Planting garlic under a descending moon: week of 2-8 November 2026

Planting garlic under a descending moon: week of Monday 2 to Sunday 8 November 2026

This is the best autumn week for planting: the moon is descending all week and three full root days run from Thursday to Sunday — shallots, purple garlic (in mild areas) and bare-root fruit trees are due in the garden.

Contents

• Sun 1 – Mon 2: end of the leaf days
• Mon 2 afternoon – Thu 5 morning: seed and fruit days
• Thu 5 – Sun 8: the great root window
• Times to avoid
• New moon Sunday 9: next week
• FAQ

Sunday 1 and Monday 2 November: end of the leaf days

Sunday continues the weekend's leaf days (harvest leeks and cabbages, earth up and mulch artichokes). On Monday 2, the moon stays on leaf days until 11:39: use it to bring in chicory roots for forcing.

Monday 2 afternoon to Thursday 5 morning: seed and fruit days

The moon enters seed and fruit days on Monday 2 at 11:39 and stays until Thursday 5 at 05:56.

• Plant bare-root fruit trees and bushes: apple, pear, cherry — the heart of planting season.
• Sow broad beans in mild areas: under a descending moon, sowings root before the real cold.
• Harvest the last keeping fruit still on the tree.

Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 November: the great root window

From Thursday 5 (from 7am) to Sunday 8 in the late afternoon, the moon crosses the constellation of Virgo: three and a half root days under a descending moon. In the biodynamic calendar, this is the month's ideal window for everything that settles underground.

• Plant shallots and purple garlic — shallots go in from October to January, autumn garlic mainly in mild areas; white onions will wait for mild regions — in clean rows, bulb point upwards, under 3-5 cm of soil.
• Plant the bare-root fruit trees not yet in the ground: apple, pear, plum, cherry.
• Mulch carrots and parsnips left in the ground to harvest through winter.
• Lift and store the last potatoes frost-free; Jerusalem artichokes, which are hardy, stay in the ground and are lifted as needed.

Times to avoid this week

• Tuesday 3 November before 03:00: descending node. The window ends before dawn — in practice, Tuesday gardens normally.
• New moon approaching: late Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, calendar-watchful gardeners ease off (see below).

New moon Sunday 9: look ahead to next week

The new moon falls on Sunday 9 November at 07:02. Tradition advises against gardening on the day itself: finish your plantings inside the root window of the 5th-8th, then let the garden rest Sunday and Monday.

FAQ

Why plant garlic under a descending moon?

In the biodynamic calendar, the descending moon is traditionally said to concentrate plant activity towards the roots: bulbs and trees planted in this period are reputed to root better before winter. Combined with root days, it is autumn's most sought-after window.

Can fruit trees still be planted in November?

Yes — November is the heart of the bare-root season, as long as the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged. Root and seed days under a descending moon are the calendar's preferred slots.

Real astronomical times, London time (GMT). Seasonal tasks follow traditional gardeners' calendars; lunar recommendations belong to tradition.

Last week: 26 October – 1 November · the method: understanding the biodynamic calendar · the year: lunar calendar 2026-2027.