3. Good Organic Gardening - May-June 2016 AvxHome.in

BIODYNAMICS BASICS | Part II
Some may find it a little hard to believe that the
burying of cow horns, the various brews used to
fertilise the garden/farm and even the method
of spreading these preparations all draw on the
cosmic energy within the universe ...
bucket should cover a small garden to
one hectare. Most gardeners and farmers
would look at applying these preparations
around twice a year.
For foliar applications, a spray bottle or
backpack sprayer makes distribution of the
preparation easy. The preparations can also
be added to your compost heap.
Compost preparations
It’s safe to say that most people, whether
gardeners or not, understand the benefits of
adding compost to soil. Within biodynamics,
composting is one of the tools used in
making the garden or farm a sustainable
closed unit, where nothing leaves the
location as waste.
The biodynamic composting method is
similar to most traditional hot composting
methods, but with the addition of various
beneficial preparations and manure
concentrates. The standard important
factors remain the same, though, including
quantities/percentages of nitrogen
and carbon ingredients, heat, air and
moisture levels.
Preparations that are added to biodynamic
composts include:
502: Yarrow
503: Chamomile
504: Nettle
505: Oak bark
506: Dandelion
507: Valerian
Note: These are added to a biodynamic
compost heap in set amounts and locations.
A detailed application table can be found on the
Biodynamic Agriculture Australia website.
Other methods traditionally used by
biodynamic farmers and gardeners to
add fertility to the soil are the sowing
and growing of green manure crops as
well as the addition rock dust minerals
to the soil.
Weeding
Generally, weeds are present for a reason: they
indicate the health of the soil. Is the soil
bare and in need of stabilising? Or is there
perhaps a deeper issue regarding soil pH or
nutrient levels?
Weeds can be beneficial, and working with
them or preventing them in the first place can
be a lot easier than working against them. But,
if that’s not possible, here are some methods to
help you deal with unwanted weeds:
If it’s bare earth, plant something of your
choice to cover the exposed earth and
stabilise the soil.
Consider sowing grass seed species that will
outcompete the weeds in a grassed area.
For larger, shrub-type weeds, plant a
tree that will eventually grow to shade
out the weeds.
Hand removal and steam weeding are
other organic options.
Shutterstock, Claire Bickle
54 | Good Organic Gardening