The theory behind gardening by the Moon is “as the Moon goes, so goes the garden.” The Earth circles around the Sun once a year, but the Moon has a much shorter lifespan of 28 to 30 days. Every month, as the light of the Moon increases and decreases, it mirrors the cycle of birth, growth, and death in the garden. After adjusting your garden activities to the light of the Moon, you’ll be amazed to see how well your garden grows.

The waxing phase is the growth cycle in the garden. It begins with the new Moon and lasts for 2 weeks. Each month the Moon is born at the new Moon and grows bigger and brighter until it reaches maturity at the full Moon. When the light of the Moon is increasing, it’s the best time of the month to sow seeds, plant leafy annuals, and cut back or prune plants to encourage bigger growth. 

The waning phase is the declining cycle in the garden. it begins with the full Moon and last for two weeks. The Moon grows older after the full Moon as the light begins to decrease, until it disappears or dies at 28. The decreasing light of the Moon is the time to plant bulbs, root vegetables, and perennials that store their energy underground. The waning Moon phase is also a good time for garden maintenance, including weeding, raking, deadheading, mowing, working the soil, destroying insects, and burning brush.