Autumn Biodynamic Activities

Autumn is a very important time for all biodynamic gardeners & farmers
Its time to ‘put down the horns’ i.e. to make BD500 & some of the compost preparations. In May each year members of the Adelaide Hills Biodynamic Group meet at Nirvana to share these tasks. It’s always a fun afternoon with usually some new chums as well as the experienced members. This year was no exception & last weekend we all got the tasks done filling around 200 horns as well as preparing 502- 506 (507 is made in summer when the valerian flowers) these where all buried in the earth to develop over winter, when all that is below the earth is most active. In 6 months we will met again to unearth them.




Another task was to make a ‘cow pat pit’ this is a type of small compost made in a bottomless box buried in the ground (originally a barrel) it is comprised of a barrow load of cow manure, some finely ground egg shells & some basalt. This is mixed well together until the texture changes. This is usually done with a spade, however inspired by watching ‘How to save the World. one man, one cow, one planet’ on biodynamics in India where they mixed it in their hands. There where a few keen to try. I had a turn & it was amazing how good it felt & after only a few minutes of finishing the manure smell on the hands had vanished. The rest is simple the manure is put in the pit & 3 sets of BD compost preps are inserted into the manure it’s then covered & left for 3 months or so.



Incase your wondering what it’s used for; it’s an ideal for carrying the influence of the compost preparations over the land. For home gardeners it’s a great way of making your whole garden a compost heap by controlling the breakdown of organic matter & the build up of humus. Its also useful to add to small garden ‘composts’.
The other major important job of a biodynamic gardener is putting out the autumn 500 & this autumn as offered excellent conditions with soaking rains & warm soils. So I’ve been busy in the afternoons stirring & putting out both 500 & ccp on the orchards & gardens.