Valerian is a tall, sweet-smelling flower with feathery pink blossoms and a long history as a calming herb. In biodynamic tradition, BD 507 is associated with warmth and used as the liquid member of the compost-preparation set.
JPI makes BD 507 from valerian blossoms. For compost use, its stirred liquid is divided between a sixth hole and a fine mist over the whole pile; it is not only sprayed on finished compost.
Valerian is associated with warmth, fragrance, and comfort. Its scent has been compared to vanilla and also to well-aged cheese — oddly sweet, oddly musky, oddly earthy.
– Abigail Porter, Applied Biodynamics, no. 29/30 (2000): 170.¹
Biodynamic growers use BD 507 to support warmth and phosphorus processes in compost. In a 2026 in-vitro assay, BD 507 material from an Italian producer stimulated two selected compost-associated bacteria: Ureibacillus terrenus grew to 10^7 CFU/mL and Geobacillus thermodenitrificans to 10^8 CFU/mL, from a 10^4-CFU/mL starting inoculum. Separately, Jennifer R. Reeve’s 2003 compost experiment measured higher alkaline-phosphatase activity at day 100 in compost treated with the complete BD 502–507 set than in untreated compost (p = 0.0085); at final sampling, untreated compost measured higher activity (p = 0.0171). The laboratory assay tested BD 507 material directly; the phosphatase comparison tested the full six-preparation set.
For JPI’s current compost-set method, empty one BD 507 unit into one gallon of lukewarm rainwater or other chemical-free water and stir vigorously for 10 minutes. Pour half into a sixth hole in the pile, close the hole, and spray the rest over the whole pile in a fine mist. Use promptly on a new or well-covered half-finished pile. See the complete directions.
As Hugh Courtney reports:
The present instructions for using the valerian preparation remain just as they were received from Josephine Porter in 1984, and were given to her by Ehrenfried Pfeiffer himself.
– Hugh J. Courtney, Applied Biodynamics, no. 29/30 (2000): 176.²
This quotation records Courtney’s account of JPI’s teaching lineage. For present-day dose, placement, and timing, follow JPI’s current BD 502–507 compost instructions.
In Steiner’s anthroposophical account, BD 507 carries an image of cosmic warmth and the compost’s openness to its surroundings.
Karl König continued that imagery, describing valerian as a fragrance-ether preparation connected with planetary rhythms.
The compost heap, covered with valerian spray, becomes a lung which draws in the astrality of the surrounding cosmos. The fragrant mist of valerian allows the compost to inhale the warmth of the universe.
– Karl König, quoted in Applied Biodynamics, no. 29/30 (2000): 180.³
In that spiritual image, the final mist is a gesture of welcome to the surroundings. In the practical compost method, it follows placement of half the stirred BD 507 liquid in the sixth hole.
What is BD 507 and how is it used?
BD 507 is the valerian-flower preparation and liquid member of the BD 502–507 compost set. JPI stirs it in lukewarm water, puts half into the sixth hole, and sprays the other half over the pile. Follow the complete compost directions.
How does BD 507 benefit the soil and plants?
BD 507 is JPI’s liquid valerian preparation for the BD 502–507 compost set, which growers apply to compost used in gardens and farms. In a 2026 laboratory assay, Italian BD 507 material increased growth of two selected compost-associated bacteria from a 10^4-CFU/mL starting inoculum to 10^7 and 10^8 CFU/mL. In Reeve’s 2003 compost experiment, the complete BD 502–507 set had higher alkaline-phosphatase activity than untreated compost at day 100 (p = 0.0085), while untreated compost measured higher activity at final sampling (p = 0.0171). The first experiment directly tested BD 507 material in vitro; the second measured the full set in compost.
Is BD 507 suitable for all types of gardens?
BD 507 can be used in compost piles serving gardens or farms when the pile conditions are suitable. The compost-set directions do not make it a generic garden-soil spray for every situation. JPI discusses a separate valerian frost-protection use with its own context.
How should I apply BD 507 to my garden?
For the BD 502–507 compost method, empty the BD 507 liquid into one gallon of lukewarm water and stir vigorously for ten minutes. Put half into the sixth hole, close the hole, and fine-mist the other half over the pile with a clean sprayer. Follow JPI’s full directions; do not substitute a generic soil-spray method.
What habitat suits valerian grown for the preparations?
Valerian often grows along woodland and hedgerow margins where shade gives way to sun and moisture to drier ground. It can also occur in wetter or rocky places. These are habitat clues, not a guarantee that it will flower in a particular climate.
Use this preparation: Shop BD 507 Valerian · BD 502–507 compost instructions
