Biodynamic agriculture: the fundamentals and use of the astronomical calendar



Biodynamic agriculture is based on respect for the terrestrial ecosystem, uses natural compost as the only fertilizer and takes into account the phases of the moon for sowing and harvesting. Let's find out better.

Biodynamic agriculture between science and philosophy

Biodynamic agriculture is a method of culture based on the anthroposophical vision of the world, developed in the early 1920s by the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, educator and founder of anthroposophical medicine.

Biodynamic has as its fundamental principle the respect of the terrestrial ecosystem and takes into consideration cosmic laws and the activation of life in the soil, so that plants can self-regulate and adapt to external conditions.

The fundamentals of biodynamic agriculture

The fundamentals of Stainer's biodynamic theory are composting and the phases of the Moon .

Compost is a mixture of earth, vegetable remains, water, calcium, etc. and from the dynamic point of view it is a concentration of energy and vital impulses that serves to keep the soil fertile; the composting preparations, which are used very diluted, (the principle is similar to that which is the basis of homeopathy ), are of two types: accumulation preparations and spray preparations .

The accumulation preparations are added to the material to be composted, in order to facilitate its decomposition in humus and soil. There are six of them in all and they are obtained starting from different officinal herbs:

  • Achillea millefolium,
  • Matricaria chamomilla,
  • Urtica dioica,
  • Quercus robus,
  • T araxacum officinalis,
  • Valeriana officinalis .

Each plant is macerated in particular environmental conditions and parts of animal bodies are used as containers; this is because, according to the theory of vital forces, environment and container influence the characteristics of the final material.

The spray preparations are three: cornosilice (based on ground quartz), cornoletame (based on cow manure) and Fladen . In the first two cases, the container used for their preparation is cow's horn; the horns are emptied and filled with quartz or manure and buried for six months.

The cornosilice is sprayed on the plants and would stimulate the fructification and the processes related to photosynthesis, the cornoletame is instead sprayed on the soil and it would increase the humus content favoring the root development of the plant. Fladen is obtained by dynamizing the fresh manure for an hour with rock flour and egg shells, and left to ripen under the ground for a certain period is then sprayed into the soil to improve its structure and fertility.

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The astronomical calendar in biodynamic agriculture

Biodynamic agriculture gives great importance to the position of the stars, in particular of the Moon, and for all the workings of the land (sowing, transplanting, pruning) follows a specially made astronomical calendar .

Discover also the sowing calendar for the garden

Steiner, in his theory, speaks of the influences of the various planets on earth, but in practice it is used more simply in the Calendar of sowing. It is the result of 20 years of research and studies on lunar influence in agricultural practices, conducted by a German scholar, Maria Thun .

It discovered that the plant develops almost all its parts, (root - leaf - flower - fruit) according to the position of the moon at the time of sowing.

Following the passage of the moon through the zodiac that wraps the celestial sphere, Maria Thun observed that the plant develops the radical part if the seeding occurs when the moon passes in certain signs, instead it develops the flowers if it passes through others and so on.

When the moon passes in the fire signs (Aries, Sagittarius, Leo) plants are sown of which one wants a good fruitful development. When the moon transits in the water signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) plants are planted of which one wants to use the leaves. When the moon transits in the earth signs (Toro, Vergine, Capricorno) plants are sown instead of which they will gather roots and tubers. When, finally, the moon passes through the air signs, plants are planted for which a rich flowering is desired.

The double control of the Demeter brand

The Demeter brand was born in 1927 to make biodynamic agriculture products recognizable that represents a new way of perceiving, thinking and collaborating with the forces of Nature.

All European biodynamic companies are also subject to control for compliance with EC Regulation 834/2007 for organic farming. All Biodynamic companies are in fact also biological, and having more restrictive and specific standards than the EC Regulation for organic, each company has a double control and a double certification: the one for the organic and the Demeter.

The biodynamic products therefore have an additional safety for the consumer: controlled by the Organisms for organic control and by Demeter Italia.

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