Working with cosmic forces

Most of us are aware that plants react to several factors: weather conditions, the amounts of sunlight and water, and the nutricious quality of the soil. But  there are more subtle forces that also influence the development and growth of plants. Such forces are ‘cosmic’, meaning they depend on the position of the Sun, the phases of the Moon, and the interaction between the different planets in our system. The Biodynamic method pays attention to all forces and takes into consideration the fluctuations of the cosmos to create a balance.

Several experiments have been conducted regarding these influences. Based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, Maria Thun has been studying the growth of plants for over 40 years (source: click link). One of her first experiments was to plant radishes every hour for several days observing clear differences in their development. Since all radishes were being planted in the same type of soil, getting the same amount of light and water, and being taken care of in the same ways, she concluded more subtle factors were responsible for such differences.

Her research has established specific days for specific labors, giving birth to the “Maria Thun’s Calendar“. According to her experiments, some days are appropriate for sowing, others for doing maintenance, and others for harvesting. Yet, this varies depending on what crop we grow: roots (like carrots), leaves (like spinach), fruit (like beans) or flowers (like calendula).

At Gabeno, we tried to apply the calendar as much as possible, yet it is very hard for a productive farm to be able to work exclusively according to the appropriate dates. This is mainly a consequence of the market and its pressure. Imagine going on Monday to buy our carrots, beetroots and radishes, and coming back on Sunday to pick up spinach, leek and parsley… Not yet, simply not yet!