Aligning Planting and Harvesting with Lunar Phases

Are you a plant lover? Do you love being in the garden? Do you want to give your babies the best chance to grow into the most beautiful plants possible? Sunlight, water and plant food is all very well and good, but even better is working with the Phases of the Moon.

Why the Phases of the Moon?

Doesn’t that seem very ‘woo-woo’? Isn’t that a little, well, superstitious? How does the Moon help with this kind of thing, anyway?

You may be surprised to hear that this is something that farmers have been doing for many, many years. Farmers – not witches, not mystics, not healers (although that’s not to say that they haven’t been practicing gardening by the Moon, of course!). Farmers have noticed that, since the dawn of time, certain plants tend to bloom by Moonlight, whilst others taste different according to the time that they were planted.

See, the light of the Moon tends to influence the way in which the plants’ energy is processed, much like how the Sun creates photosynthesis. Together, these two lights profoundly affect all life on earth, from plants, to humans, to animals.

As we know the Moon also governs water, influencing the tides of the ocean. Her gravitational pull also pulls on the soil’s moisture, which feeds the plant in a certain way, which then impacts how the plant turns out.

What’s more, the Moon tends to pull on the moisture of the roots, drawing this moisture upwards during the Waxing Phase, whereas during the Waning Phase, the Moon’s light pulls the energy down towards the roots. This has been scientifically proven, so when your non-believing friends or family question you, let them know that this is all based on nature, not on superstition.  So there!

Now, let’s get more technical and explain what we need to do when it comes to actual planting by the Moon.

To do this, we first take a full calendar month (four weeks, and break it up into four phases/quarters of seven days per phase. The first two of these phases are the Waxing Phase (when the Moon is growing in Light) and the next two phases are the Waning Phase (when the Moon’s light begins to dim). The Full Moon is the cosmic marker between these two phases, and is usually the time of ripening and harvesting.

As we’ve already said, the Waxing Phase tends to draw water upwards, whereas the Waning Phase pulls moisture down towards the roots. Thus, when we want to harvest the fruits of a plant, we should do it during the Waxing phase. The moisture in the plant’s energy has been drawn upwards, making the fruit ripe and ready. Harvesting fruit on the Full Moon is especially beneficial.

If we want to harvest the roots of a plant, it’s best to do it during the Waning Phase, when the moisture is being pulled downwards.

And what about planting seeds? Well, if you’re already familiar with Moon Rituals, then you’ll know that New Moon is the best time to set intentions. This is based on esoteric gardening, when Farmers learnt that planting seeds during a New Moon, or in the two weeks after, resulted in the seeds drawing in more moisture, and thus, becoming more swollen, riper, and better germinated. Ultimately, this helped in creating the best final result.

Another thing to remember is that, during the Waxing phase. It’s good to prune, cut away and make space. This helps the plant to prepare for its next cycle and, once again, creates healthier fruit/roots or whatever it is you wish to harvest.

With all of this in mind, let’s break it down into bite-sized chunks so that you can easily refer to the Moon Phases when tending your plants. Be they herbs, flowers or fruits, we’ve got you covered!

Phase One: Waxing New Moon Phase

This is the time to be planting your seeds – around the first seven days after the New Moon is best. So, go on and create your shopping list. Go out and buy those seedlings! The Moon’s gravity will pull the water upwards, helping these seeds to grow and germinate. This not only helps the final result, but also helps to establish more stable and balanced leaves and roots overall.

These seven days are also fantastic for transplanting your plants. So, if they need some new life, this is the ideal time to make it happen.

Phase Two: Waxing First Quarter Phase

This is known as the action phase. The seeds have sprouted through the ground, and are taking shape. The Moon’s light is continuing to draw the moisture up towards the fruit that’s beginning to grow.

The leaves are looking healthy and everything should be going according to plan. These seven days are ideal for starting to harvest the fruit. Anything that’s growing above the ground can be plucked now. These may be your herbs, vegetables or fruit, such as peas, tomatoes, chilies, peaches, basically, lettuce and so on. Happy Harvesting!

Phase Three:  Full Moon Phase

This is the ripening phase. The phase of climax and culmination. The gravitational draw of the Moon is extremely strong now, as we all know. It not only…