Harvest the Moon’s Energy to Live Your Best Spring Equinox Life

Tune in to the moon and how to live and garden in harmony with our nearest celestial neighbor, using The Old Farmer’s Almanac Lunar cycle to-do list. I’ve been a long time follower and fan of this brand and happy to be working with them on sharing these amazing ideas below!

Harvesting Moon Energy

People who live near the ocean know that a full Moon pulls tides higher. Landlocked Midwesterners cannot see this phenomenon, but the same thing is happening to water below the ground’s surface.

This ebb and flow is a natural result of the magnetic pull of the monthly alignment of the Sun, Earth, and Moon and is the basis for planting according to the Moon’s phases. If the Moon moves the water table – and humans are 60 percent water and plants 80 percent to 90 percent so – it stands to reason that we, too, are influenced by the Moon, the only natural “satellite” in Earth’s orbit.

Each Moon phase provides a distinctive energy. Living according to this rhythm, you can feel the difference between full Moon and new Moon energy. For example, starting two days before the full Moon, you can’t fall asleep easily and wake up more frequently. Maybe this happens to you, too!

New Moon

Let’s start at the beginning, the first day of the cycle: The new Moon phase occurs when the Moon and Sun are on the same side of Earth. In this orientation, we face the Moon’s dark half, where the Sun’s light does not reach the surface directly. A new Moon is up during the day, basically rising and setting with the Sun. It can not usually be seen with the naked eye because of the Sun’s glare and the fact that we are facing the Moon’s dark side. Watch the sky three days before the new Moon to see this crescent get narrower, rise about 50 minutes later each day, and, on the day of the new Moon, disappear.

New Moon energy is inquisitive and fresh, like a newborn baby. The lunar gravity pulls water up, however minutely, and helps seeds to swell and burst. This factor, plus the increasing moonlight, creates balanced root and leaf growth – which is especially beneficial for plants that produce their seeds outside their fruit.

First Quarter Moon

At this time, the gravitational pull is less but the moonlight is strong, creating vigorous leaf growth. As the days pass, the first quarter Moon will become visible as a D-shape glowing orb in our sky, rising at noon and setting at midnight. This makes for great nighttime moongazing!

Full Moon

At the full Moon, the water table is, for a moment, at its height; This is when the Moon’s energy is pumping at capacity through all living things. Then, it begins to recede. As the Moon wanes, energy is drawn down into the earth, putting it into a plant’s roots.

Last Quarter Moon

This is a time of rest, endings, and introspection. Take a moment to dream. Relax in a way that will allow answers to find you. Refrain from planting seeds during the week before the new Moon; instead, wait until a couple of days after it.

Lunar Cycle To-Do Gardening List

New Moon to First Quarter

Ready your seeds, planting time begins! Plant seeds for plants that produce their seeds outside their fruit: arugula, basil, broccoli, cabbage, grains, lettuce, radicchio, spinach, and most herbs. (Cucumbers like this phase even though they are an exception to the rule.) Turn the soil between the new and full Moons, when there is less moisture in the soil and it is thus less dense and easier to move. Prune for rejuvenation.

First Quarter to Full Moon

Keep on planting! The sweet spot is about 3 days before and until the full Moon. Plant aboveground annuals with seeds inside their fruit: beans, melons, peas, peppers, squashes, and tomatoes.

Full Moon to Last Quarter

This is the time for planting root crops: beets, biennials, bulbs, carrots, onions, perennials, potatoes. This is a good time for transplanting, due to active root growth. For maximum vitamins, minerals, and herbal constituents, harvest now for storage. Take advantage of the increased energy rising from the earth below to harvest apples and other fruit when their natural goodness is peaking. Make herbal extracts.

Last Quarter to New Moon

Weed and cultivate for weed suppression. Inventory and order seeds. Design your gardens. Harvest for drying. Prune for decreased growth. Mow lawns to slow growth.

To keep in the rhythm of nature, we suggest studying this book each year. The 2025 Old Farmer’s Almanac is available wherever books and magazines are sold however support local booksellers whenever possible! A full list of stores that carry The Old Farmer’s Almanac is available at Almanac.com/Wheretobuy.