Watching the Harvest Moon

by Jo-Ann Canning

The September moon is important for gardeners because this month’s full moon at midnight will tell us where the noon sun will be in six months, that is, March, 2027. The sun shadow is so important for our early planting. Two hours extra shade keeps the soil cold and can mean seeds rot instead of sprouting, and perennials that were lifted and overwintered will struggle rather than have a good year.

Several ornamentals and crops can be planted in March, as long the sun hits the area and the soil is warming. Do you see the worms moving in the soil? If so, and is not soggy mud, it is warm enough. Here are some seeding candidates:

  • Kale, hardy lettuce, leafy greens like spinach, dill, mustard, bok choi, mizuna
  • Beets, rutabaga, turnips, carrots, parsnips, radishes
  • Sweet peas, poppies, echinacea, day lilies, hardy geraniums.

One of the problems we have in our climate and latitude is winter means many rainy days or overcast skies. Don’t worry: as the moon reaches ‘full’ there are two days on either side when very little change can be seen as the moon moves (courses) in the sky. Some folks call it the ‘void of course.’ You can still get a fairly accurate measure during this time. Still no luck? Mark where the sun rises, even if it is just a patch of light. That is where the moon rises as well. It won’t give you its height (angle above the horizon) and breadth of shadow but you can a mark the spot to help your measurements at next month’s event. I keep a rough drawing in my garden journal. It never fails me, and Ive gotten get earlier growth and later harvests, stronger summer seed starts, and happier half-hardy plantings.

Here are the dates to watch. The first entry is the full moon and time of day at its highest angle in the sky. The second is the month when the sun is in the same celestial position. The angle and breadth of the shadow will tell you best locations in your garden. The second is the month when the sun is in the same celestial position. The angle and breadth of the sunny swath will tell you the best planting locations in your garden. And for plants who need shade, it is equally important.

  • September 26, 2026 (AM) – March 2027 
  • October 25 (PM)  – April 
  • November 24 (AM)  – May
  • December 23 (PM)  – June (to know where plant winter sprouting broccoli, Brussels sprouts)
  • January 22, 2027 (PM)  – July (know where to seed chard, kale, winter lettuce, collards) 
  • February 20 (PM) – August
  • March 22 (AM) – September (last of the greens, like mache, lettuces, overwintering arugula)
  • April 20 (PM) – October (where to plant garlic, broad beans, so sun keeps away mold on leaves)
  • May 20 (AM) – November 2027

Happy gardens means happy gardeners. Titania understood this…

Therefore the moon, the governess of floods,
Pale in her anger washes all the air,
… And through this distemperature we see
The seasons alter: hoary-headed frosts
Fall in the fresh lap of the crimson rose.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – William Shakespeare

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