Care for the Earth by caring for your earth
The tides are changing
Eileen Kaufman is holding a one-day workshop to explain how biodynamics can mitigate raised carbon levels by sequestering carbon in the soil and counter the effects of climate change.
Australia is one of the biggest greenhouse gas polluters per person in the world. Australia has the responsibility and capacity to reduce emmisions by at least 40% by 2020, and the current target of 25% is insufficient. The impact of climate change is being felt disproportionately in developing countries. The people of the Cateret Islands off Papua New Guinea are having to evacuate due to rising sea levels.
Oxfam is currently campaigning to raise awareness of the effects of climate change around the world (www.oxfam.org.au/climate-change). As part of their campaign, Oxfam have produced Sisters on the Planet, a documentary exploring the ways in which six inspirational women are facing up to climate change. This film is being shown at supporter run events in the lead up to the United Nations Climate Change Meeting in Bangkok (28 September to 9 October).
Carbon Gardening Workshop: Organic and Biodynamic Techniques
When: 10.00 am to 4.00 pm, Saturday 26 September
Where: Dural, North West Sydney
Cost: $75 including all materials, tea and coffee. BYO lunch.
This is a one-day workshop offering hands on experience. You will:
At the end of the workshop, from 4.00 to 5.00 pm, Oxfam’s documentary Sisters on the Planet will be shown.
For bookings and directions, please email eileen@bioorganicgardener.com or phone 0405 075 975.
Soon we will be entering winter, and it’s time to think about making and applying tree paste to deciduous, pruned and exhausted trees. I love tree paste because, not only does it do wonders for the health of trees, but it also practically demonstrates the wisdom of Rudolf Steiner’s concept of the trunk of a tree being likened to an elongated mound of earth, upon which plants (leaves) grow:
[T]here is an intimate relationship between what is within the contours of a plant, and the soil surrounding the plant. It is not at all true that life stops at the plant’s perimeter. Life as such continues on, namely from the roots of the plant into the soil, and for many plants there is no sharp dividing line between life inside them and the life in their surroundings. Soil that is permeated with humus like substances in the processes of decomposition, actually contains living ether … something etheric and alive, this means it is on the way to becoming a kind of plant sheathing. It just doesn’t go as far as to become the kind of sheathing that draws itself into the bark of a tree.
- Rudolf Steiner, Spiritual Foundations for the Renewal of Agriculture, Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association, 1993
Tree paste nourishes the tree through its bark and cambium (the ever growing layer under the bark), so it is applied to the bark of trees rather than via the soil. Tree paste seals and heals pruning wounds, fills crevices where pests can over-winter and it is also highly effective in ridding trees of scale infestations.
There are a number of recipes for tree paste. Here is the original simple recipe for tree paste that can easily be made at home:
4 parts cow manure (not fresh dung)
2 parts silica sand or diatomaceous earth
3 parts potting clay or bentonite
Enough stirred cow horn manure (500), or very dilute liquid manure, or plain rainwater to make a sloppy paste
Biodynamic Agriculture Australia makes and sells an excellent tree paste with extras such as biodynamic nettle tea, manure concentrate and seaweed concentrate. This is available to BAA members and non-members.
Remove any loose bark, moss, lichen and so on from the tree trunk. Apply the paste to the bark with a large paintbrush. Go as high as possible.
Note: Commercial farms and orchards find it more practical to spray tree paste, but to do this you need to strain the paste, use diatomaceous earth rather than sand, and use a very coarse spray nozzle. But really, don’t try this at home if you don’t have a huge number of trees that you need to treat.
Winter is tree paste time. Apply it after pruning and before bud-burst. Choose a descending moon time to help stimulate growth and heal pruning wounds.
We will have a practical tree paste demonstration video when it is the right time to apply. Until then, stay tuned.
The seasons allow us to experience the variety, movement and cyclic qualities of nature. Autumn means cooler, shorter days, heavy dew on the lawn and mornings may take on a serene misty mood. Autumn is heralded in the garden by the incredible red and yellow leaves of decidious trees. Life forces move downward as the earth breathes in. The seasons are a gift - appreciate them by eating seasonally, planting seasonal indicator plants and having a seasonal festival. Autumn was traditionally the harvest festival. You could invite friends round to nourish the earth with a group stir and spray out of cow horn manure (500), or you could do something as simple as a table display of autumn leaves and apples. Taking time to consciously connect with the seasons connects us with nature, and so we gain an understanding of life processes at work. Through that connection we become aware of our responsibility to this land and we become better gardeners too.
To help you work with the seasons we now have a Monthly Gardening Planner. The vegetable planting guide uses four of the climate zones for Australia. Within these zones there will be microclimate variations, so use this as a guide only. Unseasonal weather events, such as unprecedented heat waves and extensive flooding, are becoming more common. There is a need to observe new patterns - record weather data and use your own observations when making gardening decisions.
A major part of gardening biodynamically is organising plantings according to the position of the moon as it travels through the zodiac constellations. Former editor of New Scientist, Dr Bernard Dixon, stated that “there seems little doubt that the lunar cycles influences the life processes in plants”. Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) considered the rhythms of the stars, planets and moon to be significant to plants and suggested areas to investigate. Biodynamic researcher Maria Thun has spent over 40 years conducting field trials to research the cosmic effects on plant form, quality, yields and vitality.
One of Maria Thun’s most important discoveries has been that as the moon passes through the signs of the zodiac it positively influences different organs of the plant. The photo above shows the results of an experiment with radish plants; those that have been sown when the moon is in a root constellation (Virgo and Capricorn) show superior size and shape. Maria’s large body of knowledge has been condensed into her Biodynamic Sowing and Planting Calendar and informs Brian Keats’ Antipodean Astro Calendar.
Maria has identified the influence of the moon in the 12 constellations as follows:
Pisces - Leaf
Aries - Fruit
Taurus - Root
Gemini - Flower
Cancer - Leaf
Leo - Fruit/seed
Virgo - Root
Libra - Flower
Scorpio - Leaf
Sagittarius - Fruit
Capricorn - Root
Aquarius - Flower
Of course, there are exceptions and other rhythms at work. If you are interested in reading studies on moon planting, there are 140 references at www.considera.org/reslit.html.
Biodynamic practice has often been derided as a loony hippie concept with no scientific basis. One of the strengths of biodynamics is its holistic approach – from the science of soil and plants to its inclusion of more esoteric concepts such as life-forces and cosmological influence.
Before you start rolling your eyes at the mere mention of “cosmic rhythms”, let’s define it:
Cosmic - relating to the cosmos; forming a part of the material universe, especially outside of the earth; orderly or harmonious.
Rhythm - measured movement or procedure with uniform recurrence.
The Macquarie Dictionary
Take a moment to consider the seasons, moon phases, tides and the planetary movements of our solar system. These are rhythmical, and they influence what happens on Earth. Fishermen know that sea life is influenced by the moon’s phases – are they all crazy? No. And neither are biodynamic gardeners and farmers. Just because biodynamics differs from the present pariadigm does not mean it is wrong.
Along with compost, the biodynamic system uses a set of organic preparations that are administered at specific times of the year and phases of the growth cycle that are optimal for plant growth. It is an agricultural practice that has been used and developed for over 80 years and has been researched scientifically. We do not sacrifice goats or howl at the moon.
If you are unsure, eat some biodynamic produce and wash it down with a glass of biodynamic wine. Perhaps their superior qualities will go some way towards convincing you that somehow biodynamics does go beyond organics.
Backyard Biodynamics is a place where you can learn, share and be engaged by biodynamic gardening in your own backyard. 