10 biodynamic rules of thumb — what is worth remembering for practice

In his standard work Landwirtschaft, Garten- und Weinbau biodynamisch, Pierre Masson formulated a series of compact maxims that give robust orientation in biodynamic practice. They replace neither the teaching nor your own experience, but they sum up what has proven itself on many farms over the years. Ten of them have turned out to be particularly useful because they cover the most common application mistakes.

1. Horn manure in the morning, on moist soil

Horn manure 500 is applied early in the morning before sunrise or at dusk — and ideally on soil that is already moist. The cool, moist atmosphere carries the preparation into the growth layer, and the still-calm plant physiology takes it up. Source: Masson, p. 25.

2. Horn silica in the morning, in sunny weather

Horn silica 501 needs light. Apply it in the morning during the first hours of sunshine, in improving weather, on clear days. If the sky is overcast, the application is postponed by one or two days. Source: Masson, p. 32.

3. At least spring and autumn — horn manure is a must

On the farm, the rule of thumb is: horn manure twice a year as a minimum — in spring after tillage and in autumn as the soil goes to rest. In the vegetable garden or with more intensive crops, more is often better. Source: Masson, p. 27.

4. Stir for an hour — no less

The one-hour stirring time is not negotiable. Stirring for less time loses the vortex–chaos–vortex dynamic in which, according to the biodynamic view, the effect arises. One hour, alternating between both directions, until a clear funnel forms. See Dynamisation (stirring).

5. Water of the best quality

Rainwater is the standard, clean well water an alternative. Chlorinated tap water is unsuitable — if there is no other option, let it stand for at least 24 hours or aerate it.

6. Better several small doses than one large one

This rule of thumb applies to all preparations: one application at double the dose does not replace two applications at the standard dose. The biodynamic effect relies on a repeated, light impulse. Source: Walter Stappung, duengerpraeparate.ch.

7. Apply immediately after stirring

A batch of stirred preparation should be applied within two to three hours. Standing for longer lets the dynamisation fade — by the next day the batch is no longer usable. Source: Wistinghausen, Anwendung, paraphrased.

8. Compost preparations go into the farm compost, not onto the field

The six compost preparations 502 to 507 belong in the farm compost, not directly on the land. They work through the fully matured compost — as a "collective unit" in the field, not as individual impulses. See Compost preparations.

9. Sensitivity to weather — wait in storms and heat

After hail, storms or several days of heat, a horn silica application is useful to stabilise the crop. Wait before announced severe weather — horn manure on wet, waterlogged soil is ineffective. Source: Masson, p. 202 (on horn silica after hail).

10. Discipline beats detail

Once you have found a dosage that works for your own farm, keep it constant over the years. Only consistency in the procedure makes it possible to attribute effects at all. Procedures that change over the years cannot be evaluated — even if each individual variant sounds better than the other.

What these rules of thumb do not replace

Rules of thumb are condensed practical knowledge, not a textbook. They help you avoid constantly looking things up during the season, but they do not replace reading the standard works — Wistinghausen (Anwendung, Herstellung), Masson and the Demeter standards. Anyone starting out in biodynamic practice should have read at least one of them in full.