Applied Biodynamics — Issue 099 (Spring 2021)
Issue 99 documents JPI preparation storage, tree and garden protocols, exact milk, nettle, and chamomile recipes, and the practical legacies of leading biodynamic farmers, teachers, and researchers.
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Applied Biodynamics, Issue 99 (Spring 2021) brings together practical preparation storage, tree and garden protocols, the “Heal Yourself, Heal Your Garden” plant series, and tributes to biodynamic teachers whose work continues through farms, students, and publications.
Larry Mabe’s “Welcoming a New Root Cellar” documents JPI’s preparation-storage rebuild. The 400-square-foot concrete cellar, set into an embankment, received a vented A-frame roof and gutters after the original soil-covered flat roof accumulated moisture. The project also planned a 1,000-gallon rain-catchment system for garden work and preparation stirring, plus hemlock storage boxes with peat surrounding clay crocks. The article makes storage conditions part of preparation quality: structure, drainage, insulation, containers, and routine observation all work together.
From the archive, Hugh Courtney’s “Trees as Cosmic Harmonizers” gives a precise placement pattern around a selected tree: BD 500 or 500(X) to the north, BD 501 or 501(5X) to the west, BD 508 to the east, and Barrel Compound to the south; the 501 container is fixed to the tree about two feet above the ground. A repeatable use of the method begins with a dated site map and consistent containers, then follows tree vigor, annual growth, leaf quality, pest pressure, and the surrounding soil through the season.
Courtney’s milk and milk-and-honey spray uses one part milk to nine parts water. Honey may be added at 1:100 of the total volume, with warmed water helping it dissolve. The mixture is stirred for 20 minutes and applied as a medium-fine mist. Matched rows, a consistent spray volume, and records of insect populations and plant response make the protocol easy to compare and repeat.
Abigail Porter’s “Heal Yourself, Heal Your Garden, Part 2” gives especially useful nettle and chamomile recipes. A nettle foliar tea uses 5 grams dried nettle per quart of water, briefly boiled, steeped 15 minutes, strained, and diluted 1:9. A 24-hour extract uses 1 kilogram fresh chopped nettle in 10 liters of water. Fermented nettle liquid manure takes about one to four weeks and is diluted 1:9 for soil spraying or 1:40 for watering. German chamomile is identified by its downward-facing petals and hollow flower head; a seedling tea uses 1 gram blossoms per quart of boiling water, steeped 15 minutes and diluted 1:9.
The closing memorials honor Hugh Lovel, Sally Ann Voris, Jochen Bockemühl, and Matthias Thun. Together they connect biodynamic agriculture with farmer observation, Goethean study, community education, calendar research, landscape vitality, and the long practice of sharing tested methods with the next generation.
Articles in This Issue
- “Welcoming a New Root Cellar” — Larry Mabe
- “From the Applied Biodynamics File: Contributions from Hugh Courtney”
- “Trees as Cosmic Harmonizers” — Hugh Courtney
- “The Milk Spray / The Milk and Honey Spray” — Hugh Courtney
- “Heal Yourself, Heal Your Garden, Part 2: Stinging Nettle and Chamomile” — Abigail Porter
- “Remembering Hugh Lovel” — Coree Entwistle
- “Sally Ann Voris: November 14, 1951–October 2, 2020” — Ingrid Cowan Hass
- “Crossing the Threshold: Jochen Bockemühl”
- “Crossing the Threshold: Matthias Thun”
Key Topics Covered
- Root-cellar drainage, ventilation, and preparation storage
- Hemlock boxes, peat insulation, and clay storage crocks
- Rainwater capture for gardens and preparation stirring
- Cardinal-direction placement for the Tree Harmonizer method
- BD 500, BD 501, BD 508, and Barrel Compound around trees
- Milk spray at one part milk to nine parts water
- Optional honey at 1:100 and a twenty-minute stirring period
- Nettle foliar tea, 24-hour extract, and fermented liquid manure
- Nettle dilution rates for foliar, soil, and transplant use
- German chamomile identification and seedling tea protocol
- Matched-row observation of plants, insects, and disease pressure
- Biodynamic legacies in farming, research, education, and calendars
Related JPI Resources
- Biodynamic calendars · calendar guide · cosmic rhythms guide · Maria Thun Biodynamic Calendar
- BD 500 Horn Manure · guide · instructions
- BD 501 Horn Silica · guide · instructions
- BD 508 Horsetail · guide · instructions
- Barrel Compound · guide · instructions
- BD 504 Stinging Nettle · guide
- BD 503 Chamomile · guide
- Making and Using Biodynamic Preparations
Citation
Applied Biodynamics, Issue 99, Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics, Spring 2021.
