Chamomile (503) — a portrait of the calcium preparation

German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is the second compost preparation and bears the number 503. In biodynamic compost it keeps the growing plants "healthy" and binds the substances important for growth — through its relationship to calcium. This portrait sets out the plant, its effects and how it is made.

The plant

The name Matricaria derives from matrix ("womb") — chamomile is still regarded today as a medicinal plant for digestive complaints and inflammation. German chamomile can be recognised by its typical scent and its hollow receptacle: if you break open the yellow part of the flower with your fingernail, it turns out to be hollow inside. This test distinguishes it from similar, less fragrant chamomile species.

Effects: calcium and health

Steiner chose chamomile as the second compost preparation and assigned it a role for health. Through its effect on calcium, the chamomile preparation helps to keep the plants growing on prepared compost healthy. At the same time, Steiner attributes to it the ability to "bind together" in the compost the substances needed for plant growth — making the compost more effective and the soil more fertile.

Sheath and making

The sheath of the chamomile preparation is cattle intestines. In autumn the dried flowers, moistened with a little chamomile tea, are filled into the intestines — producing "chamomile sausages", for which a sausage filler is useful. They are buried over winter in a humus-rich spot where snow lies for a long time but which still gets sun. Because the intestines often decay completely, the pit is marked with branches or battens. Towards the end of winter the preparation is recovered. The annual cycle is shown in the article Making biodynamic preparations in autumn.

Use in compost

The chamomile preparation is placed in small amounts into the maturing compost heap — alongside yarrow, stinging nettle, oak bark and dandelion. It orders the nitrogen and calcium balance and stabilises the maturing process. In bundled form it is also contained in the barrel compost.

Frequently asked questions

How do I recognise German chamomile?

By its typical scent and its hollow receptacle — the yellow flower cone is hollow inside, unlike in similar species.

Which sheath belongs to the chamomile preparation?

Cattle intestines. The filled "chamomile sausages" mature over winter in the soil.