Planting by the Signs

10/30/2026

Oct. 30, 2026, 1:15 p.m.

WEEKEND OUTLOOK

Where has October gone?
Here we are about to flip the calendar to November, but before we do we will celebrate Halloween and All Saints' Day. And if you don't celebrate, that's fine, too.
Here's PBTS info for the end of October and a ways into November. Later today or Saturday I will post the November Overview. And remember - as you will be reminded of a thousand times - Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. Nov. 1, so we "fall back an hour.
THE MOON is in the dark phase now. And wasn't that full moon lovely? It will remain there until the new/light moon arrives on Nov. 9 at 2:02 a.m. EASTERN STANDARD TIME. Remember to adjust by subtracting an hour for each time zone west of EST. That's going to push the arrival of the new moon back to late Nov. 8 for some of you.
It will remain in force for the planting of above-grounders until the next full/dark moon at 9:53 a.m. Nov. 24.
THE SIGNS find the VERY fertile Cancer/breast in force until 12:18 a.m. EDT Nov. 1 - just before the time change - when Leo/heart, one of the killing signs, comes to rule.
Leo will be with us until the flowering signs arrive with Virgo/bowels taking over at 3:27 a.m. EST on Nov. 3 until Libra/reins - the other flowering sign - comes to rule at 9:38 a.m. Nov. 5. Flowers only, no veggies.
Then it's the VERY fertile Scorpio/secrets arriving at 5:39 p.m. Nov. 7 for below-grounders until 3:55 a.m. Nov. 10 when the monthly run of fertile sign begins with Sagittarius.
There you have more than just the weekend! Do have a good one!

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10/23/2026

Oct. 23, 2026, 3:20 p.m. EDT

WEEKEND OUTLOOK

If you are doing any gardening anywhere, here's what's on tap according to the phases of the moon and signs of the zodiac.
THE MOON is in the light phase now for above-grounders, but will be moving to the dark phase with the arrival of the full moon on Oct. 26 - or 25th depending on your time zone - at 12:12 a.m. EDT.
If you are in a different time zone, subtract one hour as you move west making it 11 p.m. CDT, 10 p.m. MDT, and 9 p.m. PCT. So, for all in those zones, the change happens on Oct. 25, while occurring Oct. 26 in EDT.
THE SIGNS find the killing sign Aries/head comes or came to rule - depending on when you read this - at 3:53 p.m. EDT TODAY, Oct. 23. Thus, just a few minutes for Pisces to rule as I write.
Aries remains in force until the VERY fertile Ta**us/neck, takes over at 7:34 pm. Oct. 25.
We find Ta**us ruling when the moon moves to the dark phase, either late on the 25th or early on the 26, and until Gemini/arms, the peas and beans sign, moves in at 9:01 p.m. Oct, 27.
Gemini then gives way to the VERY fertile Cancer/breast at 10:05 p.m. Oct. 30 with Cancer wrapping up the month and staying until the killing sign Leo/heart, one of the killing signs, moves in at 12:18 a.m. Nov. 1. For some of you, that change will occur on late Oct. 31.
Leo won't move on until the flowering sign Virgo/bowels arrives at 3:27 a.m. Nov. 3.
So, there you have the next week and on into November. Come with your questions and I will try to answer them in a timely fashion. And I will see you next weekend and then for the November Overview.

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10/20/2026

Oct. 20, 2026, 12:55 p.m. EDT

Cleaning up your garden
Whether you raised a half-acre or a few tomato plants in a pot, as the growing season winds down and has ended in many parts of the country it’s important to clean up what’s left of this year’s garden. There is still some harvesting going on, but for all practical purpose the growing season has ended – again, not everywhere but in many places.
Here are some options for cleaning up your garden as the first step to having it ready for next spring.
Option 1: This is, quite obviously, the easiest – and, as many things are - along with being the easiest it is the least desirable for your ongoing effort next year. Simply put, just leave all your spent plants right where they are now and let the tomato plants, tethered to their stakes, flap about in the winter wind and other veggies just dry up on the ground where they grew and produced.
I know you’re tired of fooling with the garden now, I am too. But by leaving plants that have done what they came to do and have now passed on gives insects and diseases the perfect place to overwinter and be all set to re-emerge next spring. Let’s respect their contribution even at the end.
And, if you’re going to garden in the same place next year, you will need to remove the plants, so you might as well do it now while the weather is at least moderate and not wait until spring when the ground is wet and it’s cold and clammy outside.
Option 2: Grind up the plants and turn, plow or roto-till them under to provide a little “green food” for next spring.
That really sounds like a good, environmentally-sound method, but there’s a good chance diseases and eggs laid by the bugs will just ride along for the trip underground, rest up and be ready to jump right up from their naps and go to work in the spring.
Option 3: Get the plants off the garden by pulling them up and physically removing them from the site. Obviously, this is the most labor-intensive one, but it also ensures that the bugs will get away from where they thrived before.
If you have a grinder – owned, borrowed or rented – the plants can be ground up and placed in a compost heap where the heat of decomposition will “cook” the disease spores, bugs and bug eggs. Then you can safely utilize the compost.
This differs from Option 2 because of the inevitable heat of decomposition that’s not present even if the plants are underground since it’s winter.
Now as Captain Hook said to the boys in the classic “Peter Pan” when they were given the option of joining the pirate crew or walking the gang plank: “The choice is up to you!”
And so, it is with you and your garden-ending clean up.
Planting a ground cover
If you selected either Option 2 or 3 above, then you can further enhance your garden’s fertility by planting a ground cover after the ground is lightly roto-tilled or broken up with a garden or field tractor-drawn disc harrow. It doesn’t have to be “deep plowed.”
You see farmers do this all the time, and they count on the ground for their livelihood. After the crop – whatever it may be – is harvested, they plant a quick-growing grass that’s up with the first rain and protects the ground from erosion, etc.
To make your gardening experience complete, you can do that, too. Once the plants are removed, simply break up the soil for good seed-to-soil contact, plant the seeds and you’re done.
In addition to quick-growing field grasses you may plant turnips – then you can harvest the greens and/or the turnips.
When plowing time comes in January and February, till or plow the cover crop under and it will provide loads of natural fertilizer – especially nitrogen – to enhance your going experience next year.

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10/16/2026

Oct. 16, 2026

WEEKEND OUTLOOK - AND BEYOND

First, allow me to apologize for not getting back last weekend with specific times for the signs to change. That is included here, remembering all times are EDT and I am in USDA Planting Zone 7a.
LOOKING AHEAD: Next week I will post suggestions for closing your garden for the winter and for bringing plants indoors that have been out for the summer in separate postings. I realize this doesn't apply to all PBTS followers, but for those where winter is just over the hill it certainly does.
THE MOON is in the light phase now and will remain there until 12:12 a.m. Oct. 26 EDT when the full moon takes over - just in time for Halloween!! For those of you in time zones to the west of Eastern Daylight, subtract one hour per zone, which makes the full moon arriving in your area on Oct. 25 - one hour for CDT, two hours for MDT, and three for PDT.
THE SIGNS find the fertile signs continuing their rule for a couple of more days. Specifically, Capricorn/knees arrived at 8:56 a.m. EDT today and continues to rule until 3:07 p.m. Oct. 18 when Aquarius/legs comes into force at 3:07 p.m. It continues its rule until 4:32 a.m. Oct. 21 when the VERY fertile Pisces/feet arrives.
All are with the light moon in force for above-grounders.
Pisces steps aside on Oct. 23 for the killing sign Aries/head, which arrives at 5:20 p.m. on Oct. 23, finally moving on at 7:34 p.m. Oct. 25 when the VERY fertile Ta**us/neck arrives.
PLEASE REMEMBER that in many parts of the land outdoor planting in the unprotected garden is over for the year. But if you are planting in a protected environment like a greenhouse, cold frame or low tunnel, do so in the proper phases and sign - definitely avoid the Aries days!
See you in a few with suggestions for cleaning up your spent outdoor garden.

10/09/2026

Oct. 9, 2026, 6:15 p.m. EDT

WEEKEND OUTLOOK
Good evening or afternoon to all! Here's what's up for the weekend.
THE MOON moves to the light phase at 11:50 a.m. EDT Oct. 10.
Subtract one hour from that for each time zone west of Eastern Daylight.
THE SIGNS find Libra/reins, one of the flowering signs ruling Oct. 10-11 with the VERY fertile Scorpio/secrets coming into force on Oct. 12 and sticking around Oct. 13. If you are planting, you may plant anything that produces above the ground when Scorpio rules, and for many of us that's only in a protected environment.
THE FERTILE signs Sagittarius/thighs, Capricorn/knees, and Aquarius/legs arrive on Oct. 14, and continue rule until the 22nd when the VERY fertile Pisces/feet takes over.
NOTE: I will add the specific times for these signs later. My wife is beckoning for me now to go to dinner!

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10/02/2026

Oct. 1, 2026, 10:10 p.m. EDT

WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

Here's the weekend outlook and a few days beyond.
THE MOON is in the dark phase now and remains there until Oct. 10 when the new/light moon arrives at 11:50 a.m. EDT.
THE SIGNS find Gemini/arms ruling Oct. 2. That's a peas/beans days for those planting either, which we aren't here in Zone 7a and further north.
Gemini gives it up for the VERY fertile Cancer/breast on Oct. 3-4 for below-grounders followed by Leo Oct. 5-6 and then a stretch of flowering days Oct. 8-11.
I will give you specific time changes tomorrow or Saturday. Gotta get back to the Pittsburgh-Cleveland NFL game now.

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09/29/2026

Sept. 30, 2026, 11 a.m. EDT

PBTS NOTE: Please take a seat for the unusual – the monthly overview BEFORE the month begins! All times are Eastern Daylight. If you’re not in EDT, subtract one hour as you head west for your zone.
QUICK TAKES
>REMAINDER OF TODAY and tomorrow, SEPT. 29-30: VERY fertile, Ta**us/neck, below-grounders
>Oct. 1-2: Gemini/arms, bean/pea sign, dark moon, too late for either
>Oct. 3-4: VERY fertile, Cancer/breast, below-grounders
>Oct. 5-6: NO PLANTING, Leo/heart/killing sign
>Oct. 7-11: Flowering, Virgo/bowels (7-8), Libra/reins (9-11) no veggies, fall flowers only
>MOON CHANGE: Oct. 10, dark to light, 11:50 a.m.
>Oct. 12-13: VERY fertile, Scorpio/secrets, above-grounders
>Oct. 14-21: Fertile, Sagittarius/legs (14-16), Capricorn/knees (17-18), Aquarius/legs (19-21), all with light moon ruling for above-grounders
>Oct. 22-23: Pisces/feet, above-grounders
>Oct. 24-25: NO PLANTING, killing sign Aries/head
>Oct. 26-27: VERY fertile, Ta**us/neck, above-grounders
>MOON CHANGE: Light to dark, Oct. 26, 12:12 a.m. for below-grounders until new moon (dark to light), Nov. 9 at 2:02 a.m.
>Oct. 28-29: Gemini/arms, bean/pea sign, too late for either
>Oct. 30-31: VERY fertile, Ta**us/neck, below-grounders

OCTOBER OVERVIEW
For many of us, planting in the unprotected outdoor garden is over for the year. But there’s still more going on that can benefit from following the phases of the moon and signs of the zodiac.
For instance: If you are planting anything in a green house, cold frame or low tunnel, then do that according to phases and signs for optimum results.
If you are bringing perennials in for the winter – the ones that go out in the summer and back in during cold weather - experts advise repotting them. Do that according to phases and signs.
If you are planting grass seed – and many think fall is the best time for it – then do it when the moon is in the dark phase and ideally VERY fertile or fertile signs are in force. I like the dark phase of the moon for good root growth since we want the grass to take hold and stick around for some time.
Upcoming dark moon days in October into November are now through Oct. 9, then Oct. 26-Nov. 8.
According to the signs, the best days will be Oct. 3, 4, 26, 27, Nov. 8 and some more later in November. Since we can’t be too picky, any of the other dark moon days will do EXCEPT when the killing signs Aries/head and Leo/heart are ruling. Check the Quick Takes for that information.
While the Quick Takes are listed by days, the signs don’t change at the stroke of midnight since the zodiac pays no attention to either our calendars or clocks.
So, if you want to be precise with sign changes for your protected planting, you will need to check my Weekend Update here each Friday where I more narrowly define the week ahead.
Or just go with these days. They are pretty close!
And for those still planting wherever you are, following is the October Overview.

OCTOBER OVERVIEW
MOON PHASES: October begins with the moon in the dark phase, which remains in force until the new/light moon at 11:50 a.m. on Oct. 10. The light moon grows the full/dark moon returns at 12:12 a.m. Oct. 26.
When the light moon is in force, plant above-ground producers and it’s below-ground producers when the dark moon rules. All adhering to the “protected places” directive.
THE SIGNS: Check to see if the moon is in the light or dark phase (information here and on most any calendar) before planting anywhere, or other moon-related activities.
PEA/BEAN DAYS: Gemini/arms days, Oct. 1-2, 28-29. The moon is in the dark phase for all, but as I’ve said often here, it’s too late for peas or beans, at least in my area.
VERY FERTILE DAYS: Cancer/breast, Oct. 3-4, 30-31, below-grounders; Scorpio/secrets, Oct. 12-13, above-grounders; Pisces/feet, Oct. 22-23, above-grounders; Ta**us/neck, Oct. 26-27, below-grounders; There are 10 days in October ruled by the VERY fertile signs.
KILLING DAYS: Leo/heart, Oct. 5-6; Aries/head, Oct. 24-25. No planting anywhere on Leo or Aries days. There are four days ruled by the killing signs in October. Use these days to cultivate, clean out fence rows, irradicate weeds, clean up your “spent” garden – anything but seeding or transplanting anywhere!
FLOWERING DAYS: Virgo/bowels, Oct. 7-8; Libra/reins, Oct. 9-11. Flowers only, no veggies since these are bloom days. There are five days in October ruled by the flowering signs. If you are planting flowers, be sure they are frost and freeze resistant.
FERTILE DAYS: Sagittarius/thighs, Oct. 14-16; Capricorn/knees, Oct. 17-18; Aquarius/legs, Oct. 19-21. There are eight days in October ruled by these three signs, all with the light moon ruling for above-grounders.
MAKING CHANGES: Again, this month there are no perfect days for making changes when the moon is in the dark phase and the signs are moving out of the body beyond anything that functions.
POURING GRAVEL: If you have gravel to pour on a drive or road on your farm, do that while the light moon rules, which is after lunch on Oct. 10 through Oct. 25.
Don’t pour or spread with the moon in the dark phase. You don’t want that gravel or those stones on a path sinking in the dark phase.

09/25/2026

Sept. 25, 2026 2:40 p.m. EDT

WEEKEND OUTLOOK

ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN DAYLIGHT. Subtract one hour for each time zone west of EDT.
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Here's what's up for the weekend if you are doing any planting anywhere. In my part of the world, the heat that seems to have been around for months moved on earlier this week and it's a beautiful day here - clear skies, low 70s.
That said, all planting in the unprotected outside garden has ended and now it's just low tunnels, hot beds and greenhouses.
It may not be that way where you are, so here's the skinny. Next week I will have the October Overview for all.
THE MOON is set to move from the light to dark phase on Sept. 26 at 12:49 p.m. EDT with the arrival of the full moon. And it was almost full last night and lovely here in a clear sky!
The full/dark moon will remain in force until the new/light moon returns at 11:50 a.m. Oct. 10.
A LOOK AT THE SIGNS finds the VERY fertile Pisces/feet in force until the killing sign Aries/head takes over at 6:23 a.m. Sept. 26. It remains in force until 10:39 a.m. Sept. 28 when the VERY fertile Ta**us/neck moves in at 10:39 a.m. Sept. 28 with the moon in the dark phase.
Gemini/arms, the pea/bean sign arrives Sept. 30, 1:25 p.m. remaining in force until Cancer/breast, another of the VERY fertile signs arrives at 3:54 p.m. Oct. 2.
After today, the dark moon will rule and it's below-grounders.
See you next week with the October Overview.

09/18/2026

Sept. 18, 2026 1 p.m. EDT

WEEKEND OUTLOOK:
GOOD STRETCH AHEAD

Welcome to the weekend! For those doing any planting anywhere, we find the moon in the light phase for above-grounders until the full/dark moon arrives on Sept. 26 at 12:46 p.m. EDT.
For many of us, planting in the unprotected outdoor garden is over for this year. For others it continues the further south one travels from my USDA Zone 7b in central Kentucky. So, simply put, check before you plant outdoors.
In a greenhouse, utilizing cold frames or raised tunnels is another matter since the gardening season can be continued in spite of the coming of colder weather, frosts, freezes, and ultimately snow. Just be wise and cognizant of your location.
All that said, we are on the edge of a good stretch for above-grounders that continues until a little after noon on Sept. 26 with the arrival of the full moon.
Sept. 18-23 finds the fertile signs in force. It's Sagittarius/thighs today followed by Sept. 19-21 with Capricorn/knees ruling until the last of the fertile signs, Aquarius/legs, comes into force until the VERY fertile Pisces/feet takes over at 11:23 p.m. on Sept. 23.
Pisces remains in force until it moves on, making way for Aries/head arriving on Sept. 26 at 6:23 a.m. EDT. With Aries comes the full moon. No planting when Aries rules.
Enjoy the weekend - and in my part of the world that includes staying COOLING since it remains unseasonably HOT!

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09/11/2026

Sept. 11, 2026, 6:03 p.m. EDT

WEEKEND OUTLOOK

REMEMBER: All times are Eastern Daylight, and I write from USDA planting zone 7a.

I hope you have had a good week and are planning an even better weekend! Here's what's on tap:
THE MOON just moved to the light phase on the 10th, heralding 14 days of planting above-ground producers - if you are planting anything anywhere. The light moon will remain in force until the full moon at 12:49 p.m. on Sept. 26.
THE SIGNS: Days best suited for planting flowers began on the 10th and continue until 2:43 a.m. EDT Sept. 14 when the VERY fertile Scorpio/secrets comes into force.
Scorpio sticks around until 12:41 p.m. Sept. 16 when our monthly stretch of fertile signs begins with the arrival of Sagittarius/thighs, then Capricorn/knees, concluding with Aquarius/legs until 11:23 p.m. Sept 23 when the VERY fertile sign Pisces/feet returns.
This is a very good stretch if you are planting above-grounders.
Of course, in many areas the days and soil temperatures are getting cooler and that dictates what you can plant.
But of course, you know that! Don't let warm, sunny days fool you - fall and winter are coming.

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