Plantin’ by the Signs … and other things: January overview

Published 2:00 pm Saturday, January 3, 2026

Quick Takes

• Today and Sunday: VERY fertile, Cancer/breast, below-grounders

• Jan. 5-6: No planting, killing sign Leo/heart

• Jan. 7-10: Flowering signs/no veggies – Virgo/bowels (Jan. 7-8); Libra/reins (Jan. 9-10)

• Jan. 11-13: VERY fertile, Scorpio/secrets, below-grounders

• Jan. 14-20: Fertile, Sagittarius/thighs (14-15); Capricorn/knees (16-18); Aquarius/legs (19-20). Below-grounders, 14 through most of 18; above-grounders, 19-20

• Moon change: Jan. 18, dark to light, 2:52 p.m.

• Make changes: Jan. 19-23

• Jan. 21-23: VERY fertile, Pisces/feet, above grounders

• Jan. 24-25: NO PLANTING, killing sign Aries/head

• Jan. 26-27: VERY fertile, Taurus/neck; above-grounders

• Jan. 28-29: Gemini/arms, pea/bean sign

• Jan. 30-31: VERY fertile, Cancer/breast, above-grounders

• Contact: You may email me at pcase211@gmail.com; call or text 502-682-5995. Visit Facebook, like and follow my page devoted to this information. It’s @plantingbysigns.

PBTS note: There is more daylight every day now — right here in the throes of winter — and by the time January ends we will be enjoying about 20 minutes more than we are as it begins!

Today, I’m giving you the January overview. I will be back next week with some specific things we can do to prepare for the 2026 gardening season. Spring is less than three months away, so let’s celebrate.

January overview

Moon phases: January began with the moon in the light phase, but that changed at 5:03 this morning with the arrival of the full/dark moon. It continues to rule until the new/light moon returns 2:52 p.m. on Jan. 18.

When the light moon is in force, plant above-ground producers and it’s below-ground producers when the dark moon rules. And no planting for a little while longer in an unprotected outside garden.

If you happen to be planting in a greenhouse, information in the following three paragraphs applies just as if you were planting outside.

Don’t plant when either of the killing signs, Aries or Leo, are in force or veggies when the flowering signs Virgo and Libra rule since they are bloom days.

Planting when the fertile signs rule is a viable alternative to the VERY fertile signs, which are Scorpio, Pisces, Taurus and Cancer. The fertile ones — just a little below VERY fertile — are Sagittarius, Capricorn and Aquarius.

If you can utilize only one aspect of the system for planting, I would suggest going with the moon phases, but still completely avoid the killing signs Aries and Leo and the flowering signs Virgo and Libra for anything but flowers.

The signs: Check to see if the moon is in the light or dark phase (information here and on most any calendar) before planting anywhere, or other moon-related activities. January began with Gemini, the pea/bean sign ruling. We’ll encounter Gemini again later in the month. But now, on the third day into the month, it’s a VERY fertile sign ruling with the moon having just moved to the dark phase, so that’s where we will start.

VERY fertile days: Cancer/breast, Jan. 3-4, below-grounders; Scorpio/secrets, Jan. 11-13, below-grounders; Pisces/feet, Jan. 21-23, above-grounders; Taurus/neck, Jan. 26-27, above-grounders; Cancer/breast, Jan. 30-31, above-grounders. There are an incredible 12 days this month ruled by the VERY fertile signs. This month it’s a 7/5 split — above/below. I’d love to have a month like this in the spring and early summer.

Pea/bean days: Gemini/arms days remaining, Jan. 28-29.

Killing days: Leo/heart, Jan. 5-6; Aries/head, Jan. 24-25. There are only four days this month are ruled by the two killing signs.

Flowering days: Virgo/bowels, Jan. 7-8; Libra/reins, Jan. 9-10. Flowers only, no veggies since these are bloom days.

Fertile days: Sagittarius/thighs, Jan. 14-15; Capricorn/knees, Jan. 16-18; and Aquarius/legs, Jan. 19-20. There are seven days in January ruled by these three signs.

Making changes: The number of perfect days for making changes continues to increase with five this month up from three in December. The moon is in the dark phase, and the signs are going out of the body beyond anything that functions. The days are Jan. 19-23.

Pouring gravel: If you have gravel to pour on a drive or road on your farm, do that while the light moon rules, which is through most of Jan. 19 through most of Feb. 1.