Before farmers had contemporary scientific resources to plan their crops, they used the moon to determine exactly what to plant and when to plant. Though lots of the techniques of yesteryear have been disregarded as absurd or obsolete, planting by the moon is still considered a best practice by some farmers that were successful. The custom is based on the idea that Earth’s gravity shifts as the moon cycles through its periods, which subtly affects soil moisture levels and internal plant fluid motion. Although scientists have not been able to demonstrate that the practice raises a crop’s success rate, it definitely won’t hurt to try this ancient technique with your vegetable garden.
Plant during the moon’s first quarter above-ground vegetables that reproduce through seeds outside of the fruit. These vegetables include lettuce and broccoli. Plant grains during this moon phase, too.
Plant above-ground crops that have seeds that develop inside their fruit from the onset of the moon second quarter to the midpoint of this lunar cycle. Incorporate melons, squash, tomatoes and onions during this phase to support their leaf growth. Plant beans during this moon period.
Plant carrots, potatoes, onions and other root or underground vegetables during a complete moon. Transplant, re-pot and prune lightly during this time as well. A complete moon is said to encourage strong, wholesome root growth and plant regeneration. Energy and a shift in gravity also are associated with a complete moon.
Skip planting or sowing seeds in the fourth quarter of the moon because its waning energy prefers rest. Use this opportunity to do related jobs, such as repairing fences, weeding gardens, harvesting crops and finishing outstanding pruning and transplanting.