Phases of the moon???

Snow Crash said:

ICMag has a thread called gardening by the moon, so some jazz like that, and in it the OP updates the current phase and explains how to check it for yourself in your own area.

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If you're here that means you want to learn how to use the Moon's phases and traditional planting knowledge to give your grows that extra edge. Gardening by the Moon has been practiced for eons. There is a simple reason why farmers have utilized this method...it works. Using Gardening by the Moon will ensure healthier plants with bigger yields and fewer problems.

I will be using what is known as the Tropical Zodiac. Some publications, like the Farmer's Almanac use sidereal zodiac for plotting. This explains why one publication says the Moon is in one sign & another publication says something different. The Tropical Zodiac is more accurate for our purposes.

Gardening By The Moon involves 1) Moon's Sign 2) Phase of the Moon



Moon's Sign: Here are the signs of the Moon and what each is used for

Moon in Aries - Barren, dry, fiery and masculine. Use for destroying noxious weeds.

Moon in Taurus - Productive, moist, earthy and feminine. Use for planting many crops when hardiness is important, particularly root crops. Also used for leafy vegetables.

Moon in Gemini - Barren and dry, airy and masculine. Use for destroying noxious growths, weeds, and pests, and for cultivation.

Moon in Cancer - Fruitful, moist, feminine. Use for planting & irrigation.

Moon in Leo - Barren, dry, fiery, masculine. Use for killing weeds or cultivation.

Moon in Virgo - Barren, moist, earthy and feminine. Use for killing weeds or cultivation.

Moon in Libra - Semi-fruitful, moist, and airy. Use for planting crops that need good pulp growth. A very good sign for flowers & vines. Also used for seeding.

Moon in Scorpio - Very fruitful and moist, watery & feminine. Nearly as productive as Cancer: use for the same purposes. Especially good for vine growth and sturdiness.

Moon in Sagittarius - Barren and dry, fiery and masculine. Use for planting Onions, seeding and for cultivating.

Moon in Capricorn - Productive and dry, earthy, and feminine. Use for planting root crops.

Moon in Aquarius - Barren, dry, airy and masculine. Use for cultivating and killing noxious growths and pests.

Moon in Pisces - Very fruitful, moist, watery and feminine. Especially good for root growth.



Phases of The Moon: There are 4 quarters of the Moon. The Moon is full at the 3rd quarter and decreases during the 4th. The New Moon is first quarter and the moon is growing bigger through the 2nd quarter.


First Quarter - Plant yearly crops (annuals) producing their yield above the ground, which are generally of the leafy kind that produce seeds outside their fruit. Some examples are lettuce, asparagus, spinach.

Second Quarter - Plant annuals producing their yield above ground, which are generally the viney kind that produce seeds inside fruit. An example would be beans, melons, tomatoes, etc. There are many plants that do well equally, planted in 1st or 2nd such as cannabis.

Third Quarter - Plant bulbs, root plants, trees, etc. Good for planting when you want explosive root growth. I like this quarter for Cannabis planting best. All my roots go wild! Great for hydro setups too.

Fourth Quarter - This is the best time to cultivate, pull weeds, destroy pests of all kinds. Especially true when Moon is in Aries, Leo, Virgo, Gemini, Aquarius and Sagittarius.


These methods dramatically increase germination rates, growth, flowering and makes harvest easier.



Planting: Root crops are best planted in Taurus or Capricorn. Fruit bearing plants are best if planted in a sign that supports seed growth. Leaf plants are best planted when the Moon is in a water sign.

Transplanting: It is recommended you transplant when the Moon is decreasing, when forces are streaming into the lower part of the plant. The encourages root growth.

Flowering: To help get larger buds, flip to 12/12 when Moon is in Libra. This will also increase fragrance of flowers and oil production. More intense aromas are noted.

Harvesting: Harvest when Moon is in a dry sign (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, Gemini, Aquarius) and decreasing. Harvest in the 3rd or 4th quarters in dry signs. This discourages mold growth. Note: Don't forget to check your Trichomes for harvest readiness!

Dry Crops: Best if done in the third quarter in fire signs. This will help guard against buds molding.


So there you go! The basics to Gardening by The Moon are all here. I recommend Llewellyn's Moon Sign Book for easy to use charts of the Moon's Progress. Have fun! You will definitely notice surprising results with this method. Even makes things taste better!

Every week in this thread, I post an update called "Week Ahead in Moon Gardening". It will usually be on the last couple of pages of this thread! I usually post it on Saturday or Sunday. All you need is the first page, and to find out what signs things are in. I will usually tell you, so you don't have to keep coming back to look things up. I enjoy doing this & hope it will help all of you who want to get your plants back to a more natural rhythm.


Some people ask me "Why bother?" First, you've got to do the work anyway, so why not do it at the optimal time? Second, I see results with this method! You will too!

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