Biodynamics

Origins of Biodynamics

Rudolph Steiner

Dr Rudolf Steiner, in the 1920’s, was asked about a decline in agriculture in Europe. He had already done a lot of work on health and education. He could see “that if a new agriculture didn’t eventuate that agriculture would go from bad to worse in civilized countries. Not only intermittent periods of local starvation or high prices would occur, but these conditions would become quite general…we must endeavor to shape things in such a way as to bring forth a new fertility.” At the same time, the man generally credited with proposing chemical fertilizers, Justus Von Liebig (1803-1873), was questioning his own work. He said “Inorganic forces breed only inorganic substances. Through a higher force at work in living bodies, of which inorganic forces are merely the servants, substances come into being which are endowed with vital qualities”.

In biodynamics it is these vital qualities, the etheric life force, that are enhanced in the soils and the ecology. From here they enter the food to nourish not only our bodies but also our souls.

Biodynamic Preparations

Biodynamic preparations are uniquely fermented natural and organic substances that are used to steer humus forming processes in the soil, vitalise plant growth and harmonise life on the holding with that of its immediate and more distant surroundings.

Horn manure (BD 500) and horn silica (BD 501) are generally used separately, where as BD 502 to BD 507,the compost preparations are known as a set.

As we look at each one I hope you can see that there is sound reason for each ingredient and we will remove some of the hocus pocus from the practices.

Horn manure (BD 500)

This is the prime starter for the biodynamic process. The basic ingredient is cow manure, which is stuffed into a cow horn and buried over winter. When it is dug up in the spring it no longer looks and smells like cow poo but has the feel and smell of humus rich soil. This is stirred into water and spread by large droplets over the ground.

At Purple Pear we applied BD500 for 2 years before starting the other practices.

Why cow manure?
Steiner says “the dung has been inside the organism and has thus been permeated with an astral and ethereal content. In the astral it has been permeated with the nitrogen- carrying forces, and in the ethereal with the oxygen-carrying forces. For this reason it has a life-giving and also an astralizing influence upon the soil, and, what is more, in the earth element it self; not only in the watery, but notably in the earthy element. It has the force to overcome what is inorganic in the earthy element”.
There are study groups to analyze what he meant but for me the cow manure is has long been known as a great manure, well suited to growing plants. The cow with its many stomachs adds a great deal to her manure by way of enzymes and bacteria that are of benefit to the soil. Enzymes can “overcome what is inorganic in the earthy element” by means of their catalytic action working against entropy.

Why in a cow horn?
I’ve noticed that after a few years the horn becomes quite thin. The bacteria, used to change it from manure to humus, uses the inside of the horn. The horn is a type of antennae for cosmic forces. If other receptacles are used the manure stays as green as the day it was put down.

At Purple Pear we stir the preparation by hand for one hour, alternating the direction of the vortex and introducing chaos in between. Hand stirring allows for intent to be injected. Stirring machines and flow forms are used in larger operations.

Horn silica (BD 501)

This is made with finely ground silica quartz crystals buried in a horn over the summer. The silica forces work with photosynthesis and build strong skeletal and cell wall structures, assisting it resistance to fungal attack. It can also be used to hasten the maturation of the plant and the seedling process. Steiner said it is the warmth aspect of silica that is important in the plants development.
The preparation is most often sprayed in a fine mist in the early morning. Care must be taken that the plants are not burnt in the strong sun and spraying in the evening or on overcast days is recommended.

The Compost Preperations

These preperations (preps) are generally used in a set and are often called "the compost preps". Although it is important to keep them seperate in storage and in the compost, they work together to create balance in the soil nutrients. It is said that they can be used seperately to achieve a specific purpose, but at Purple Pear we have only ever used them in combination.

Yarrow (BD 502)

The flowers of the Yarrow plant (Achillea millefolium) are used in this prep and are combined with the stags bladder. The Yarrow preparation works with sulphur, potash and nitrogen in the soil as well as some other trace elements. The choice of the bladder as the organ is interesting as yarrow is said to be benificial in treating diseases of the bladder.   The yarrow flowers are placed in the bladder and hung exposed to the Sun in summer and then buried in the winter so gets six months in the air and six months in the ground.                     

Chamomile (BD 503)

German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is the flower used in this preparation. They are combined with the intestine of a cow. Chamomile works with calcium, sulphur, potash and nitrogen.The calcium/sulphur combination has fungicide propreties. A sausage is made with the dried flowers and the cow intestine and buried in Autumn in a clay pipe for ease of locating when dug up in Spring.

Stinging nettle (BD 504)

This is made by using the whole plant (Urtica dioica) when in flower. It is considered strong enough to not need augmenting in an organ and is generally placed in a clay pipe for ease of locating. Stinging nettle works with iron but also sulphur, potassium, calcium and nitrogen.

Oak bark (BD 505)

The bark of the English Oak (Quercus robur) is ground fine and placed in a skull which is emersed in water. The calcium effects can be used to reduce or eliminate the need for lime in the soil preperation.

Dandelion (BD 506)

Wilted Dandelion flowers (Taraxacum officinale) are sewn into a bovine mesentery and buried over winter.

The preperation works with silicic acid and potassium. This is important in giving the soil an ethereal quality with the ability to supply the substances the plant needs.

Valerian (BD 507)

This is a liquid preparation made by a ferment process from the juice of the flower of Valerian (Valeriana officinalis). The preperation provides for phosphorus.

 

Equisetum (BD 508)

This is not part of the compost preps but stands by itself as a fungal control. The silica forces in the horse tail (Equisetum arvence) strengthen the plants ability to cope with conditions condusive to fungal attack.We have had success substituting casurina for the equisetium.

Cow Pat Pit

This preparation is also known as barrel compost and was developed by Maria Thun, who did amazing work in researching the effect of the planets on plant growth.

It is like homeopathic biodynamic compost and is used in broad acre applications to insure the compost influences are spread across a large area.

At Purple Pear we use it for the same purpose and spread it on pasture, after slashing.

The cows are moved to a new paddock, (sprayed the week before with horn silica - BD501), then the paddock is slashed to return any unused pasture, and weeds, to the soil as organic matter. The Cow Pat Pit is diluted in warm water and stirred for twenty minutes before being applied with a bucket and brush. This has the effect of assisting in the break down of the organic matter and of the production of humus.

The preparation is made by mixing cow manure with basalt dust and crushed eggshells and placed in a pit for about three months with the addition of the compost preps (502 to 507).

Liquid Manures

Fish concentrate:-

makes a great tonic for the soil and is used as a foliar feed as well. We got the fish from a “carp eradication” fishing contest in the local lake. Other sources for fish are Co-Op’s and fishing clubs at sea side towns. The fish is placed in a corrosion proof container. Some get the stainless steel vats from a shrinking dairy industry. I got plastic barrels from the local produce store that was once used to hold olives. I put breather holes in the top of the barrel lid, about 50mm holes and sealed them with some shade cloth scraps. This allowed for air transfer without letting the flies in. Next thing is to find a place which is never downwind from the house. We choose due south as the prevailing winds are from East and West and mostly North East and North West. Our Southerly breeze comes from the South East. To find the right spot is important in the initial stages of break down and continues to some extent till the drum is emptied.

To make the fish concentrate I topped the barrels with water to cover the fish and added the compost preps 502 to 506 in hessian bags suspended from the lid by strings equidistant and containing also a stone for weight. 507 was stirred and added to the barrel.I placed an aerator stone at the bottom of the barrel and walked away for about six months.

The brew is ready to use when at the foam on top has subsided and the liquid left is an amber colour. Beware this stuff  is smelly and you could find yourself in the dog house for a few days if you get it on your hands. We use it about 1 part fish to 100 parts water and applied after straining with watering cans to annual beds and it can be sprayed on pasture a few times each year as growth starts. We also use it in conjunction with the Cow pat pit when applying to a newly prepared bed prior to plant out.

Comfrey Tea

is made in a similar way. The comfrey is placed in a similar barrel and covered with water. The BD preps are added and left for about three months. The brew is much less smelly and is in fact quite sweet smelling when the process is complete. Without the air added during the process the smell is more pronounced as the process becomes anaerobic and seems to be less effective as a tea but still good. We use comfrey because, as a dynamic accumulator, it makes many minerals available such as Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Iron, Sodium. Other weeds can be used and a combination will bring most things together, as shown in this chart.

Rock Dust

I read in “Secrets of the Soil” many years ago, that the forests of Europe were accidently saved from decline by the application of crusher dust – blown on the wind from a quarry. Subsequent applications cast into the breeze especially on foggy mornings did wonders for dying forest trees. That is how I remember it went but the idea is borne out in practices at Purple Pear.

Although we are on clay soils they seem to appreciate the addition of crusher dust. The bacteria in the soil works to break down the dust, which we get as a byproduct of the railway ballast industry. The blue basalt dust seems to be best and carries a paramagnetic value allowing for retention of nutrients in the soil.

We use the dust as drainage in the potting mix of our seedlings and then each 4 meter diameter bed gets around two hundred “plugs” of minerals and peat as well as compost at each planting. It is also broadcast on pasture prior to slashing when the cows are done with a cell.

Planting Calendar.

The planting calendar we use at Purple  Pear comes from the work of Maria Thun and adapted and modified, and added to, by Brian Keats. The calendar allows us to make the most of the influences from the cosmos and to plan the events in the garden and on the farm.

At the most basic, the calendar allows us to pick a task on those days when there seems to be a hundred things that need doing first. The calendar points us to a type of day and we will do tasks associated with that type. If it is a leaf day we will be looking to do things with leaf plants such as lettuce and cabbage and leave to another time the jobs that need doing on root and fruit crops. It is timely to say here that we consider it a guide and never prevents us from doing something that “needs doing”.

The next thing the calendar does for us is to alert us to the rhythms of the earth and cosmos. Following the march of the planets and the constellations, as well as the phases of the moon brings us closer to the pulse that beats in the background of our lives. I have started to notice that the full moon rises at sunset in the East and moves through the sky at different angles – going from more northerly to the south throughout the month.

These rhythms can be classed as Daily, Monthly and Yearly.
Each day the Earth breaths out.  In the morning She sends energy from the earth to the leaves of the plants and on into the cosmos. In the afternoon the energy comes from the cosmos and travels through the plant to the roots and the soil. We use this rhythm to plant our seedling in the afternoon. The energy can go to the roots of the plants and strengthen them before the mornings flow of energy uses the roots to bring goodness to the leaves. Another use for the daily rhythm is the cultivation of the soil. Dry soil will have improved moisture content if cultivated in the afternoon and morning cultivation will release moisture. Cuttings are taken in the morning and planted in the afternoon. Each month the moon ascends and descends in relation to the horizon. The ascending moon places goodness at the leaves and stems of the plant and it is a good time to harvest leaf crops. The descending moon works towards the roots and potatoes and carrots are best harvested at this time. In the year the rhythm is towards the Earth in the Autumn and Winter and out to the cosmos in Spring and Summer. We put our horns filled with cow dung in the ground in the autumn.
There is a whole lot more to take from the calendar such as planet positions and constellation positions and weather forecasting in other observations. It is a wealth of information and you can see more at Brian’s web site http://www.astro-calendar.com

To be more involved in biodynamics you can contact you local group. In the Hunter Region it is the Hunter Biodynamic Group and their web site is http://www.hunterbiodynamic.org.au A national contact in Australia is http://www.biodynamics.net.au