Object of Desire: Moon Calendar for Gardeners

Moon gardening is an age-old technique based on a simple idea: The gravitational pull of the earth affects water levels in the earth as well as in the oceans. Just as tides rise and fall as the moon waxes and wanes, so do levels of water underground (and even levels inside plants), the theory goes. Proponents, including the people at the Farmers’ Almanac, conclude that some days of the lunar cycle are better than others for planting, feeding, pruning, and even harvesting.

Lunar gardeners use the moon calendar, created by the New Zealand–based Riverton Organic Group.

A lunar phase cycle lasts 29.5 days. Spin the wheel to determine the days when it’s most auspicious to dig, cultivate, add manure, or prune.