BiodynamicPlanting - Rhythms and Practices

In our Market Garden we use Brian Keats' Astro Calendar. There is so much information in this publication regarding naked eye astronomy, getting to know the night sky, understanding and living with the celestial cycles and weather forecasting, and of particular importance to me as the propagator , biodynamic planting-rhythms and practices.This part of the calendar is based on the research of Maria Thun who" suggests that the Moon's travel through the Zodiac influences the plant in a four fold way based on the Aristotlean Elements: When the moon is in an Earth sign/constellation the roots of a plant are favourably influenced: in a Water sign, the leaves; in an Air sign, flowery parts and in a Fire sign, fruit and seeds....Out of this work she (Maria Thun) advocates planting root crops (like carrots) whenever the moon is in Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn which are considered by her to be Earth signs.

Following this calendar for us means that all the jobs that are to be done around the farm are based on the calendar which gives rhythm and order to our days.Over the past few days the Moon has been in Leo, a Fire sign and therefore fruiting plants are the most favourably influenced. Coming into spring and summer these fruit days are our busiest. And so the last 21/2 days has been devoted to tomatoes.

I started the tomatoes here in the under heater

Here they have germinated 

This is the first of at least 3 pottings up. I've potted up 240 so far.

Here you can see that the tomato bed has been cultivated and well rotted cow manure is being spread - supervised by Aggie

Mark has weeded and fertilized some fruit trees as he goes as they are included in the fruit days.

Drip irrigation has been replace with stakes to mark the drippers and mulch added and watered in.

The beds will sit for a month or so until the threat of frost is over. In the mean time the manure will break down further and I will continue to pot up the tomatoes and the capsicums and eggplants. Tomorrow is a root day and we will look at setting beetroot, shallots, and leek seeds. Mark will cultivate beds for carrots and radish .