Careers
Gardening according to the moon - natural rhythms for a rich harvest
Sowing, planting and harvesting in harmony with the moon and the signs of the zodiac - so your garden can blossom magnificently. We have collected valuable tips on gardening with the moon to help you make the most of each phase!
Beginner
3 minutes reading time
Everyone who is involved in gardening and nature has experienced inexplicable phenomena: sometimes the lettuce develops splendidly, other times it shoots up. While you yourself harvest the most beautiful carrots, your neighbour - despite identical seeds, the same weather conditions and similar soil - has less success. Or your own harvest is ravaged by pests, while your neighbour's remains unscathed. Sometimes the jam lasts for years, other times it spoils within a short time, even though it was preserved in the same way. Weather, soil quality or seeds are often cited as explanations, but the real reason often lies elsewhere: in the right timing of the respective work.
This knowledge, which has been collected and applied over thousands of years, can also benefit you. It is by no means new - in fact, technological progress has led us to believe that we could do without it. But if you pay attention to the influence of the signs of the zodiac and the position of the moon when sowing, planting and harvesting, you will notice positive changes over time.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Everyone who is involved in gardening and nature has experienced inexplicable phenomena: sometimes the lettuce develops splendidly, other times it shoots up. While you yourself harvest the most beautiful carrots, your neighbour - despite identical seeds, the same weather conditions and similar soil - has less success. Or your own harvest is ravaged by pests, while your neighbour's remains unscathed. Sometimes the jam lasts for years, other times it spoils within a short time, even though it was preserved in the same way. Weather, soil quality or seeds are often cited as explanations, but the real reason often lies elsewhere: in the right timing of the respective work.
This knowledge, which has been collected and applied over thousands of years, can also benefit you. It is by no means new - in fact, technological progress has led us to believe that we could do without it. But if you pay attention to the influence of the signs of the zodiac and the position of the moon when sowing, planting and harvesting, you will notice positive changes over time.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Are you ready for the experiment?
Lunar calendar to hand and off you go: Each sign of the zodiac affects a different part of a plant with its impulses - roots, leaves, fruit or flowers. With the help of the following table and our lunar calendar, you can adapt the work in your garden to the rhythms of nature.
When is the right time?
When the moon is waning, the juices retreat into the roots, the earth becomes more receptive and ‘breathes in’. With the waxing moon, on the other hand, the juices rise upwards, which promotes growth above ground - the earth ‘breathes out’.
The waxing and waning moon is related to the position of the moon in the zodiac:
From the winter solstice (21 December) to the summer solstice (21 June), the sun moves through signs with ascending power - this favours the growth, flowering and succulence of plants. This time is ideal for planting.
In the second half of the year, on the other hand, a descending force dominates, which favours ripening, harvesting and rest. The juices draw downwards, which promotes root formation - the best phase for harvesting.
The right time for various gardening tasks
Säen und Pflanzen
- Plants and vegetables that grow above ground thrive best if they are sown or planted when the moon is waxing or waning.
- Root vegetables should be planted on a waning or descending moon.+
- Special recommendations:
- Tomatoes: Plant on a fruiting day.
- Leafy vegetables (spinach, cabbage, lettuce): Sow and set on leaf days.
- Lettuce: Best planted on a leaf day in the waning moon, ideally on a crab day.
- Root vegetables: Plant on root days. Plant potatoes directly after the full moon in the waning moon.
- Flowers and medicinal herbs: Plant on flowering days.
- Weeding and digging during the waning moon in Capricorn ensures sustainable weed control. However, weed seeds can sprout strongly when the moon is waxing in Leo.
Watering
- Indoor and balcony plants prefer leafy days. Use rainwater or stagnant water.
- Caution: Do not water on flowering days - this attracts pests!
Fighting pests
- The waning moon is particularly suitable for pest control.
- Pests in the soil: It is best to control them on root days.
- Above-ground pests: Tackle on Cancer, Gemini or Sagittarius days.
- Slugs and snails: Tackle when the moon is waxing in Scorpio.
- Plants and vegetables that grow above ground thrive best if they are sown or planted when the moon is waxing or waning.
- Root vegetables should be planted on a waning or descending moon.+
- Special recommendations:
- Tomatoes: Plant on a fruiting day.
- Leafy vegetables (spinach, cabbage, lettuce): Sow and set on leaf days.
- Lettuce: Best planted on a leaf day in the waning moon, ideally on a crab day.
- Root vegetables: Plant on root days. Plant potatoes directly after the full moon in the waning moon.
- Flowers and medicinal herbs: Plant on flowering days.
- Weeding and digging during the waning moon in Capricorn ensures sustainable weed control. However, weed seeds can sprout strongly when the moon is waxing in Leo.
Watering
- Indoor and balcony plants prefer leafy days. Use rainwater or stagnant water.
- Caution: Do not water on flowering days - this attracts pests!
Fighting pests
- The waning moon is particularly suitable for pest control.
- Pests in the soil: It is best to control them on root days.
- Above-ground pests: Tackle on Cancer, Gemini or Sagittarius days.
- Slugs and snails: Tackle when the moon is waxing in Scorpio.
Pruning
- Ideally during the waning or descending moon.
- Pruning fruit trees: On fruit days in the waning moon.
- Sick or ailing plants or trees: Remove the tips just above a side branch in the last quarter of the waning moon or at new moon.
Special days for gardening
- Maiden days: Ideal for planting cuttings in autumn and for transplanting trees and gardening work of all kinds.
Composting
- Compost should be made when the moon is waning or descending - this speeds up the rotting process.
Harvesting and storage
- The best time for harvesting, preserving and storing is the rising moon.
- Cereals, vegetables, potatoes: Harvest and store best on Aries days.
- Fruit storage: Only clean cellar shelves when the moon is waning (on flowering or fruit days) to prevent dryness and mould growth.
Fertilise
- A full moon or waning moon are ideal - the soil and plants absorb nutrients better without them getting into the groundwater.
- Weak-rooted flowers: Fertilise during the waning moon in Taurus.
- Plants that are lazy to flower: Fertilise on flowering days.
- Ideally during the waning or descending moon.
- Pruning fruit trees: On fruit days in the waning moon.
- Sick or ailing plants or trees: Remove the tips just above a side branch in the last quarter of the waning moon or at new moon.
Special days for gardening
- Maiden days: Ideal for planting cuttings in autumn and for transplanting trees and gardening work of all kinds.
Composting
- Compost should be made when the moon is waning or descending - this speeds up the rotting process.
Harvesting and storage
- The best time for harvesting, preserving and storing is the rising moon.
- Cereals, vegetables, potatoes: Harvest and store best on Aries days.
- Fruit storage: Only clean cellar shelves when the moon is waning (on flowering or fruit days) to prevent dryness and mould growth.
Fertilise
- A full moon or waning moon are ideal - the soil and plants absorb nutrients better without them getting into the groundwater.
- Weak-rooted flowers: Fertilise during the waning moon in Taurus.
- Plants that are lazy to flower: Fertilise on flowering days.
Don't be discouraged if schedules or weather conditions make it difficult to carry out the work precisely. There are several favourable alternatives for every activity in the garden - the most important thing is to avoid unfavourable times. We wish you many successful experiments in gardening with the moon and a productive gardening season!
Source: About the right time, Johanna Paungger and Thomas Poppe, p.131-173
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