Can you still plant a fruit tree in January?

Yes, as long as it’s bare-root and the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged. Tradition places this planting in the descending moon; in practice, what matters most is puddling the roots carefully and a good settling-in watering, even in winter.

What’s the difference between an ascending and a waxing moon?

The waxing moon describes its lit phase, from new moon to full moon. The ascending moon describes its path: each day it climbs higher in the sky. Traditional gardening goes by the path, not the phase, and the two cycles almost never coincide.

In the garden · January

Gardening by the moon in January January

In January the garden sleeps and the gardener prepares. Lunar tradition gives the ascending moon to sowings under cover and to winter leaf harvests, and the descending moon to pruning fruit trees, planting bare-root stock and lifting root vegetables. It’s the month for ordering seed, sharpening tools and watching the sky more than working the soil.

The essentials

To sow: under cover: winter lettuces, summer leeks, broad beans and peas in mild climates
To prune, to plant: apple and pear trees frost-free; bare-root fruit trees
To harvest: leeks, corn salad, winter cabbages, Jerusalem artichokes, forced chicory
Watchword: prepare

The January kitchen garden by lunar tradition

Tradition divides the month in two. During the ascending moon, the sap is said to rise toward the parts above ground: this is the window for sowing, grafting and harvesting leaves. In January that all happens under cover, with a few rows of winter lettuce in the cold frame, summer leeks in seed trays, and a picking of corn salad or cabbage as you need it.

During the descending moon, the sap is said to flow back down toward the roots: tradition places planting, pruning and everything to do with the soil here. It’s the classic moment to plant a bare-root fruit tree, prune apple and pear trees outside any frost, and lift Jerusalem artichokes and the last parsnips.

Broad beans, leeks, fruit trees: the crops of the month

The lunar calendar adds a second grid: depending on the sign the Moon is crossing, the day is called a leaf, flower, fruit or root day, and every crop has its category. The logic is simple: you tend a plant on the day that matches the part you want to thrive. Corn salad and leeks belong to leaf days, Jerusalem artichokes to root days.

Broad beans and peas, sown now in mild climates, are traditionally sown on fruit days: it’s their seed you’ll harvest. Pruning fruit trees, too, sits happily on these fruit days, during the descending moon. To see where the Moon stands, the lunation calendar gives the exact windows of the month.

The gesture of the month: the germination test

Pull out your seed packets, even the old ones. Lay ten seeds of each variety between two sheets of damp kitchen paper, on a plate, near a window. After one or two weeks, count what has sprouted: eight out of ten and the packet is reliable; fewer than half and you’ll sow more thickly or buy fresh.

It’s as much a balcony gesture as a garden one: it fits on a windowsill and saves you the empty rows of spring. While you’re at it, note in a notebook what you want to sow, where, and after what: the rotation is decided now, in the warm.

What the trials say

Agronomic trials comparing seed sown “on a good moon” with control sowings have shown no reproducible effect on germination or yield. The value of the calendar lies elsewhere: it gives a rhythm, it gets you out into the garden regularly, and it’s that steady observation that makes the good harvests.

The lunations of January (exact dates)

Calculated from the ephemeris, in London time, and rechecked every night. Each lunation has its own detailed page.

Frequently asked questions

Can you still plant a fruit tree in January?: Yes, as long as it’s bare-root and the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged. Tradition places this planting in the descending moon; in practice, what matters most is puddling the roots carefully and a good settling-in watering, even in winter.
What’s the difference between an ascending and a waxing moon?: The waxing moon describes its lit phase, from new moon to full moon. The ascending moon describes its path: each day it climbs higher in the sky. Traditional gardening goes by the path, not the phase, and the two cycles almost never coincide.