Biodynamic Gardening Notes 9 - 15 November
/The moon continues descending until the evening of Sunday the 13th – The earth is breathing in and drawing growth forces back down below the soil surface. Activities that take advantage of the descending moon include making and spreading compost, transplanting seedlings and trees, taking and planting cuttings, cultivating soil and spraying horn manure preparation 500, manure concentrate and horn clay (Biodynamic Resource Manual, 51-53). View our previous postfor more information about horn manure preparation 500. The moon starts ascending on Sunday night – the earth breaths out. We see this as growth activity above the soil surface. Growth forces and saps flow upwards more strongly and increase plant vitality. Although germination takes place below the ground, it also takes part in this upward striving. This is the time to sow seeds, spray horn silica preparation 501, cultivate at the appropriate constellation before sowing, harvest on an air constellation plants for medicinal purposes, flowers and plants for preparation making and field crops such as silage and hay (Biodynamic Resource Manual, 51-53).
November is the last opportunity this spring to apply Biodynamic preparation 500. It is best applied late in the day when some moisture has returned to the air and soil. Depending on the evening, plan for an application on Tuesday 8 November, the night before the moon is in opposition to Saturn or with the synthesis of lunar contractions: descending, waning moon in an earth sign on Sunday 13th. On both of these days, you can follow the 500 with an early morning application of 501 to balance the soil and the atmosphere.
The moon continues waxing reaching full moon on Friday 11th of the 11th of the 11th.
On Wednesday the 9th, the Moon and Saturn are in opposition to each other. The Moon and Saturn in opposition cycle occurs every 27.5 days. “The Moon forces bring in the calcium processes which are connected to propagation and growth. The Saturn forces bring in the silica processes which connect form and structure. The balancing effect of these two influences streaming into the earth produces very strong plants from seed sown at this time. Tests have shown the 48 hours leading up to this event is optimal time that overrides even the ascending, descending and moon in constellations for best planting time” (Biodynamic Resource Manual, 54).
Maria Thun emphasized that cultivating and transplanting on the constellation in which the plant you are trying to encourage lies, emphasizes that plant’s qualities. Based on her research, weed around or transplant your cabbages in a water sign, your broccoli in a flower sign, your carrots and root crops in an earth sign and your corn in a fire sign.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday until 19:58, the moon is in a fire sign. Warmth or fire signs are favourable for fruit plants. These include all plants whose seed fruit we harvest: beans, peas, grains, cucumbers, squashes, lentils, corn, capsicums, rice, soya, tomatoes, zucchini, strawberries and fruit trees.
The moon then moves into an earth sign until Monday at 07:24. Earth signs are favourable for root plants. These included all plants whose roots we harvest: carrots, parsnips, radishes, beetroot, celeriac, swedes, potatoes, onions and garlic.
On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday until 16:48, the moon is in an air sign. Air signs are favourable for flower plants. These include all the plants, which are grown for their flowers, and where we want a long flowering time: garden flowers, medicinal and preparation flowers, bulbs and broccoli.
I continue to find it interesting as a farmer to take all of this information as a" lens" through which I can make observations of the natural world. By using this" lens", I continue to tune my intuition and hone my observational skills. As in all aspects of life, observing, doing and observing will build your personal experience through which you gain wisdom. I like to believe that the wisdom I am gaining is not my unique wisdom but merely my tapping in to the life pool of age old wisdom. So have a go...spray out some 500 and then some 501 and notice if you sense and observe any changes. Watch the moon and notice if it begins to look bigger in the coming few weeks as it approaches perigee. Measure your young vegetables now and then again in two weeks when the moon is ascending and then do it again when the moon is descending and see if there are any changes. Have fun observing your garden and your part in it.
-Gardening Notes are compiled using Brian Keats Antipodean Astro Calendar; Maria Thun’s Gardening for Life; Biodynamic Agriculture Australia’s Biodynamic Resource Manual; Peter Cundall’s The Practical Australian Gardener; Louise Riotte’s Astrological Gardening; and the experiences and farm practices on Transition Farm
Links for more information
For more information about our Biodynamic Gardening Notes, visit our previous post About our Biodynamic Notes.
For more information about liquid brews for plant health, visit our Seasonal Notes page and click the tag "liquid brews" .
For more information about Biodynamics and to purchase biodynamic preparations visit Biodynamic Australia at http://www.biodynamics.net.au.
For more information about the Antipodean Astro Calendar, Biodynamic Planting and research and more visit Brian Keats’ website at http://astro-calendar.com/index.htm.
