Applied Biodynamics — Issue 039 (Winter 2002–2003)
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Applied Biodynamics Issue 039 centers on practical interventions used in response to acute plant stress, framing biodynamic tools as experimental responses subject to observation, comparison, and revision rather than guaranteed remedies.
The lead article, “The Milk and Honey Spray – Another Interesting Tool,” recounts a long-term practitioner experience that predates formal biodynamic training. The author describes encountering severe sooty black infestation on a crape myrtle tree and rejecting professional advice to remove the tree. Instead, the tree was sprayed thoroughly with a dilute mixture of ordinary grocery-store milk and tap water using a hose-end dispenser. The narrative emphasizes full saturation of foliage and records subsequent recovery, positioning the spray as an observationally derived intervention later recontextualized through biodynamic understanding rather than as a doctrinal prescription.
A second focal thread concerns the Three Kings Preparation, described as an awakening tool that prompted renewed attention to other unconventional sprays. The preparation is not presented abstractly but through practitioner testimony regarding its perceived effects on plant vitality and resilience during difficult winter conditions.
Additional articles document comparative compost trials involving valerian-treated compost. Two practitioners—one from the eastern United States and one from the western—explicitly test a previously published theory by Joe Stevens regarding valerian application timing in compost piles. Their reports focus on observed differences in compost behavior and downstream plant response, framing the work as an informal but structured comparison rather than anecdotal enthusiasm.
The issue also includes conference reports from the National Biodynamic Association Conference in Iowa and the Biodynamic Viticulture Conference in Virginia. These reports situate individual experiments within a broader professional context, emphasizing exchange of methods, economic realities, and place-based agriculture rather than ideological consensus.
Throughout the issue, winter is framed as a season for reflective experimentation and evaluation. Practices are presented with narrative honesty about uncertainty, emphasizing careful observation, willingness to revise conclusions, and resistance to rigid methodology.
Articles
- The Three Kings Preparation – Sharing the Experience
- The Milk and Honey Spray – Another Interesting Tool (H. Courtney)
Key Topics Covered
- Milk-and-honey spray as an observational intervention
- Three Kings Preparation and winter vitality support
- Valerian-treated compost comparative trials
- Observation versus expert authority in plant care
- Conference reports on biodynamic farming and viticulture
- Winter experimentation and reflective practice
Citation
Source: Applied Biodynamics, Issue 039, Josephine Porter Institute, Winter 2002–2003.