The biodynamic calendar is an indispensable tool for all those who want to grow their plants on specific dates to take advantage of the effects that the moon, the sun and the planets have on them, and without using any product that could harm the environment.
Therefore, it is very interesting when you want to bet on organic farming, and stop applying pesticides and fertilizers that, yes, are useful if they are used well, but they are also a danger to life (animal and plant) that is in all orchard and garden.
What is the biodynamic calendar?
To better understand what it is and how to use the biodynamic calendar, it is important to first talk a little about the biodynamic agriculture. And it is a type of ecological agriculture created by Rudolf Steiner in 1924, who considered that plants, soil and animals are interrelated, so it is essential to allow each one to fulfill its role in the ecosystem to maintain the natural balance. Hence, the use of any product that may harm them is prohibited.
Years later, María Thun would design a calendar, which is based on the movement of the stars. With this information, the plants are sown, and maintenance and harvesting work is carried out on specific dates, whenever time permits.
How to understand it?
Constellations have long been believed to exert some power over life on Earth, and therefore over plants as well. Thus, according to this calendar there are different constellations that influence some part of them:
- Roots: Virgo, Capricorn and Taurus.
- Leaves: Scorpio, Pisces and Cancer.
- Flowers: Gemini, Libra and Aquarius.
- Fruits: Leo, Sagittarius, and Aries.
Besides that, to be able to use it you have to know that there are four main elements, which are water, air, fire and earth. But you should also know the lunar cycles, since depending on what phase it is in, certain tasks have to be carried out. For instance:
- First quarter: in this phase the sap is concentrated in the branches and stems; It is therefore the ideal time for the growth of plants, so it is used to plant those from which its fruit is used, such as tomatoes or peppers.
- full moon: it is the best time to harvest. The sap is concentrated in the leaves and fruits, so that is when plants such as lettuce or spinach will taste best.
- Last quarter: sowing root vegetables (carrots, turnips, potatoes, etc); not in vain, it is when the sap begins to descend again.
- New Moon: in this phase you have to focus on the maintenance tasks of the plants, since this is when the sap is concentrated in the roots.
How are plants cared for applying biodynamic agriculture?
We have said that non-toxic products are used, but we are going to dig deeper so that the biodynamic calendar can be really useful to you.
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Planting is an enriching task, from which you can learn a lot about plants and how to grow them. But you cannot sow its seeds at any time. Not only must it be done when the weather is right for them, but also it is advisable to do it between the first quarter and the new moon.
During those days is when we will achieve a high germination rate (that is, when we will have more chances of germinating a greater number of seeds).
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Plants need "food", that is, nutrients to grow. But in biodynamic agriculture you want to take advantage of everything, so if you have animals (cows, horses, chickens) you have to use their manure to fertilize the soil, allowing a few days to pass until it dries. And it is that if you fertilize the plants with fresh manure, the roots will burn. In the event that you don't have animals, don't worry: nowadays it is possible to find a great variety of organic fertilizers for sale.
But the question is, when to pay? In what moon phase? It must always be done while the plant is growing, and the best lunar phases are the new moon and the first quarter.
Pest treatment
Pests pose a problem for crops. Those that suck on sap, such as mealybugs for example, not only disfigure the leaves but can also damage the flowers and fruits. Therefore, anyone who grows plants is going to want to kill them as soon as possible.
Now, According to the beliefs of biodynamic agriculture, harmful insects only appear when there is an imbalance in the soil. This could make sense, because when for example there is an excess of nutrients in the soil, such as nitrogen, the roots and, consequently, the rest of the plant are weakened and that is just what attracts any pest.
Therefore, to reestablish that natural balance, what is done are several things:
- Apply ecological treatments: for example, wood ash scattered on plants repels snails and slugs; nettle slurry is useful against many of the most common pests, such as mealybugs, whiteflies, or spider mites.
- Using organic products to compost: animal manure, compost, mulch, eggshells and bananas ... Even you can make your own organic compost.
- Eliminate »weeds»: they are uprooted, chopped up, and buried again in the ground. In this way we manage to remove the shelter from many harmful insects, and incidentally we turn it into green manure.
- Crop rotation: it is a technique that consists of rotating the plants depending on their edible part (leaves, roots, fruits, legumes). To do this, what is done is to divide the land into four zones, one for each type of plant, and rotate them clockwise every year. Thus, the soil can be recovered without problems. More information.
What do you think of the biodynamic calendar? It is a tool that is undoubtedly curious, don't you think? I am not so clear that the planets really influence the cultivation of plants, really. In fact, I am not the only one: In 1994 a man named Holger Kirchmann came to the conclusion that it is impossible to scientifically prove that the cosmic force influences the growth of vegetables. Here you have more information about it.
In my opinion, any type of agriculture that does not harm the environment is interesting. But I don't know to what extent biodynamic agriculture is as efficient as it is said to be.