How to use an Astrological Calendar and Gardening By The Moon (Updated 2027)
This moon planting calendar, designed by Thomas Zimmer, especially for use in the Southern Hemisphere, is full of astrological information such as moon phase, equinox, solstice and eclipse dates and times, including annual planting by the moon guides as well as an astrological commentary on the year to come.
It can be used by anyone. You don’t need to understand Astrology although using this calendar will increase your knowledge of it. It’s a wonderful tool if you’re starting a herb garden for the first time or looking to take your gardening skills to the next level.
The Astrological Calendar and Moon Planting guide is a must for gardeners with information about the best time to plant, weed, fertilise, compost and control pests. Buy yours for only $14 here, or $11.50 each when you buy 2 or more.
The Moon Phases
On the poster, the moon phases are represented on the outside of the circle.
The Moon’s gravitational pull affects the movement of water on the Earth. We see this clearly with the tides at their fullest during a full moon and their lowest during a new moon. The moon also affects the surface tension of moisture in the soil, something we can’t clearly see, but can take advantage of when deciding on the best time to plant. There is also an effect on the flow of water through plants. Sap moves more vigorously during the waxing phase as the moon grows to full, and slows down as the moon wanes towards the new moon.
The Moon Phases can help us to determine the best time to do things in our gardens.
1st Quarter Phase
The New Moon (dark moon) is increasing in light, it looks like it is growing bigger, this is known as a waxing moon.
Water in the Earth is starting to be drawn up at this time, we will see the tides start increasing in height. This means the moisture is increasing in the soil.
- The first quarter phase starts 12 hours after the exact New Moon
- It finishes 12 hours before the First quarter moon
- This is the best time for planting leafy annuals such as basil, parsley, coriander, dill and rocket.
- It’s also a good time for applying liquid fertilisers and pruning and grafting, as increased sap flow produces new growth more quickly.
2nd Quarter Phase
The moon is still waxing, now showing more than half of its visible surface as light. As it gets closer to the full moon, the pull on the earth is increasing and the tides are reaching much higher levels. The moisture in the soil is increasing, and so is the sap in the plants.
- The 2nd quarter phase starts 12 hours after the first quarter moon and runs through to 12 hours before the exact full moon.
- This is the best time to plant fruiting/flowering annuals such as tomatoes, beans, chillies, red clover, chamomile and calendula.
- A good time for applying liquid fertilisers and pruning and grafting, as increased sap flow produces new growth more quickly.
3rd Quarter Phase
The full moon has passed and will now decrease in light on its surface this is known as a waning moon. The tides have turned and will now start to decrease in height. There is still moisture in the earth, and the sap is still high, although the flow is drawing down. This focuses the energy towards the roots, which is more suited to root crops and perennials, plants that live longer than two years.
- Runs from 12 hours after the exact full moon until 12 hours before the third quarter moon
- This is the best time to plant root vegetables and perennials such as beetroot, carrots, onions, liquorice, turmeric, ginger, rosemary, sage, thyme and oregano.
- Take cuttings and divide plants. Apply solid fertiliser and harvest for storage.
4th Quarter Phase
More than half of the visible surface of the moon is now in darkness. The tides will soon be at their lowest, and the sap in plants has slowed. This phase is viewed as low in vitality, and planting is not recommended now.
- Starts 12 hours after the third quarter moon and runs through to 12 hours before the exact new moon.
- Do not do any planting during this time
- This is a good time to do mowing, weeding, composting, mulching and insect control. Apply solid fertilisers and prune to restrain growth.
The Astrological Signs
The above astrological symbols are found on the outside of the outside ring of the poster. These symbols show us when the moon is in that sign.
This helps us to determine the best time to plant within the appropriate moon phase, as some signs are more fertile than others.
Fertile Signs – these signs are the best for planting.
The 3 Water signs are the most fertile signs; these are ♋️Cancer, ♏️Scorpio and ♓️Pisces.
Semi-Fertile Signs – are the second-best signs to plant in.
The Earth signs ♉️Taurus and ♑️Capricorn, along with the Air sign ♎️Libra are all semi-fertile signs.
Barren signs – Avoid planting in these signs. Other garden jobs can be done in these signs.
The barren signs are the Air signs ♊️Gemini and ♒️Aquarius, the Fire signs ♈️Aries, ♌️Leo and ♐️Sagittarius and the Earth sign ♍️Virgo.
2027 Astrological Calendar and Moon Planting Guide
$14.00
Buy Now
What's Happening Now (end of 2026)
The purple circles and numbers are ours, to point things out.
- Moon phases, with the exact time. The dark circle is the new moon and the light one is the full moon.
- The moon changes sign. The time and symbol show when the moon moves into the next star sign.
- Striped box (lime with lines): best days to sow leafy annuals.
- Orange box with slanted lines: best days to sow fruiting annuals.
- Dotted box (gold with dots): best days for root crops and perennials.
- Tiny pink square: a void moon.
- Shaded ring between the dates and the days: Mercury retrograde.
From the image above, here is a brief overview of what is happening with the moon and signs from the New Moon in October to the New Moon in November 2026. Times are as printed on the calendar, which is set for NSW, Victoria and Tasmania. In Queensland, take off an hour while daylight saving is on.
11th October at 2:51am - New Moon in ♎︎Libra
11th - 18th Oct - 1st Quarter phase
The first quarter is for planting leafy greens and annuals when the moon is in a fertile sign.
The 1st quarter starts at 2:51pm on the 11th, 12 hours after the new moon. The moon is still in the semi-fertile sign of ♎︎Libra until 2:21am on the 12th.
A good time to plant leafy greens and annuals, overnight only.
The moon moves into the fertile sign of ♏︎Scorpio at 2:21am on the 12th until 12:01pm on the 14th Oct.
This is the best time to plant leafy greens and annuals.
The moon is in the barren sign ♐︎Sagittarius from 12:01pm on the 14th until 11:57pm on the 16th Oct.
Do not plant at this time.
From 11:57pm on the 16th the moon is in the semi-fertile sign of ♑︎Capricorn. The 1st quarter finishes at 3:15pm on the 18th, 12 hours before the first quarter moon.
This is a good time to plant leafy greens and annuals.
19th October at 3:15am - First Quarter Moon in ♑︎Capricorn
19th - 26th Oct - 2nd Quarter phase
The second quarter is for planting fruiting annuals when the moon is in a fertile sign.
The 2nd quarter starts at 3:15pm on the 19th, with the moon in ♒︎Aquarius from 12:41pm.
Aquarius is a barren sign. Do not plant at this time.
The moon moves into the fertile sign of ♓︎Pisces at 11:36pm on the 21st until 6:55am on the 24th Oct.
This is the best time to plant fruiting annuals.
From 6:55am on the 24th until 10:36am on the 26th, the moon is in the barren sign of ♈︎Aries.
It is not a good time to plant.
The 2nd quarter finishes at 3:14am on the 26th, 12 hours before the full moon.
26th October at 3:14pm - Full Moon in ♉︎Taurus
27th Oct - 1st Nov - 3rd Quarter phase
The third quarter is good for planting root crops and perennials when the moon is in a fertile sign.
The 3rd quarter starts at 3:14am on the 27th. The moon stays in the semi-fertile sign of ♉︎Taurus until 12:03pm on the 28th.
It is a good time to plant root crops and perennials.
From 12:03pm on the 28th until 1:07pm on the 30th, the moon is in the barren sign of ♊︎Gemini.
Do not plant at this time.
From 1:07pm on the 30th until 3:19pm on the 1st of Nov, the moon is in the fertile sign of ♋︎Cancer.
It is the best time to plant root crops and perennials.
Then the moon moves into the barren sign of ♌︎Leo, and the 3rd quarter finishes at 7:30pm on the 1st.
Do not plant at this time.
2nd November at 7:30am - Last Quarter Moon in ♌︎Leo
2nd - 9th Nov - 4th Quarter phase
The Moon is in its last or 4th quarter. This is the phase of the moon when you do your garden maintenance.
Not a good time to plant.
From 7:30pm on the 3rd until 1:39am on the 6th, the moon is in the barren sign ♍︎Virgo. Weeding and pest control can be done now in a barren sign for the best results.
From 9:41am on the 8th the moon is in ♏︎Scorpio, a water sign. The calendar suggests watering in the water signs for the best effect.
9th November at 6:03pm - New Moon in ♏︎Scorpio
Other Features to look out for.
Void Moon – Void moons are shown by tiny pink boxes just inside the main circle, where the dates are. A void moon means that the moon is not making any key angles to any of the planets. This is not a good time to make any decisions or important purchases.
The calendar also prints void moon start times along its bottom edge. In this cycle it lists the 11th of October at 10:08am, the 23rd of October at 2:32pm and the 3rd of November at 11:12am.
Mercury Retrograde – If you look at the thin ring between the day and the date on the calendar. When there is shading, it shows that Mercury is retrograde. During this time Mercury passes between Earth and the Sun, it appears to move backwards; this time is known as Mercury Retrograde. Miscommunication can occur during this time, double-check details and be patient.
In the section of the calendar shown above, Mercury is retrograde from the 24th of October to the 14th of November.
