Yet a short, quiet window can lift your chances with minimal extra effort.
Gardeners across Europe mark the late-October “descending” phase of the Moon. They plan root-first jobs now, aiming for stronger takes and calmer plants before winter bites.
Why the descending moon can boost your autumn work
What the descending moon means
For roughly two weeks, the Moon appears lower each evening. In 2025, this runs from 12 to 26 October. Many growers time root work to this period. Sap flow tends to focus downwards. Roots settle. Plants handle stress better.
You work with that rhythm. You handle cuttings, pruning and planting while the soil still holds warmth. You give roots a head start that winter rarely gives.
Best window in 2025: 12–26 October. Aim root-first tasks at this slot for steadier establishment.
Root-first logic: where the gains appear
Cuttings callus faster when nights cool gently and days stay mild. Freshly planted trees anchor before repeated frosts. Pruned wood seals more cleanly when growth slows. Many gardeners report higher success rates and fewer losses in spring.
Small actions now reduce spring failures: sturdier roots, less transplant shock, and cleaner pruning wounds.
From allotment to orchard: what to do between 12 and 26 October 2025
Cuttings made simple
Choose healthy, pencil-thick shoots. Make a clean cut just below a node. Remove lower leaves. Insert 10–15 cm deep into free-draining compost with 30–40% sharp sand. Keep evenly moist.
- Woody fruits: blackcurrant, redcurrant, gooseberry
- Herbs: rosemary, sage, lavender
- Ornamentals: pelargonium, hardy fuchsia, shrub roses
Work in batches of 10–12 cuttings per pot. Expect 6–9 to root well if moisture stays steady.
Pruning that heals
Target pome and stone fruits, trained kiwis, old shrub roses and spent herbaceous growth. Remove dead, diseased, crossing or inward shoots. Shape for light and air, not size alone.
- Cut 5 mm above a bud pointing outwards to guide growth.
- Keep tools sharp and wiped with alcohol between plants.
- Stage heavy work on stone fruits to avoid stressing the tree.
Planting now for spring payback
Soil still carries warmth. Roots move while top growth idles. That makes late October a strong slot for staples.
- Bulb crops: garlic, shallots, onions
- Soft fruit: strawberries, raspberries (root sections), currants
- Veg for winter beds: artichokes, winter lettuces, spring cabbages
- Fruit trees bare-root: apple, pear, quince, cherry
Set trees at nursery depth, spread roots evenly, and firm in two stages to avoid air pockets.
| Date | Task | Key metric |
|---|---|---|
| 12–16 Oct | Prepare beds, mix compost, lay mulch paths | 3–5 cm compost per bed |
| 17–20 Oct | Take cuttings, pot up batches | 10–12 cuttings per 3–4 L pot |
| 21–24 Oct | Plant garlic, shallots, onions | Spacing 15 cm plant, 30 cm row |
| 25–26 Oct | Set bare-root fruit trees and strawberries | 5–7 L water per tree, 2–3 L per clump |
Make the most of the window: timing, soil prep and care
Soil preparation that pays
Loosen soil without flipping layers. Add a spadeful of mature compost per planting hole. Blend in grit on heavy clay. Water the hole before planting if the soil feels dry.
Plant early morning or late afternoon to dodge midday swings. Calm light suits fresh wounds and new roots.
Water even if rain is due. You need to settle soil around roots and push out air spaces.
Aftercare that locks in gains
- Watering: 5–7 litres for young trees; 1–2 litres for small plants. Repeat after 48 hours if soil sinks unevenly.
- Mulching: 5–7 cm of shredded leaves, straw or woodchip, leaving a 5 cm collar around stems.
- Protection: a fleece or cloche shields cuttings from a sudden 0–2°C dip.
- Hygiene: remove fallen fruit and prunings away from beds to cut disease carry-over.
If the weather turns
Wet week plan
Wait until soil is workable, not sticky. Work from boards to prevent compaction. Prioritise potting cuttings under cover. Shift tree planting to the driest 24-hour window and heel in spare stock in a sheltered bed.
Early chill plan
Use fleece at night and uncover by day. Water in the morning, not evening, to avoid icy collars. Delay tender items and focus on hardy bulbs and bare-root fruit first.
Never force wet or frozen ground. You bruise soil structure and stunt roots for months.
What gardeners report when they time jobs to the Moon
Observed gains and where they show
Many growers see stronger rootballs by late winter, earlier spring leaf-out, and fewer transplants collapsing after dry March spells. Informal records often show 20–40% higher take rates on currant and rosemary cuttings taken in the descending phase compared with mid-November attempts.
Allotment groups also note cleaner callus on pruned spurs, less dieback, and tidier fruiting wood the following June. In urban patios, potted strawberries planted now fill runners faster and flower earlier.
Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
The little errors that cost you plants
- Over-firming soil so roots can’t breathe. Firm to remove air gaps, not to compact.
- Planting too deep. Keep the original soil mark at surface level.
- Feeding too rich, too soon. Hold back high-nitrogen fertiliser until spring growth starts.
- Dirty blades. Wipe with alcohol between plants to reduce canker and blight spread.
- Crowding beds. Keep air gaps to reduce mildew and botrytis as nights lengthen.
Extra angles if you want more from the same fortnight
Trial a micro-plan for your plot size
On a 10 m² bed, set 80 garlic cloves at 15 × 30 cm, 12 lettuces along the front edge, and a double row of shallots. Add two currant cuttings pots under a cold frame. Track takes and losses in a notebook. Repeat the same layout after the lunar window next month on a second bed. Compare spring counts to judge your own gains, not someone else’s.
Related tasks that compound the benefits
Sharpen and label tools now to cut job time by a third in spring. Stack a 200–300 litre leaf-mould cage; next autumn’s mulch will cost nothing and support fungal life around fruit trees. Set up two water butts and save 400–600 litres over winter, enough for all first irrigations after planting.
