Frequently Asked Questions
General
What is Biodynamics?
Biodynamics ("BD") is a way to prepare your garden or farm to produce even healthier fruits and vegetables. Like organic agriculture, biodynamic gardening is non-toxic and does not use chemicals, but biodynamics goes beyond organic.
Biodynamics views the entire farm as a self-contained “agricultural individuality,” interweaving soil, plants, animals and the wider nature into one living organism.
Timely applications of the biodynamic preparations revitalize the weakened life-forces and stimulate root growth, soil microorganism production and humus formation.
In practice this means closed nutrient cycles, on-farm composting, minimal external inputs and the regular use of nine core preparations (BD 500-508) which the Josephine Porter Institute offers for purchase.
While biodynamics and organics both avoid chemicals and pesticides, biodynamics also adds lunar timing, on‑farm composting, and closed nutrient cycles to the chemical‑free standards already required in certified organic agriculture.
Does biodynamics improve compost quality?
The Pfeiffer Compost Starter contains every numbered compost preparation plus specific beneficial bacteria, producing faster, sweeter compost without putrefaction. Biodynamics consistently makes superior compost.
Do biodynamic foods and wines taste better—or offer health advantages?
Why is biodynamics regarded as especially sustainable?
Sustainability rests on the relationship between periphery and center; the earth has become vulnerable, totally dependent on what we do.
How is biodynamic farming different from certified organic?
- Whole-farm certification. Crops, livestock and perimeter are treated as one organism rather than certified plot by plot.
- No hydroponics. Living soil is non-negotiable.
- Regular use of biodynamic preparations, biodynamic compost & natural calendars.
- Biodiversity requirement. At least 10 % of the acreage must be set aside as ecological reserve.
- Livestock integration. Fertility should arise primarily from animals kept on the holding
Why choose biodynamics over ordinary organic or regenerative methods?
I grow cut flowers. Should I choose biodynamics?
Do biodynamic preparations comply with USDA Organic and Regenerative Organic Certified™ programs?
Simply record each application in your organic system plan.
Who is using biodynamic preparations?
Last season, JPI alone supplied more than 2,100 clients in more than 30 countries. Demeter-USA lists 129 certified farms and 77 processors in 2024.
Biodynamic Preparations
What is the difference between using Pfeiffer Compost Starter and the six individual compost preparations?
n America, Ehrenfried Pfeiffer extracted and cultured some fifty-five different bacteria and other organisms, virtually all of which were found in the compost preparations and the BD 500.
Compost Starter is a one-step compound ideal for large or small compost piles and perfect for beginners. Using the six compost preps separately gives maximum flexibility for high volumes and advanced skill. Pfeiffer Compost Starter is a one-stop BD application, plus it contains a host of additional ingredients, microbes, and enzymes. Compost Starter does everything the compost preparations do and more.
Can the preparations be mixed together?
Apply each prep individually the first season. Later—if time is tight—earth-type sprays such as Barrel Compound (BC) and BD 500 may be stirred together for the last 20 minutes and applied at dusk. Most practitioners apply 501 and 508 separately. If you choose to blend any preparations, trial a small area first. Keep records and take before/after photographs so you can track your research and share what you learn.
Are the preparations safe for vegetables?
Are the preparations vegetarian?
Vegetarian growers may substitute Compost Starter, Horn Silica (BD 501), Pfeiffer Field & Garden Spray, and Valerian (BD 507), all of which contain no direct animal material beyond homeopathic doses of preparations and animal manure. Alternatively, vegetarian growers may consider Maye Bruce's Common Sense Composting which does not use any animal components but attains about 80% of the benefits of the biodynamic preparations.
Can children or pets be harmed by contact with the sprays?
They are non-toxic, but treat them like compost: wash hands after handling and keep pets off freshly treated foliage until it is dry.
How can I tell if the preparations are working?
Simple lab tests—soil respiration, active carbon, or PGPB counts—give quantitative confirmation.
How should I store the preparations between uses?
What are preparations BD 500–508 and what do they do?
The Science
Is biodynamics backed by science?
Dr. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer’s comparative plots (1933–1940) showed peas grown with biodynamic compost outperforming those fertilized with equal or greater N-P-K from chemicals. Modern metagenomics confirms that preparations 500–507 introduce large populations of plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), improve soil organic carbon, and increase root biomass.
Ongoing 21st century research continues in conjunction with the Goetheanum and other independent researchers.
What do recent peer-reviewed studies say about Horn Manure (BD 500) and Horn Silica (BD 501)?
A parallel German wheat study recorded a 12% rise in soil microbial respiration and improved aggregate stability after two seasons of the same sprays.
What scientific contribution did Alex Podolinsky make?
Field measurements across Australian sites documented:
- topsoil depth growing from 2 cm to 8 cm in three years,
- water-infiltration rates tripling, and
- cereal-crop protein rising 1–1.5 percentage points—all without synthetic fertilizers.
He attributed the gains to high-quality BD 500, precise stirring, and timely application.
How did Pfeiffer’s data challenge the N-P-K mindset?
He concluded that “living humus, not sheer tonnage of soluble N-P-K, governs plant nutrition.” His compost assays measured robust microbial respiration and stable, crumbly structure absent in purely chemical treatment
Why focus on microbes instead of just N-P-K numbers?
Laboratory cultures isolated over fifty distinct beneficial strains from a single batch of BD 500. These living systems recycle nutrients continuously.
What is NPK?
These are three of the most important elements in agricultural for growing healthy plants, though plants also require a host of trace nutrients as well as living organic matter and balanced soil (pH).
Where can I read the research for myself?
Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, OENO One, and Scientific Reports – regular peer-reviewed articles on biodynamic soils and crops.
Pfeiffer’s Bio-Dynamic Farming & Gardening (includes original compost and chromatography data).
Podolinsky’s Bio-Dynamic Introductory Lectures for large-farm case studies.
Does biodynamics improve nutrient density in food?
Contemporary lab analyses report higher polyphenols, vitamin C, and antioxidant capacity in biodynamically grown grapes, carrots, and lettuce compared with organic controls grown side-by-side.
How can I stay current with new scientific findings?
New peer-reviewed articles appear periodically, covering soil biology, crop quality, and climate-resilience outcomes.
Application
In what order, and at what time of day, should I apply the sprays?
BD 500 (horn-manure): 1 hr stir; dusk soil spray at planting or before incorporating green manures.
BD 501 (horn silica): 1 hr stir; ultra-fine foliar mist at sunrise on leaves of plants, several days after BD 500, and again post-blossom for flavor.
BD 508 (horsetail tea): simmer/steep; spray on soil (evening) or foliage (morning) whenever prolonged damp invites fungus.
Do I spray soil, plants, or both?
How often should the sprays be used?
BD 500 at early spring, mid-season green-manure turn-in, and autumn;
BD 501 at 3-leaf, flowering, post-fruit-set and after long cloudy spells;
BD 508 whenever damp conditions persist.
Quality gains peak ~9 weeks after application.
Application may be less frequent in subsequent years.
Should I treat soil before or after planting?
What’s the deal with moon phases and cosmic rhythms?
See Maria Thun’s long-term trials.
Growers still see core benefits from dawn/dusk spraying even without precise calendar work. Experiment and observe!
What kind of container is best for stirring?
Glass works, and so does food-grade plastic. Never use vessels that once contained chemicals.
Whatever container is used, it must be sufficiently large to leave plenty of room for the liquid to move freely throughout because the water rises along the edges as the stirring speed increases.
When should I spray? Must I wake before dawn?
For maximum effect, begin stirring leaf sprays before sunrise and apply immediately. Stir soil sprays in late afternoon and finish before sunset—times when earthly and cosmic forces meet.
Do I really have to stir for an hour?
Reverse direction after each full vortex (roughly every 30–60 seconds), to create chaos and a new vortex, while stirring for one hour. This can be done by hand or with a stirring machine. In the scope of a year, this is a very small investment for a big reward of fertility.
What size sprayer works for ¼ acre versus two acres? Do I need a power sprayer?
For one to two acres, a 4-gallon backpack mist-blower or diaphragm pump saves time. Above two acres, use an ATV-mounted boomless nozzle at 3 gallons per acre.
What do I do with leftover stirred solution?
Do not store overnight; the living forces dissipate within hours.
Can I mix biodynamic sprays with liquid fertilizers or compost teas?
What happens if I skip a year?
Resume with an intensive sequence: Horn Manure, Barrel Compost, then Horn Silica every two months for one season to rebuild momentum.
A practical example is yogurt: it does very little good to eat yogurt rarely. It is the repeated applications that provide the sustained benefit.
Vititculture
How do biodynamic wines differ from conventional—or even organic—wines?
Biodynamic wines are vibrant and full of life, smooth yet bursting with acidity, alive and electrifying in a way you may have never experienced before.
Growers consistently report more articulate terroir, spontaneous and stable ferments, and a sharply reduced need for cellar additives when fruit is raised under full biodynamic practice. One trade review summed it up: “This amazing portfolio represents some of the world’s finest, most authentic, artisanal wines. Biodynamic farming practices continue to pay handsome dividends in the quality of these extraordinary offerings.”
What qualifies a vineyard or winery as biodynamic?
If the vineyard is Demeter-certified, are the bottled wines automatically biodynamic?
Grapes may be certified at the farm level, but the bottled wine carries the biodynamic® label only when the separate Demeter Processing Standard is met in the cellar (filtration limits, additive bans, sulfur ceilings, etc.).
Getting Started
What’s the simplest way to start?
After using the Beginner's Kit, you may consider graduating to the Intermediate Kit and then to the Advanced Kit.
Can I practice biodynamics in a tiny garden with no animals?
Can I treat compost tumblers with biodynamics?
How much time will biodynamics add to my week?
An hour may seem like a lot in the moment, but the real work remains ordinary gardening. The kind of rich fertility you can give your garden for a mere hour of time is priceless.
What results should I expect the first year?
Microbial counts spike 6–9 weeks after each application; noticeable gains in crop flavor, shelf-life, and disease resistance follow in the second season. Full “farm organism” effects usually require four consecutive years. After four sequential years, the soil will begin to attain a dynamic homeostasis—an ability to maintain its own fertility. Compost must still be added every year, but nutrient cycling will tend to improve dramatically.
Where is the best place I can get biodynamic preparations?
No other organization shoulders the task of keeping biodynamic preparations available. You will not find them at a typical garden center. Orders may be placed directly through jpibiodynamics.org; the office ships nationwide (and internationally).
If I could use only one preparation, which one matters most?
What is a good first book to introduce me to biodynamics?
There are also many freely available back issues of the Biodynamic Journal available at the Soil and Health Library, where you can also find Ehrenfried Pfeiffer's book Soil Fertility.
Get Hugh J. Courtney’s Biodynamics for Beginners here.
Ordering Biodynamic Preparations
How do I order if I live outside the United States?
Export laws classify biodynamic preparations as soil amendments. If your country requires a phytosanitary certificate, you will need a new one for each order.
According to the USDA, orders less than $1250 require a non-commercial certificate the cost of which is $61 [as of July 2025]. Orders $1250 and above require a commercial certificate, the cost of which is $106 [as of July 2025]. The inspection application fees are an additional cost to the customer not included in our Shopify checkout.
Note: nothing can be added to orders once they have been inspected and a phytosanitary certificate obtained. The phytosanitary certificate covers only one order and its specific contents. To add other items, a separate order would need to be placed, so please make sure everything is in your order exactly as you want it before filing for an inspection to get a phytosanitary certificate.
Place your order through our online store; the office will e-mail any paperwork you must file.
What if my package arrives warm—are the preparations ruined?
Open the box, allow it to cool gradually, and check each item: a healthy preparation has an earthy smell and a crumbly texture. If foul odor, slime, or excessive mold appears, photograph the contents within 24 hours and contact customer service for a free replacement.
Further Information
How did biodynamics begin—and how did it arrive in America?
Where can I learn more about biodynamics?
Watch free videos online.
Enroll in the Biodynamic Farmer Foundation Year or Development Year programs run by the Biodynamic Demeter Alliance—open to beginners and experienced growers alike.
Attend regional field-days and on-farm workshops listed at biodynamics.com/events.
Are biodynamically-grown products already in stores?
Some biodynamic brands include:
- Benziger (California)
- Bonterra “The Elysian” range
- Château de Beaucastel (Rhône)
- Lunaria (Abruzzo)
- Holle baby foods (EU)
- Pukka Herbs teas
Frey Wines are also carried in many stores, including Whole Foods. Look for the Demeter® seal on the bottle or package.
Where can I find a structured course in biodynamics?
You can also look to the Pfeiffer Center for their year-long training program.
Can I study online or from my own garden?
Are scholarships or financial aid availabe?
What about short courses and weekend workshops?
How can I stay connected to the biodynamic community?
The Biodynamic Community on Facebook is another good place to ask questions. Many biodynamic gardeners and farmers subscribe to JPI's Substack for ongoing learning and conversations.
Is anyone using biodynamics to reclaim desert land?
Founded in 1977 by Dr Ibrahim Abouleish, SEKEM began on 70 hectares (~173 acres) of barren sand northeast of Cairo and revived them through biodynamic compost, cover crops and careful water management. Today SEKEM's land is no longer classified as desert thanks to their tireless work reforesting the area. The project stewards well over six thousand desert acres—including a 63-hectare “Greening the Desert” farm in the Bahariya Oasis—and spearheads the Egyptian Biodynamic Association, now working with more than 2,100 smallholder farmers moving to regenerative biodynamic methods. The effort has rebuilt topsoil, moderated local micro-climates and created supply chains for organic cotton, herbs and food sold worldwide.
Where did the cow horn idea originate?
The course took place at Koberwitz (now Kobierzyce, Poland), where a group of farmers unearthed what had been buried per his instructions from the previous season. He demonstrated stirring with his walking stick. This parallels old peasant traditions of stirring and spraying out rich soil over poor areas, a process called Tonsingen ("Tone Singing" or "Clay Singing") that was fading away under the influence of materialistic sciences. Now we understand that much more is spread when making a compost tea, but the science of the time did not understand this. The biodynamic preparations are ways that farmers can create their own living fertilizers without relying on chemical inputs. What is normally considered waste (offal and weeds) are the basis of renewed natural fertility.
How much of U.S. farmland is managed biodynamically?
Globally, India and Egypt each apply biodynamics on more than 100,000 acres, mainly in cotton, spices, and desert reclamation projects.