The newspaper notes that the summer season begins in winter, not in spring, challenging common assumptions. “News” has published the 2024 lunar sowing calendar for gardeners who follow celestial cues. (Citation: Lunar sowing calendar, current edition.)
During this time of year, plants with long growing seasons can thrive on a sunny windowsill or inside a heated greenhouse. January is suitable for starting legumes, nightshades, and herbs. It is also an excellent month for sowing beets, zucchini, radishes, celery, carrots, and other vegetables. Alongside flowers, January offers opportunities to set out seedlings for fruit and berry plants as well.
Early planting of eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and onions can begin in January. According to the lunar calendar, favorable days for sowing in January include the 3rd–7th, as well as the 10th, 14th, 15th, 30th, and 31st. Planting and repotting can commence on these dates. A strong harvest is often achieved by planting saplings on January 18, 19, 20, 23, and 24 when the Moon sits in a growth phase that favors flowers and vegetables.
Unfavorable days for gardening in January include the 12th, 13th, 16th, 17th, 26th, and 27th. The 11th and 25th are especially not recommended for planting. The remaining days of the month are considered neutral, with the Moon’s influence on seedling growth and root development being minimal today.
February is highlighted as a prime month for flowering beds. Early sowing can lead to blossoms when temperatures rise—popular petunias, lobelia, snapdragon, and carnations root well in greenhouses and on windowsills. In northern Russia, where daylight is limited, supplemental lighting becomes essential to support growth.
Favorable February dates for planting are the 15th, 16th, 19th, 20th, and 21st, when the Moon remains in an active phase. Additional good days include the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 8th, 11th, 12th, 27th, 28th, and 29th. February also carries days that should be avoided: the 9th, 13th, 14th, 22nd, and 23rd, with the new moon and full moon phases on the 10th and 24th presenting the least favorable windows. On neutral days, garden work can continue with moderate intensity.
Early March brings weather conducive to greenhouse work across much of the country. Greens, onions, vegetables, and flowers can be planted, while southern Russia may see soil temperatures above freezing in the last ten days of the month. Frost remains a possibility at night, so covering plants with a clear protective film is advised.
The best windows for planting cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini, cabbage, and herbs in March align with the growing moon, particularly from March 12 to 23. For root crops in greenhouses, sowing during the waning moon is ideal from March 1–6 and March 27–31. The 7th and 8th are unfriendly days due to the waning phase.
In southern latitudes of Russia, late March becomes an ideal time for radishes and early potato varieties. In April, spring warmth makes it suitable to plant microgreens, dill, parsley, spinach, onions, garlic, celery, as well as tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. Peas and beans can also be sown.
The prime period for planting in April spans from the 10th to the 15th, when the Moon is in an active phase that encourages germination. Favorable days fall on the 1st, 2nd, 6th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 25th, and 26th, while the 14th, 15th, 18th, 19th, 27th, 28th, and 29th are less auspicious. With the Moon in a waxing phase, the new moon comes on the 8th and the full moon on the 24th, suggesting restraint from heavy garden work on those days.
May marks a good moment to transplant seedlings into open ground, though frost remains a risk in many regions. In such cases, covering crops with film is prudent. For a solid harvest, consider planting seedlings on May 11, 12, and 13, with additional favorable dates on the 3rd, 4th, 7th, 19th, 20th, 22nd, 26th, and 27th, and the 30th and 31st. Unfavorable days appear on the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 14th, 15th, 28th, and 29th, while the Moon remains waxing and seedlings can struggle to take root. Avoid gardening during the new moon on May 8 and the full moon on May 23.
The first month of summer is ideal for greens and root vegetables, especially carrots and beets. Early potato varieties planted in June can yield new potatoes by early autumn. Throughout the summer, legumes can be planted a second time, and squash and zucchini can be harvested in two cycles.
The most promising days for gardening in June are the 8th and 9th, when seedlings often grow quickly. Other productive dates include the 3rd, 4th, 15th to 19th, 23rd, 26th, and 27th. Days to avoid include June 1st, 2nd, 10th, 11th, 24th, 25th, 29th, and 30th.
July brings the first harvests from summer crops and late spring beds. In the middle of the month, cherries drop, raspberries ripen, and berries begin to be picked in some areas. Toward August, apples, grapes, and some melon varieties appear. A practical way to use vacant beds is to sow greens, radishes, daikon, cucumbers, corn, legumes, green beans, and early cabbage. Regular planting of watercress, spinach, onions, lettuce, and arugula keeps fresh greens on the table every couple of weeks.
Seedlings thrive when planted on July 1, 2, and 5. The most favorable days extend from July 12 to 16 and also include July 19, 20, 24, 25, 28, and 29. It is best to avoid gardening on July 7 and 8. July 22, 23, 26, and 27 are not ideal for planting or processing. Neutral days fall on July 6, 21, and 22. Late July through early August is suitable for planting ornamental plants, greens, and second-wave crops. Radishes, peas, and green beans fill empty beds, provided the chosen varieties have short growing seasons. The final month of summer proves productive for planting Chinese cabbage seedlings.
The lunar calendar for August predicts many favorable days, with ideal planting slots from August 1–3 and August 9–13. Avoid certain dates such as August 5, 18, 22, 23, and 31, as well as August 4 and 19. (Citation: August lunar cues.)
Historically, a farmer from England once raised a pumpkin weighing 304 kg, a testament to remarkable yields when conditions align with the cycles of the Moon.