A Biodynamic planting calandar uses astrological rhythms as a guide to the best times for sowing particular crops and making or applying biodynamic preparations, they are an essential tool for the biodynamic gardener.

Brian Keats has been producing biodynamic calandars for 26 years, producing versions for both Northern and Southern hemispheres. If you are new to using an astrological planting calander and find all the rhythms confusing, you are not alone, Brian has developed a simplified version- the  “Moon Planting Primer”  this can be used in any time zone using the key provided.   Also of interest to Australian gardeners is the astrologically based long range forecast -”Australian Weather Charts for 2013″  These guides, and the Southern hemisphere astrological calander are available at http://www.astro-calendar.com. The Northern hemisphere astrological calandar can be ordered at http://www.northernstarcalendar.com.

 See our related posts the science of moon planing  and Lunar does not mean loony

The native bees, unlike the European honey bee (Apis millifera), are less susceptible to hive destruction by the small hive beetle, which has been threatening bee populations since it arrived into Australia in  2000. In the Northern Hemisphere it is Colony Colapse disorder that is the threat to the honey bees survival. While we have relied on the honey bee to do agricultural pollination, it is not the only species of bee capable of doing this, so now there is more interest worldwide in keeping native bees. In Australia the native species commonly kept is The Stingless Social Bee or  the Sugarbag Bee Trigona carbonaria, and  Austroplebeia australis.  While these native bees produce a unique tangy aromatic honey it is only in very small quatities(1kg/hive/year), the main reason to keep them is for the essential job they do pollinating our crops and native flowers. Native bees can be purchased or rescued from felled trees, hives can be a simple hollow log or a purpose built hive  to be able to harvest honey.  If you want to explore keeping native bees visit Australian Stingless Native Bees at http://www.zabel.com.au/ You can support  native bee populations by planting a bee garden- they  like eucalypts, grevilleas, callistemon and melaleucas, they also like non-native plants like roses, abelias and daisies.

Cold frame for raising seedlings in cold weather. Photographer D Gasteiger

First day of Spring is 1st September Down-under. Gardeners in temperate zones will be looking forward to getting summer vegetables started with the weather warming up. However a cold snap will kill many summer varieties also they have a minimum soil temperature germination requirement, so take note of the planting calanders advice of starting them indoors or in a greenhouse if planting this month. There are a few other ways of providing the required warmth so read on and select which works for you or just wait  and plant outdoors once the minimum soil temperature has been reached  of 15.5  degrees Celsius. Wait untill it is  21 degrees for  the optimum temperature for most summer crops. Use a soil/compost thermometer or some weather stations have this information, for Australia go to http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/data/. Alternately plant after the date of the last frost in your area.

Greenhouse

A well designed greenhouse attached to the sun facing side of the  house can store solar radiation  so doesn’t require  heating artificially. Solar greenhouses are  great for starting your summer seeds in, although there wont be enough heat to grow winter tomatoes only cool-weather crops.

Indoors

Put your seed trays on a table by the window that gets sun most of the day. No cost method.

Cold frames

Cold frames or sun boxes are designed to collect heat for extending the growing season. They are easily to make of a low box with an opening sloping roof  made of a glass window . The best location for  maximum solar absorption  in the southern hemisphere is North facing while in the Northern Hemisphere it’s South facing and sheltered from cold winds.

Insulation may be needed in cold temperate zones. Use the earth for insulation by building the frame into the ground, or bales of straw or hay may be stacked against the frame. Alternatively use passive solar heat storage like black containers of water  placed around the frame. To protect against frost at night cover the glass with a blanket or newspapers.

This method requires a little daily maintenance. To prevent the buildup of excessive heat inside the frame raise the glass window in the morning then lower in afternoon to conserve some heat for the evening.

Hot Beds

A cold frame can be converted to a hotbed by providing a heat source either electrically with soil-heating cables or from the heat generation of composting fresh manure.  For a manure-heated bed dig out 60cm deep;  add a 45cm layer of fresh horse manure or grass clippings; cover with 15cm of good soil if you are growing in it directly but its easier to transfer seedlings by using seed trays and pots.

Cloche

A cloche is lightweight, portable structure that shelter plants from wind and cold. They trap solar radiation and moisture evaporating from the soil and plants. Normally a cloche is a clear plastic tunnel for whole rows. Simple ones are cut off clear plastic bottles put over individual plants. The design should be able to be closed completely at night to prevent frost damage and opened or completely removed during the day for good air circulation.

After carefully nurturing  seedlings with one of the above methods you can be planting your summer vegetables outdoors in 4-6 weeks. Happy Spring gardening!

photo by Julie Bass

Julie Bass was inspired to install a vegetable garden in the front yard after the lawn was dug through for sewerage pipes. Her garden shown here is 5 neatly laid out  beds, where she grows a mix of veggies including squashes, corn, tomatoes, and flowers.  The City of Oak Park (Michigan) is prosecuting Julie Bass for noncompliance with a city ordinance that states that only “suitable” plant material is allowed on the lawn area of residences.

Lets consider how suitable grass is as plant for urban landscapes:

• A lawn like any other monoculture is unsustainable requiring multiple inputs in order to maintain it-water, pesticides, fertilizers and fossil fuels. What if these resources were utilised to grow food? That would conserve resources as food crops require far less resources than lawns. 10 ha of lawns use more fossil fuels and labour hours than a 50 ha mixed farm (Energy audit by Orange Agricultural College, NSW, Australia)
• The lawn clippings then present a waste disposal problem for the council,  usually going to a landfill.  (Never feed lawn clippings to an animal due to  pesticide and fuel contamination)
• Lawns are the culprit in pollution of urban waterways due to run-off of pesticides and excess fertilisers.
• Lawns are water guzzlers. 44% of domestic water consumption in California is used for lawns. Is it suitable to water lawns in water scarce areas, where ground water levels are falling?

While the insanity of using precious water on lawns is recognised in many dry areas of Australia so it has been made illegal, how about making lawns illegal instead of veggie gardens? Alternatively tax them out of existence. What will replace the  lawn?

Here’s some sustainable alternatives:

• A herbaceous lawn of low growing perennials like dwarf camomile which don’t require mowing
• Mow your lawn with a hand mower and manage it organically
• Use productive animals to graze the lawn- use a rabbit or guinea pig tractoring system (movable pen)
• Or how about a tethered goat rotated about the neighbourhood lawns?
• A pond and wet land area
• Rock garden utilising herbs
• Shrubbery of small fruits like berries, or pepino
• Flowering meadow of wild flowers, bulbs and perennials
• And of course a vegetable garden

Petition to support Julies veggie garden (Julie goes to trial on July 26th 2011)

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/oak-park-hates-veggies/

We make compost to provide a complete natural plant food. It needs to retain a high proportion of the original nutrients. Nutrients are retained by having the right Carbon (C) to Nitrogen (N) ratio in the mix of compost materials. A  ratio of  25 or 30 parts Carbon to 1 part Nitrogen is needed. If the C:N ratio is too small at the start of the process it gets excessively hot, there will be losses of nitrogen which can be smelt as ammonia.

The easy way to work out the C:N ratio  is use the online calculator at: http://www.klickitatcounty.org/solidwaste/fileshtml/organics/compostCalc.htm

Hints for Perfect Compost:

• Guide the decomposition by use of the biodynamic compost preparations to bring order and balance and a rich variety of soil micro-organisms. Biodynamic preparations available to members of Biodynamic Agriculture Australia.
• If  you dont have the biodynamic compost preparations introduce beneficial mico-organisms (ie. Trichoderma )with commercially available compost activators, these speed up the process.
• Mix the pile at least 5 times so all areas get heated to destroy any seeds or plant disease organisms
• Australian Certified Organic  guidelines state: the temperature should remain between 50-55 degrees Celsius for as long as the process requires. Heaps should be a minimum of 1 metre cubed to maintain temperature, well aerated, with high water content, but not saturated. Compost heaps shall not be allowed to become water logged, nor to dry out to such an extent that biological activity is discouraged

How long till my compost  is ready to use ?

When the compost has reached the final stage of  decomposition of organic matter to form the stable colloidal complex called humus.   Time varies with technique, temperature and material used,  a minimum of three weeks up to one year.

Indicators of quality finished Compost:

• Smells good, like the forest floor
• Looks black to dark brown
• Gone completely cold and colonised by worms and insects
• Is fully broken down, the original material is not recognisable (above photo shows finished compost in hand, unfinished in background)
• When rubbed between the fingers feels slippery like clay- this is the humus

To study the art of making perfect compost choose from experienced biodynamic authors:

• “Compost:What It Is, How Its Made, What it Does” – by Herbert Koepf
• “Principles Biodynamic Sprays and Compost Preparations”by Manfred Klett
• “Biodynamic Farming Vol 3″ by Ehrenfried Pfeiffer
• “Grasp The Nettle” by Peter Proctor

Available at www.acresaustralia.com.au/bookstore

Just released is the  DVD “Perfect Compost -a Masterclass with Peter Proctor”. Available from  Cloud South films -creators of “One Man One Cow One Planet” documenting Peters biodynamic outreach work in India. DVD available at:  www.perfectcompost.com

Happy Composting!

However a vegetable garden is vulnerable to natural disasters -flooding or cyclones will flatten annual plants. Plan for replacing a decimated vege garden by having a store of seeds to replant, for quick replacement focus on early maturing crops like radish,  lettuce, rocket,  peas, bush beans and edible weeds -Purslane, Fat hen, Nettle, Dandelion etc.

To secure a permanent food supply you need to plant perennials. Look into permaculture as a system of cultivating permanent food crops. In a nut shell you would plant nut trees, fruit trees, berries, perennial edibles and incorporate animals -in a backyard this could be rabbits, chickens or fish. Annual vegetables would only be a small part of the system. More about the permaculture system in future posts.

The ideal disaster resilient crops are perennials with edible roots, like Sweet potato, Jerusalem artichoke, or Yams, as even if the leaves get destroyed, you will still have a harvest underground.

Select varieties  of perennial vegetables to suit your climate at www.perennialvegetables.org

Do you have a new years resolution to start a biodynamic/organic garden, to become more sustainable, to be more self sufficient? You may have read books and websites on the topic but feel you lack the necessary skills. Up-skill with hands on learning by enrolling in a workshop in your area. Sydney beginner gardeners can join Eileen Kaufman for a summer school of seven workshops starting soon on 3 January till 9 January 2011.
Topics covering all areas of sustainable gardening:
-Getting a Vegetable Garden Started
-Permaculture for the Backyard
-Seed Saving
-Backyard Carbon Gardening
-Successful Compost Making and Worm Farming
-Pest and Disease Control
-Backyard Biodynamics
More info at www.bioorganicgardener.com

Aged in his seventies, Peter Proctor energetically set about to save the world one farmer at a time. Travelling across India, he trained farmers to train other farmers. Peter’s teachings on increasing soil fertility using  manure concentrate (cowpat pits) and horn manure (500) were readily taken up by the Indians who already knew the sacred cow is a source of fertility. Large scale manure concentrate pits were set up across India, and the excellent results were shared with the rest of the biodynamic world to further popularise Maria Thun’s method. Thanks to Peter’s efforts, there are 10,000 biodynamic compost heaps in India (and counting).

Biodynamic compost is a sustainable substitute for chemical fertilisers, providing nutrients, building biologically active soils and also preventing carbon from cycling back into the atmosphere as CO2. The biodynamic method has restored degraded soils in India, and because it requires no external inputs has helped to release Indian farmers from their debt cycle. Peter’s work in India and the story of Indians disastrously affected by big business agriculture is documented in the award winning film One Man, One Cow, One Planet.

Now back in New Zealand, Peter is continuing his work. Peter is now producing a DVD, How to Make Perfect Compost – A Master Class with Peter Proctor. Presales can be secured at onemanonecow.com by donating to the project. Investors are also sought for this project.

See also Peter Proctor’s practical guide to biodynamics, Grasp the Nettle – Making Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Work.

Seed saving has been an agricultural practice for thousands of years and has created millions of varieties of food plants. However, during the 20^th century a rapid decline in the number of varieties occurred as monopolies took over the world seed supply market.

Why save seed?

• There is a need to preserve genetic diversity for food security – we need varieties that will cope with changing climates and new pests and diseases.
• By saving the seed from your healthiest plants season after season you will be rewarded with plants that have adapted to your particular growing conditions.
• To reduce our ecological footprint, we should aim to produce plants locally.
• It’s fun and educational for children to understand where food comes from.

Seed saving hints

• Commercial vegetable varieties are often hybrids. Don’t save seed from hybrids, as the seeds will be sterile or produce inferior plants.
• Enhance the process of natural selection by only choosing healthy, strong, vigorous plants to save seed from.
• To select for desired qualities, either mark the plants to be left to mature for seed, or if you have planted a crop specifically for seed, take out the undesirable plants. Maintain genetic diversity by saving from as large a number of plants as possible.
• It is important for seed viability to keep plants minimally stressed at flowering and seed formation time. Provide sufficient water at flowering for pollen development. Keep the crop weeded. At seeding, dry conditions are favourable for seed maturation.
• Biodynamic growing methods strengthen the formative force in plants which governs life, growth and reproduction, reflected in the vitality, structure and uprightness of the plants and viability of their seed.
• Additional improvements in quality of seed can be achieved by spraying horn silica 501 two weeks before harvesting seed.
• If you haven’t saved seed before, some plants that are good to get started with are lettuce, tomatoes and beans.
• Join a local seed exchange to swap for varieties.

Maria Thun’s biodynamic method also applies to seed saving

Maria Thun developed a method to improve varieties by working with planetary constellations. When the moon is in each of the star constellations (the zodiac) it has an effect on a particular part of the plant rather than the plant as a whole as in the other moon rhythms. The plant can receive an enhanced influence if work such as  pruning, manuring, hoeing or preparation spraying is done on particular days.

These planetary correspondences are discussed in the post The science of moon planting. See our weekly planting guide for a southern hemisphere guide to which influence rules that day. These rules apply even if you are planting only to save the seed. For example,  if you want to save lettuce seed, sow your initial seed and do all your work on the plant on a leaf sign, and harvest the seed on a leaf sign, because this is the part of the plant of which you want to improve the qualities. If you did everything on a seed sign, the resultant saved seed might produce plants that quickly bolted and went to seed producing little leaf.

Resources

The specific seed saving techniques for each plant species are varied. For details of techniques, see:

The Seed Savers Handbook by Michelle and Jude Fanton.

Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth.

The Seed Savers Network collect and maintain rare varieties, publish resources and have a contact list for Australian local seed exchanges.

Sometimes, despite trying everything the pest remains a problem. At this point you may consider using the biodynamic method of peppering.

What is peppering?

Peppering energetically excludes a specific pest from the area you treat. The pepper is prepared by capturing a pest and burning it to ash. The ash is then sprinkled like pepper around the perimeter of the affected area. The timing is specific to the type of pest and what planetary influences rule their reproduction:

• Ÿ Animals – when the planet Venus is in the constellation of Scorpio.
• Ÿ Winged insects – when the Sun is in Gemini, and the Moon is in a water sign.
• Ÿ Hard shelled insects – when the Sun is in Taurus and the Moon is in Taurus.
• Ÿ Snails and slugs – when the Sun is in Cancer and the Moon is in a water sign.
• Ÿ Weed seeds – at full Moon.

Consult Brian Keats’ Astro Calendar for specific dates.

How to make a pepper

The collected pest may have to be stored in the freezer until the appropriate burning time. For large animals, such as foxes, only the skin needs to be used. For small insects, many need to be gathered. If you are dealing with weeds, the ripe seed is needed. The pest is burnt completely to a grey ash on a hot wood fire.

The ashes are then sprinkled like pepper around the perimeter of the affected area. As the quantity of ash is small it is either mixed with sand or made into a homeopathic preparation which can be sprayed out and has the advantage of lasting for years.

Reported results of peppering are highly variable, from all pests leaving immediately to no result. Pest plants take four years to see results. As our understanding of how the method works grows, some helpful suggestions have been put forward:

• Put out on three consecutive days.
• Apply at full Moon (associated with fertility).
• Avoid times when Mercury is retrograde.
• Use all stages of the life cycle of an insect (egg, pupae and adult).
• Repeat the application every six months or yearly.

Please share with us your understanding and experiences with peppering.