The success of any crop largely depends on the season, and the correct planting time is very important that each new grain has enough time to grow and ripen the fruit before the cold comes. Astrology can even predict the farmer whether the season will be hot and dry or how much rain will fall.
Both Hesiod and Virgil emphasize the importance of reading the stars and taking into account the phase of the moon during sowing. Sowing seeds and grafting trees is best done at the beginning of the growing moon, while seeds planted in a declining moon will not germinate. Trees planted during the waning moon are thought to take root during this phase of the moon and bloom towards the growing moon. Pliny wrote about the importance of the growing moon as a whole, whereas Hesiod was more concrete - the best result would be achieved if you plant the plants on the ninth and 13th day of the lunar cycle. It is best to plant barley and other grains in the Pleiades, at least Virgil says so.
Some of these tips are still being followed. According to the Bio-dynamical Association of India, the success of farming relies on an understanding of the rhythmic movement of the moon and the effect it has on seeds and plants. Many theories are based on the idea that the moon has a serious impact on the earth’s water, and since water is crucial in plant growth and development, it makes sense that the phases of the moon play an important role in successful planting.
According to the organization, there are many similar cases: for example, rain is likely to go during a full moon, and the same full moon contributes to the absorption of water and nutrients by plants. Even in the Almanac of Farmers there is an astrological guide telling farmers which day it is better to plant crops and which days are better to leave for weeds and building fences.
