BD 507 Valerian: Frost-Season Spray and Compost Preparation
Published by The Josephine Porter InstituteBD #507 (Valeriana officinalis)
For Late Frost Protection
"Valerian surrounds the plant life with a warm mantle.” – Manfred Klett
BD 507 is a fermented valerian-blossom preparation used by biodynamic growers as a frost-season plant spray. In a JPI-reported basil comparison, valerian-sprayed plants had the lowest visible-damage rating one week after 18 simulated cold exposures: 1.5 on a 1–10 scale, compared with 3.0 unsprayed and 4.5 water-sprayed. Sixteen plants received each treatment.
Manfred Klett describes valerian's traditional frost-season use with the image of a “warm mantle” around plants. The measured basil cold-exposure response complements that traditional description.
Directions: Spray in the evening of predicted frost and again early in the morning for heavy frost. One unit (21 drops) stirred in 3 gallons of warm water for 15 minutes will treat up to an acre. A partial unit may be used for smaller area.
For Compost Preparations
BD 507 is the liquid valerian member of JPI's complete BD 502–507 compost set. In a Washington State University compost experiment, piles treated with the complete set showed higher alkaline-phosphatase activity than untreated piles at day 100 (p = 0.0085), a measured phosphorus-related response during composting.
Directions: Use in conjunction with the other preparations in the compost set.
Complimentary Resources
To learn more about making and using BD #507, you will want to check out these complimentary articles from JPI's periodical, Applied Biodynamics:
BD #507 New Insights on Valerian Preparation AB 2001
BD #507 Prepared Valerian: The Secret of Finished Compost AB 2001 (BD #507 as a compost prep)
BD #507 Using Valerian The Way Steiner Indicated AB 2003-04 (BD #507 in finished-compost practice)
BD #507 Valerian Revisited AB 2013
BD #507 Response to The Valerian Prep Revisited AB 2014 (BD #507 as a compost prep)
