[milarepa]

My wife is going to experiment with two raised beds using the biodynamic gardening method. Has anybody tried this and any advise?

[darkbrowneggs]

I have been following this (more or less) for around 20 odd years now.  I feel it works for me.  I get
The planting guide each year as well

[tygrysek75]

Yes,I do and love it .I,m also combing this with Effective Microorganisms and results have been very good.My garden looks sometimes messy as the plants(comonly called weeds) also present as having their role too.Good luck

[Lesley Silvester]

What is biodynamic gardening?

[Bionic]

MGM, I thought it was just me who didn't know what they are talking about 

Hopefully we will both be wiser soon
Sally

[doganjo]

That makes three of us .....  unless it is that non dig system whereby you just fill a raised bed and don't walk on it, or compact it in any way and just add liquid nutrients?

[Fleecewife]

Biodynamics is a step beyond Organic.  It involves growing and husbanding with natural systems, with the phases of the moon and without chemicals or unnatural treatment of animals.  I believe it also includes a philosophy of life for those using the system.  Most of it makes sense to me except the making of a potion, which has to be stirred either clockwise or widdershins, can't remember which, then buried in a cows horn for a while then used to sprinkle on the land.  That bit puzzles me, but it was explained as more to do with the community ceremonies and rituals involved with a Biodynamic system than any real benefit to the land.

[Bionic]

Thanks for the info Fleecewife.  I have just looked it up on the internet as well.  It all sounds a bit beyond me. 

[YorkshireLass]

I can go as far as a lunar calendar, but they lose me at the potions I'm afraid.
Also wonder how specific the calendar/tips are - same dates in Cornwall as the Hebrides...?

[Fleecewife]

Yes exactly.  I find if the day is good for sowing, planting out or whatever ie it's not bucketing down, under 2' of snow or a day for doing sheep, then I just go for it, and to wait for the right phase of the moon could mean losing the opportunity.  I seem to get good crops anyway.
We are probably halfway between Devon and the Shetlands and we usually find ourselves about 3-4 weeks behind the SW, but even locally conditions vary enormously.

[Miss Piggy]

Yes I agree with fleecewife, I had to look it up on the internet last night and decided wouldnt be able to work with the lunar calendar, just got to do whats got to be done when I can. Also I got lost when it started talking about the potions and cow horns. Have to say the organic part of it and trying to work without chemicals etc as much as possible is probably what alot of us strive to achieve anyway, and is all for the best. 

[tygrysek75]

Hi again,I'm more concentrating on the time of sowing and which plants go well with which.For eg.if you have carrots they grow well next to onions,leak,spinach,strawberries but never put next to it beetroot.potatoes.cabbage's or dill.There also recipes how to make fertilizers from nettles and other plants to make sprays against pests.the best is to get a good book about it.To be honest I had never heard about any horns and stuff.The book i'm using is an old book from1989 in polish.

[Fleecewife]

That's Companion Planting and Natural Remedies rather than Biodynamics.

[Lesley Silvester]

Thanks for telling us.
I avoid chemicals and plant in the right groups, such as carrots with onions (which is to cover the smell of carrots to deter carrot fly) but I'm not standing in the pouring rain just because the moon is in the right quarter.

[MAK]

I gather that planting by the moon is not unusual in these parts. Certainly my old neighbours live very much by the callender - even to the point of telling us off for picking Rene Claude plums before the 14th August. Sinners we are - we also picked some Kiwi fruits before November 1st. We found several hollowed out cow horns hanging up when we moved here - 2 had hunting knives in them so I really don't think that the old boy who lived here was into Bio-Dynamics.
A cows horn turned up in the dung I dug out of the barn to mix with my compost. I keep turning the pile but leave the cow horn in the compost for good luck. Maybe I will hang it from the runner beans next year.