Sowing calendar: May 2020

When to sow and plant in May? Folk tradition uses the Moon’s phase and zodiac sign: above-ground crops are sown during the waxing Moon and root crops during the waning Moon. The sign defines the day type: root, leaf, fruit or flower. These traditions are not scientifically proven.

Most favourable days

Root day carrots, beetroot, potatoes, onions, garlic, radishes
Leaf day lettuce, cabbage, spinach, dill, parsley, herbs
Fruit day tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, beans, peas, strawberries, fruit trees
Flower day flowers, broccoli, cauliflower, flowering bulbs

Every day in May

  1. 1 Fr
    First quarter Moon: Leo
    Fruit day
    Favourable Waxing Moon – traditionally favourable for above-ground crops
  2. 2 Sa
    Waxing gibbous Moon: Virgo (from 06:36)
    Root day
    Neutral Waxing Moon, but a root day – tradition suggests waiting
  3. 3 Su
    Waxing gibbous Moon: Virgo
    Root day
    Neutral Waxing Moon, but a root day – tradition suggests waiting
  4. 4 Mo
    Waxing gibbous Moon: Libra (from 08:10)
    Flower day
    Favourable Waxing Moon – traditionally favourable for above-ground crops
  5. 5 Tu
    Waxing gibbous Moon: Libra
    Flower day
    Favourable Waxing Moon – traditionally favourable for above-ground crops
  6. 6 We
    Waxing gibbous Moon: Scorpio (from 08:06)
    Leaf day
    Favourable Waxing Moon – traditionally favourable for above-ground crops
  7. 7 Th
    Full moon 11:45 Moon: Scorpio
    Leaf day
    Unfavourable Full moon – traditionally a time to avoid sowing and planting
  8. 8 Fr
    Waning gibbous Moon: Sagittarius (from 08:16)
    Fruit day
    Neutral Waning Moon – traditionally suitable for weeding, pruning and feeding
  9. 9 Sa
    Waning gibbous Moon: Sagittarius
    Fruit day
    Neutral Waning Moon – traditionally suitable for weeding, pruning and feeding
  10. 10 Su
    Waning gibbous Moon: Capricorn (from 10:39)
    Root day
    Favourable Waning Moon – traditionally favourable for root crops and bulbs
  11. 11 Mo
    Waning gibbous Moon: Capricorn
    Root day
    Favourable Waning Moon – traditionally favourable for root crops and bulbs
  12. 12 Tu
    Waning gibbous Moon: Capricorn (from 16:40 Aquarius)
    Root day
    Favourable Waning Moon – traditionally favourable for root crops and bulbs
  13. 13 We
    Waning gibbous Moon: Aquarius
    Flower day
    Neutral Waning Moon – traditionally suitable for weeding, pruning and feeding
  14. 14 Th
    Last quarter 15:03 Moon: Aquarius
    Flower day
    Neutral Waning Moon – traditionally suitable for weeding, pruning and feeding
  15. 15 Fr
    Last quarter Moon: Pisces (from 02:25)
    Leaf day
    Neutral Waning Moon – traditionally suitable for weeding, pruning and feeding
  16. 16 Sa
    Waning crescent Moon: Pisces
    Leaf day
    Neutral Waning Moon – traditionally suitable for weeding, pruning and feeding
  17. 17 Su
    Waning crescent Moon: Pisces (from 14:36 Aries)
    Leaf day
    Neutral Waning Moon – traditionally suitable for weeding, pruning and feeding
  18. 18 Mo
    Waning crescent Moon: Aries
    Fruit day
    Neutral Waning Moon – traditionally suitable for weeding, pruning and feeding
  19. 19 Tu
    Waning crescent Moon: Aries
    Fruit day
    Neutral Waning Moon – traditionally suitable for weeding, pruning and feeding
  20. 20 We
    Waning crescent Moon: Taurus (from 03:11)
    Root day
    Favourable Waning Moon – traditionally favourable for root crops and bulbs
  21. 21 Th
    Waning crescent Moon: Taurus
    Root day
    Favourable Waning Moon – traditionally favourable for root crops and bulbs
  22. 22 Fr
    New moon 18:39 Moon: Taurus (from 14:37 Gemini)
    Root day
    Unfavourable New moon – traditionally a time to avoid sowing and planting
  23. 23 Sa
    New moon Moon: Gemini
    Flower day
    Unfavourable New moon – traditionally a time to avoid sowing and planting
  24. 24 Su
    Waxing crescent Moon: Gemini
    Flower day
    Favourable Waxing Moon – traditionally favourable for above-ground crops
  25. 25 Mo
    Waxing crescent Moon: Cancer (from 00:09)
    Leaf day
    Favourable Waxing Moon – traditionally favourable for above-ground crops
  26. 26 Tu
    Waxing crescent Moon: Cancer
    Leaf day
    Favourable Waxing Moon – traditionally favourable for above-ground crops
  27. 27 We
    Waxing crescent Moon: Leo (from 07:34)
    Fruit day
    Favourable Waxing Moon – traditionally favourable for above-ground crops
  28. 28 Th
    Waxing crescent Moon: Leo
    Fruit day
    Favourable Waxing Moon – traditionally favourable for above-ground crops
  29. 29 Fr
    First quarter Moon: Leo (from 12:41 Virgo)
    Fruit day
    Favourable Waxing Moon – traditionally favourable for above-ground crops
  30. 30 Sa
    First quarter 04:30 Moon: Virgo
    Root day
    Neutral Waxing Moon, but a root day – tradition suggests waiting
  31. 31 Su
    Waxing gibbous Moon: Virgo (from 15:38 Libra)
    Root day
    Neutral Waxing Moon, but a root day – tradition suggests waiting

This calendar follows folk traditions and the biodynamic calendar; its recommendations are not scientifically proven. The Moon’s sign is shown at local noon; times are UK local time.

Moon image: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio (public domain).