Biodynamic Viticulture

“Biodynamics is a mindset, not a religion or a recipe.” Monty Waldin

Rudolph Steiner

Since I began working in a biodynamic environment, many people have asked me…What the hell is biodynamics? I will tell you right now, it’s not just cow shit, and cosmos.

Biodyanmics involves the concept of organic farming, with more of a holistic and homeopathic approach involving: practicality, spirituality, and cosmic influences. Back in the 1920’s an Austrian philosopher named Rudolph Steiner gave a series of lectures geared towards a new approach to agriculture in response to the decrease in overall health of crops and livestock. This eventually became the foundation of Biodynamic Agriculture as we know it.

So, we take a look at the vineyard and its soil as a single system and utilize what can grow on our site by integrating  plants and minerals into Biodynamic Preparations, which are then sprayed either as an atmospheric spray, foliar spray, or soil spray in the vineyard. These preparations assist in strengthening the vines to assist in disease prevention, boosting maturity of the grapes, as well as enhancing the soil biology and general health of the vine.

There are many “Preperations’ involved in a Biodynamic Viticulture plan. These range from Preperation 500-508 (simply the names of each). Here is a chart to help you better understand what each preparation consists of and why it is beneficial to the vine.

PREPERATION	DETAILED DESCRIPTION	REASON FOR USE
500-Cow Manure	Stuffing organic grass fed cow manure into lactating cow horns, burying them over winter, unearthing in the spring and taking the fermented manure (which feels light and fluffy smelling nothing like cow poo) mixing it with water and spraying it in the vineyard. Also used in conjunction with other preparations and Barrel Compost/Compost Tea	Improve soil structure and microbiology activity in the soil.
501-Horn Silica	Mixing finely ground silica (quartz) with water until it becomes a thick paste, then stuffing it into lactating cow horns and burying the horns over the summer. Once unearthed in the following spring the silica in the horns is mixed with water and used as an atmospheric spray in the vineyard.	To increase maturity of the vine. To complement earthly forces of 500 and attract light forces to the plant.
502-Yarrow	Yarrow flowers placed in a stag or buck bladder, hung up in a tree over summer. Later added to the barrel compost, and compost heap.	Stimulates the potassium, silica and selenium activating the bacteria and helps combine sulphur with other substances. Remedies weaknesses in flowering, fruiting and strengthens the plant against insect attack.
503-Chamomile	Chamomile placed in cow intestines and buried over winter.	Helps the breakdown of compost by retaining nitrogen, calcium, and sulphur. Stimulates Manganese and boron, as well as azobacter activity.
504-Stinging Nettle	Stinging nettle buried for a year, without animal sheath.	Brings ‘intelligence’ to the soil by helping decomposition. Aids chlorophyll formation and stimulates iron. Potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulphur in the soil.
505-Oak Bark	Oak bark buried in the skull of a cow or a sheep in a wet place over winter.	Helps restore balance when water activity is working too strongly, like after large rains or at a full moon. Protects against fungal diseases. Helps Calcium and phosphorus work into the earth in living form.
506-Dandelion	Dandelion placed in a cows mesentery (part of abdomen) over the winter.	Brings ‘life forces’ to the soil and vine. Stimulates the potassium/silica bacteria and fungi in the soil to enable it to work more effectively.
507-Valerian	Valerian flowers made into a solution then spread over the compost heap.	Brings warmth to the compost. Stimulating the phosphorus process and mobilises it activating in the soil, along with selenium and magnesium. Prevents excess vigour. Can help in providing a protection against late frost.,
508-Equisetum/Casuarina (Horsetail)	In Australia horsetail is a noxious weed so they often use Casuarina. It is fermented and made into a ‘tea’.Then sprayed on the soil.	. Fresh Casuarina Prep works with water balance in the atmosphere as a fresh tea and is used to prevent and stop fungal growth, mould, and tightens plants against becoming soft and open to mildew infection. Fermented tea works in the soil to stimulate the growth of beneficial fungi and is applied in with the afternoon soil sprays.

 

Preparation 500 Burrial

With these preparations, we also incorporate them into a compost mixture, with clay, eggshells, and use this as a ‘concentrate’ sprayed onto the soil. 

The Biodynamic Calender and its rhythms is a guide to agriculturalists, and gardeners alike. The planets and constellations are considered in relation to the earth. For example the effect of the moon on the tides of the ocean: ground water rises to the surface at Full moon, and extra sap leaks from plants when pruning at Full moon. The actual calendar can be very intimidating for a beginner, and it takes patience and an open mind to understand why we would farm according to the cosmic and earthly influences. This is something I have committed to, and am still learning something new every day.

A brief look at a Biodynamic Calender

I am lucky enough to have a job where I can explore these methods, and over the next couple years I will be responsible for creating a management plan for our vineyard and working with the team at Lowe Wines, with the goal of becoming a fully self-sustainable vineyard. As I prepare each preparation, I will try my best to keep everyone updated so you can read along and begin to explore your own thoughts on the subject. 

I must also mention that I will be driving a sprayer for my first time this Saturday morning at Sunrise. We are spraying the soil with Barrel Compost, which in short is a mixture of most of the preparations mixed in water. Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post about it!

Cheers Friends!