Biodynamic Soil
Written by Joseph Mora
Thursday, 01 January 2009 03:17
Venus
Biodynamic farming practice sees mineral fertilizers as lifeless and posits that those that use them are seeing the soil merely as a neutral holding area while Biodynamics sees it as a living organism capable of stimulating a dynamic interaction between plants, roots and the cosmos above. This way of including the unseen with the seen is at the crux of the biodynamic philosophy. Underground, unseen root systems are directly influenced by the soil and humus that is visible to the naked eye by unseen cosmic forces that are vaster than, but also include the stars above and the visible sun, moon and planets. While Steiner incorporated this into his biodynamic concept, he is not the first to put forth the phenomenon.
The bedrock of Biodynamic farming is the use of composts that are a result of transforming organic waste, residues and manure into more or less new organic compounds, or humus. Humus endows soil with the capacity to hold both nutrients and water and gives it a stable structure and encourages the release of phosphorus through the activity of earthworms. Composting and the six compost preparations devised by Steiner were meant to utilize the intangible formative forces present in the earth and cosmos. These six preparations when seeded in the compost pile, transform ordinary compost into biodynamic compost by bringing energy into the vineyard, its soil and the vines. The soil is thusly prepared to receive cosmic energy, as well as simultaneously create upward growth from within the earth.
While it may sound like mumbo-jumbo to the scientifically inclined, it should be noted that knowledge of soil chemistry is not ignored, but biodynamic farming seeks to look beyond this knowledge to incorporate the phenomenon of the interaction between cosmic energy, the soil, the crop and the farm as a whole.
Composting is also seen as embracing the basic laws of the four elements of nature - earth, water, air and warmth. By bringing the soil and vines into the right relationship with the water and the air, microbes will begin the transformative process within the compost to initiate its change to humus. When this occurs, the fourth element, warmth is introduced and the cycle is complete.
Equally important is the choice of animal manure used as it must be adapted to the type of crop grown, however, the preferred type of animal manure in compost for the biodynamic vineyard is cow, which is moister than other manures , thanks to the huge quantities of saliva the cows use during rumination and digestion. If overly moist, it can be mixed with sheep manure. The compost pile should also be turned and watered to provide it with moisture and air, to break it down into humus. With just the right amount of air the aerobic bacteria will break down mineral nitrogen to organic nitrogen, which will kill off weed seeds, fungal spores, and noxious bacteria by raising the temperature of the compost pile.
After the compost pile is built, but before the bacteria, fungi and other organisms such as actinomycetes, yeasts, and algae start to transform it into humus, the six Biodynamic compost preparations are added. holes are made around the pile and preparations (502-6) Yarrow, camomile, nettle, oak bark and dandelion are dropped in and valerian is sprayed over the top. However, the raw materials used in compost preparations can also be made into teas that provide similar effects when sprayed on vines.
Sense organs of animals are used as sheaths for the Biodynamic preparations to keep the compost within the realm of the living. The theory behind this is that the animal organs maintain their cosmic charge, and these in turn regenerate crops. Specific animal organs are chosen for their affinity to a specific plant: cow intestines, animal skulls, bovine mesenteries and stag's bladders are among the most commonly used. The preparations are placed into their respective sheaths and are allowed to interact with the life force still attached to the organ, creating a synthesis of energy and positive regenerative forces which will then be transferred back to the vineyard.
Steiner's initial reasoning for creating the Biodynamic philosophy was to heal a sick Earth. The composts were the tool that he envisioned would regenerate and revitalize the Earth: re-connect it with positive cosmic forces. In addition to these effects, the Biodynamic farm is to be seen as a living organism which is interconnected with the cosmos, however it isn't only the the farm or vineyard that is to be seen in this light, but the compost pile as well: Yarrow as the lungs, breathing in cosmic energy, camomile as the stomach, ensuring proper mix of elements within the pile and the soil are digested and processed correctly;stinging nettle as the liver to cleanse;oak bark as the brain, reining in excess, dandelion as the corporeal body holding the influx of energies together. Valerian is the blood, bringing warmth and stimulating life.
(502) Yarrow
Referred to as the lungs of the compost pile and also used to help "breathe in" the cosmic energy via its connection to sulphur and potassium. Steiner linked Yarrow to the energy of the planet Venus, an inner planet whose energy is instrumental in supporting the calcium process involved in plant growth, seeding and reproduction. Yarrow also helps plants attract trace elements such as boron, iron, magnesium, manganese and zinc.
The Yarrow preparation is cured in a Red Deer bladder, for as Steiner says,
"As thin as it may be in terms of substance, in terms of its forces a deer bladder is almost a replica of the cosmos. A deer is involved with forces that are quite different from those of a cow, which are all related to the interior. By putting the yarrow into a deer bladder, we significantly enhance its inherent ability to combine sulphur with other substances."
Red Deer Stag
The preparation utilizes, Flower heads of Yarrow, bladder of a Red Deer Stag and is collected ideally from August 11th to September 14th. The flowers are stored over Winter and stuffed into a dried stag's bladder before midsummer at the latest. It is then exposed to sunlight all summer and before Autumn turns to Winter, when the Earth opens up to the cosmos as it inhales, the bladders are buried in a pit one foot deep. Th following Spring they are dug up, ideally when Mercury is in Aries, by then only fragments of the bladder are left and the Yarrow should be crumbly. One teaspoon of the preparation is then added per 15 tonnes compost.
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I need a red deer bladder...hit me up if you got an xtra one laying around.
