for the winter. You can bring them in, but it is a fussy plant and needs good drainage and lots of sunshine. Buy starter plants for everything you mentioned except string beans and watermelon. They are easy to start from seed. The herbs you mentioned are all warm weather annuals.
Hey, I’ve been planting by your calendar for a long time now, I was under the impression that you have been planting by the moon this whole time, so you have not been I guess. And I don’t see on this calendar that you don’t plant before Easter?
Here on Long Island we haven’t had much of what we would consider winter weather. Any thoughts on what this means as far as insect pressure for the upcoming growing season?
What does first day and last day fefer to when planting
if it says 28th thru the 30th, then first day means the 28th and last day means the 30th
It looks like SPring is coming early to Southcentral Pennsylvania, the trees are starting to bud! But I know that mid-March and April are our worst weather times so hopefully the plants that are already popping up will be ok. Our lillies are coming up along with the daffodils and even some hostas are poking out!!!
I have a question that might be dumb but I am starting to use my “garden by the moon” calendar and I wondered if it only applies to seeds planted inground or if it also applies to those planted in flats and pots?
Also applies to flats and pots
Thank you.
WHAT IS THE BEST DAY TO PLANT TOMATO SEEDS FOR MY AREA ZONE 5
When do I cut my roses back
After the full moon, 3rd quarter.
Does this exist in a paper planner/calendar form?
What a great idea! We have our gardening by the moon calendar available in our print edition of the Farmer’s Almanac. Have you tried gardening by the moon?
I’m wondering if it matters where in the world you are? Re time differences etc.
Does your moon calendar mainly apply to USA?
Thanks
When it says poor planting day is it OK to repot my cactus
WE’VE LEARNED OVER THE YEARS TALKING TO YOUR GARDEN, LIKE YOU WOULD TALK TO YOUR YOUNG CHILDREN. WITH A SWEET GENTLE VOICE.WHATCH HOW BEAUTIFUL IT BECOMES MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN YOU COULD HAVE IMAGINED.
Thank you for sharing this – I talk to my plants all the time!
I didn’t know and I plant today
From experience all information is correct ?
Thank you! We are happy to have you as part of our community!