Moon planting calendar
May 2026
Moon planting calendar — 7 root days, 8 leaf days, 9 flower days and 7 fruit days.
Full moon
1 May
New moon
16 May
Good sowing days
12 days
The moon passes through all twelve signs of the zodiac each month, and biodynamic growers match what they sow to the element the moon is travelling through. In May 2026 the moon is ascending — the traditional time for sowing and grafting — on 14 days. The strongest sowing dates fall on the 5, 6, 7 and 9 other days. Days marked in the table below sit near a lunar node or perigee, when traditional practice is to leave the soil alone.
| Date | Moon phase | Sign | Day type | Sow or rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Fri | Full moon100% | Libra | 🌸 Flower Day | Descending — transplant and prune |
| 2Sat | Waning gibbous99% | Libra | 🌸 Flower Day | Descending — transplant and prune |
| 3Sun | Waning gibbous97% | Scorpio | 🥬 Leaf Day | Descending — transplant and prune |
| 4Mon | Waning gibbous93% | Scorpio | 🥬 Leaf Day | Descending — transplant and prune |
| 5Tue | Waning gibbous87% | Sagittarius | 🍅 Fruit Day | Ascending — sow and graft |
| 6Wed | Waning gibbous81% | Sagittarius | 🍅 Fruit Day | Ascending — sow and graft |
| 7Thu | Waning gibbous72% | Sagittarius | 🍅 Fruit Day | Ascending — sow and graft |
| 8Fri | Waning gibbous63% | Capricorn | 🌱 Root Day | Ascending — sow and graft |
| 9Sat | Last quarter54% | Capricorn | 🌱 Root Day | Ascending — sow and graft |
| 10Sun | Waning crescent44% | Aquarius | 🌸 Flower Day | Ascending — sow and graft |
| 11Mon | Waning crescent34% | Aquarius | 🌸 Flower Day | Lunar node — avoid sowing |
| 12Tue | Waning crescent24% | Aquarius | 🌸 Flower Day | Ascending — sow and graft |
| 13Wed | Waning crescent15% | Pisces | 🥬 Leaf Day | Ascending — sow and graft |
| 14Thu | Waning crescent8% | Pisces | 🥬 Leaf Day | Ascending — sow and graft |
| 15Fri | Waning crescent3% | Aries | 🍅 Fruit Day | Ascending — sow and graft |
| 16Sat | New moon0% | Aries | 🍅 Fruit Day | Ascending — sow and graft |
| 17Sun | Waxing crescent1% | Taurus | 🌱 Root Day | Perigee — avoid sowing |
| 18Mon | Waxing crescent4% | Taurus | 🌱 Root Day | Ascending — sow and graft |
| 19Tue | Waxing crescent11% | Gemini | 🌸 Flower Day | Descending — transplant and prune |
| 20Wed | Waxing crescent19% | Gemini | 🌸 Flower Day | Descending — transplant and prune |
| 21Thu | Waxing crescent29% | Cancer | 🥬 Leaf Day | Descending — transplant and prune |
| 22Fri | Waxing crescent40% | Cancer | 🥬 Leaf Day | Descending — transplant and prune |
| 23Sat | First quarter50% | Leo | 🍅 Fruit Day | Lunar node — avoid sowing |
| 24Sun | Waxing gibbous61% | Leo | 🍅 Fruit Day | Descending — transplant and prune |
| 25Mon | Waxing gibbous71% | Virgo | 🌱 Root Day | Descending — transplant and prune |
| 26Tue | Waxing gibbous79% | Virgo | 🌱 Root Day | Descending — transplant and prune |
| 27Wed | Waxing gibbous87% | Virgo | 🌱 Root Day | Descending — transplant and prune |
| 28Thu | Waxing gibbous93% | Libra | 🌸 Flower Day | Descending — transplant and prune |
| 29Fri | Waxing gibbous97% | Libra | 🌸 Flower Day | Descending — transplant and prune |
| 30Sat | Waxing gibbous99% | Scorpio | 🥬 Leaf Day | Descending — transplant and prune |
| 31Sun | Full moon100% | Scorpio | 🥬 Leaf Day | Descending — transplant and prune |
What to sow in May
🌱 Root Days7 in May
Best for root vegetables — carrots, beetroot, potatoes, onions
🥬 Leaf Days8 in May
Best for leafy greens — lettuce, spinach, chard, herbs for leaf
🌸 Flower Days9 in May
Best for flowering plants, brassicas and herbs
🍅 Fruit Days7 in May
Best for fruiting plants — tomatoes, courgettes, beans, apples
Ready to harvest in May
- 🥬 Lettuce
- 🫛 Garden Pea
- 🌱 Spring Onion
- 🥬 Cabbage
- 🌿 Spinach
- 🔴 Radish
- 🫘 Broad Bean
- 🌿 Asparagus
- 🌸 Rhubarb
- 🌿 Chives
- 🥬 Kohlrabi
- 🥬 Turnip
- 🥗 Rocket
- 🌿 Parsley
- 🌿 Chervil
- 🌿 Coriander
Want the reasoning behind all this? The biodynamic growing guide covers the day types, the eight preparations and where the practice came from.