By Erin Duffy Osswald
This is the fourth video in a four-part series on moon-phase gardening, an ancient practice that aligns planting and other gardening activities with the cycles of the moon. In this series, I teach you how to get started in a precise, and methodical way.
To make the process easier to understand, I divide the lunar cycle into four distinct moon-phase periods—New Moon to First Quarter, First Quarter to Full Moon, Full Moon to Last Quarter, and Last Quarter to New Moon— and I explore how each impacts your garden.
This lesson is about the fourth quarter moon phase period, spanning from the last quarter moon to the new moon.
Last Quarter to New Moon (Waning Crescent)
As the moon approaches its darkest phase, it is an ideal time for tasks that don’t involve planting.
- Best time for: Soil improvement and maintenance tasks.
- Chores to focus on: Weeding, composting and pruning.