What do gardeners use the moon for?
The traditional planting calendar splits the month in four. From new moon to first quarter, sow leafy crops. From first quarter to full moon, sow crops that fruit. From full moon to third quarter, sow roots. From third quarter back to new moon, harvest, prune, weed and cultivate, and do not sow. Time and Date supplies the phase times. The hours below are Universal Time, converted from that New York table.
The moon does not move the frost. A waxing moon in a northern December is for seed trays and for crops a southern summer can actually grow. It is not an instruction to plant tomatoes outdoors in Britain.
The windows
Waxing, sow above ground: 9 November 07:02 UT to full moon 24 November 14:53 UT. First quarter 17 November 11:47 UT. Then waning, roots and harvest: 24 November to new moon 9 December 00:51 UT. Third quarter 1 December 06:08 UT. That new moon is still the evening of 8 December in New York.
Waxing: 9 December 00:51 UT to full moon 24 December 01:28 UT. First quarter 17 December 05:42 UT. Waning: 24 December to new moon 7 January 2027 at 20:24 UT. Third quarter 30 December 18:59 UT.
Waxing: 7 January 20:24 UT to full moon 22 January 12:17 UT. First quarter 15 January 20:34 UT. Waning: 22 January to new moon 6 February 15:56 UT. Third quarter 29 January 10:55 UT. That February new moon is also Lunar New Year.
Waxing: 6 February 15:56 UT to full moon 20 February 23:23 UT. First quarter 14 February 07:58 UT. Waning: 20 February to new moon 8 March 09:29 UT. Third quarter 28 February 05:16 UT. Waxing again: 8 March to full moon 22 March 11:43 UT. First quarter 15 March 17:25 UT. By then many northern gardens are at the edge of outdoor sowing, and many are not yet.
Each stretch has its own page in the collection, starting with the waxing moon that is open now. Mercury retrograde in February sits inside a sowing window and does not cancel it.