GARDENING BY THE SUN SIGNS & MOON PHASES

     Since very ancient times, gardening according to the phases and zodiacal positions of the Moon has guided mankind in the area most important to his continued preservation and well being, which was the cultivation of plants to feed himself and his domestic animals.
Through the centuries, man has continued to plant according to the Moon's position & phases,
constantly adding to his knowledge of it's effects on the lives of the plants he cultivates.
Even today, a very large number of the world's farmers still plant according to the Moon.

     Although the idea of the Moon having an effect on the growth and development of life on the Earth has had it's non-believers over the centuries, scientific research has proven that the Moon definitely does effect most living things on Earth, including the behavior patterns of man himself.                                                                                

It is common knowledge that the tides are controlled by the positions of the Moon in the sky, now so well known is that as the Moon grows from new to full the tides get higher and the water table in the Earth rises, while the opposite occurs when the Moon progresses from full to new.
As a result, during the full Moon, the ground is expanded with moisture and receptive. During the waning of the Moon, the ground contracts through loss of moisture thus inhibiting growth.

To enable you to determine where the Moon is at any given time, check your calendar to see if it gives the phases of the Moon. When the Moon is growing from new to a half Moon it is in it's first quarter. As it progresses from a half to a full Moon it is in the second quarter. And as it moves from half to new it is in the fourth quarter.                                 

If you know which sign and which degree of that sign that the Sun is in in the Zodiac, you can also find the approximate zodiacal position of the Moon by observing its phases.  When it is new, the Moon is in the same zodiacal position. It is in the opposite sign, but the same degree when it is a full Moon. If it is a waxing quarter Moon, its position is 45 degrees ahead of the Sun. If it is a quarter Moon waning then its position is 45 degress behind the Sun. 
Each sign of the Zodiac consists of thirty degrees and the Sun remains in each sign for about thirty days.                     
Therefore you can equate each day of the Sun's progression into a sign with one degree of progression as the Sun moves counter-clockwise around the Zodiac.
The zodiacal cycle for the Sun is:
March 21 - April 20 in Aries                 April 21 - May 21 in Taurus
May 22 - June 21 in Gemini                June 22 - July 23 in Cancer
July 24 - August 23 in Leo                  August 24 - September 23 in Virgo
Sept 24 - Oct 23 in Libra                     Oct 24 - Nov 22 in Scorpio
Nov 23 - Dec 22 in Sagittarius           Dec 23 - Jan 21 in Capricorn
Jan 22 - Feb 20 in Aquarius               Feb 21 - March 20 - Pisces

When the Moon is in Aries, Gemini, Aquarius, or especially Leo or Sagittarius, it is in a dry, barren sign. These are not good signs to plant under. Killing weeds, pest control, and cultivating should be done during these signs.
The appearence of the Moon in the signs of Taurus, Pisces, Cancer, or in Scorpio denotes a period of receptiveness, of moisture and productivity.
These signs exhibit an earthy, warm, nurturing nature. Taurus brings hardiness. It is very good for leafy vegetables, and also root crops.

Cancer is the most fruitful of all positions. It is the best time to plant all crops, especially those harvested above ground.       

Scorpio is very fruitful and receptive to all plants. Pisces is very fruitful and moist. Also good for irrigation. Virgo, though it is an earthy, moist sign, it is also barren and not productive to growth. Best for destroying weeds & for cultivation.                            

Libra & Capricorn are both somewhat moist and earthy, but are only semi-fruitful.  They are beneficial mainly to flowers and root crops, the growth of roots and the pulp of the plant. 

In planting by the phases of the Moon, it is generally followed that all crops which produce above ground and reach maturity within one growing season should be planted when the Moon is growing from first quarter to full.
For example: Grains, leafy plants such as Lettuce, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Spinach, and Cabbage.

Plants of one season duration that contain a seed within the fruit of the plant, or vines should be planted during the second quarter. Examples are: Beans & Peas, Squash, Pumpkins, Melons
and Tomatoes.  Plants that take more than one season should be planted during the third quarter. These include: Berries, Shrubs, Hardy Wheat, all trees, bulb and root crops such as Onions, Potatoes, Carrots, Turnips,

and Rhubarb.                                                              
                                                         
 
   The fourth quarter is also good for the same crops as the third quarter, but if possible, let this  be a time for preparing the soil, killing pests, and eradicating weeds.

To obtain the very best results, try to focus on planting when the Moon is in the most favorable quarter and the most receptive sign simultaneously.  Irrigate when the Moon is in one of the watery signs such as Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces. Harvesting should be done while the Moon is waning or decreasing and in a dry, barren sign.