Pick any month and year to see the moon phase for each day. Phase math uses the standard synodic month (29.530588853 days) counted from the reference new moon of January 6, 2000 at 18:14 UTC.
Traditional practice — not science
- Waxing moon (growing brighter): sow above-ground crops — lettuce, beans, peas.
- Full moon: a traditional time for transplanting seedlings out.
- Waning moon (shrinking): sow root crops — carrots, beets, radishes; also weed and prune.
- New moon: rest, plan, and prepare beds.
There’s no scientific evidence the moon affects germination — many gardeners enjoy it as a rhythm. Your frost dates matter far more. Check your frost dates →
How it’s figured
The moon’s synodic cycle (new moon to new moon) averages 29.530588853 days. Each day’s phase is computed as ((Julian date − 2451550.26) ÷ 29.530588853) mod 1, where 2451550.26 is the Julian date of the reference new moon on 2000-01-06 at 18:14 UTC. The fractional result maps to eight named phases: new, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full, waning gibbous, last quarter, waning crescent.