Rudolf Steiner explained how there are four formative forces that work in Nature. These forces are related to the four classic elements of Aristotle: earth, water, air and fire. These elements, in turn, are associated with the signs of Zodiac. When the Moon is in front of a zodiac sign corresponding to Earth, the Earth element is enhanced improving root growth. When the Moon is in front of sign corresponding to Air, the Air element is enhanced stimulating flower development.
In order to successfully use the Eden’s Almanac Planting Calendar, first determine the part of the plant you want to encourage. The plant parts are divided into 4 categories that correspond with the 4 elements: Root, Flower, Leaf and Fruit/Seed.
The way to use these categories is as follows. If you are going to harvest and eat the root of a plant, sow and tend on Root days. If you are growing a plant to collect and save seeds, sow and tend the plant on Fruit/Seed days.
Below are some example plants and the categories they belong to. Most of these are self-explanatory. At the bottom of the page is a list of outliers that don’t easily fit a single classification.
Root / Earth
- beets
- burdock
- carrots
- celeriac
- garlic
- fennel bulb
- horseradish
- jerusalem artichokes
- leeks
- mushrooms
- onions
- parsnips
- potatoes
- radishes
- rutabaga
- sweet potatoes
- turnips
- yams
Leaf / Water
Plants and herbs that are grown for their leaves.
- artichoke
- asparagus
- brussels sprouts
- cabbage
- cauliflower
- celery
- chard
- chicory (belgian endive)
- collards
- coriander
- cover crops (annual)
- cress
- dill weed
- endive
- fennel bulb
- fodder plants
- grasses (annual)
- kale
- kohlrabi
- leafy herbs – basil, cilantro, dill, thyme
- lettuce
- mint
- mustard
- parsley
- salad greens – arugula, Asian greens, mustard, etc.
- scallions
- spinach
Flower / Air
Plants and herbs that are grown for their flowers.
- artichoke
- broccoli
- borage
- cauliflower
- elderflower
- flowering plants
Fruit & Seed / Fire
Plants and herbs that are grown for their fruit or seeds.
- beans (adzuki, lima, kidney, etc)
- berries
- corn
- cucumbers
- cumin for seed
- dill for seed
- eggplant
- fennel for seed
- gourds
- grains
- melons
- okra
- peas
- peppers
- pumpkins
- squash
- tomatoes
- watermelon
- zucchini
Outliers
- Fennel bulb may be treated as a Leaf crop or a Root crop. The bulb is really just a swollen stem.
- Artichoke may be treated as a Leaf crop or a Flower crop. It is the flower that is consumed, but leaves that surround it.