Ask an old-timer up here when to plant potatoes, and you might not get a date. You’ll get a look at the almanac. Planting by the signs was how a lot of mountain families timed their garden, their butchering, even when to put in fence posts, and plenty still do.
The moon
The first rule is about the moon. Crops that bear above the ground, like beans, corn and tomatoes, go in while the moon is growing, from new moon to full. That’s the light of the moon. Crops that grow underground, like potatoes, onions and turnips, go in while the moon is shrinking, from full back to new. That’s the dark of the moon.
The signs
The second rule is about the signs, the twelve zodiac signs the almanac ties to parts of the body, from the head down to the feet. As the moon moves through them each month, the sign “moves” down the body and back up. Folks had rules for each one:
- Plant when the signs are in the arms, legs or feet, so plants grow strong.
- Never plant when the signs are in the bowels, or the crop will rot.
- Set fence posts and lay shingles in the dark of the moon, so they lie flat and stay put.
- Wean a calf or a baby when the signs are moving away from the heart, so they don’t fret as much.
Every family’s rules were a little different, and arguments over them could last all spring.
Your 2027 almanac
I made a printable 2027 Appalachian Mountain Almanac calendar with the moon phases and the planting-by-the-signs days marked for every month, plus a bit of mountain lore on each page. Print it, hang it by the back door, and you’ll be ready when the ground thaws.
Do you plant by the signs? Tell me what your family swore by.
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