Gardening With The Moon Archives - Living With The Moon

Stewardship of the land

by Jutta Russell | Apr 30, 2022 | Biodynamic way of life, Gardening With The Moon, The soil revolution

weeding This article explores the history of agriculture and how it turned into our recent way of farming that is so reliant on artificial fertilizers and pesticides. How can we use the stewardship of the land in a better way?

The history of artificial fertilizers and pesticides used in agriculture

We all can make a big impact, positively as well as negatively. When it comes to cultivating the land, nature always took care of itself, and the rhythmic cycles – preparing the soil, planting, harvesting, and composting in preparation for a new growing cycle – took care of itself for thousands of years. The soil was rich and full of life. There were millions of tiny creatures involved in this delicate process. Fungi, earthworms, insects, and microbes all lived harmoniously in the soil. Microbes cultivated the crops and even colonized the guts of the humans and animals that ate these plants. It all worked in a harmonious, ever-repeating cycle.

Historians think that the earliest form of agriculture arrived with the domestication of wild animals such as horses, pigs, and cows and can be traced back to around 10,000 B.C.

During the Bronze Age (around 3,300 B.C.) more sophisticated ways of agriculture sprang up and modifications to harvest cycles and best planting practices – like Biodynamic planting dates – were established. All these were organic tools with the intent to enhance harvest production.

The arrival of the first fertilizers

The first introduction of artificial fertilizers was undertaken during the early part of the 19th century. John Bennet Lawes began the first scientific investigations about adding inorganic fertilizers (mainly phosphates) onto fields to increase crops with moderate success. But other than these early steps the organic way of farming and gardening remained largely unchanged until World War 1 (1914-1918).

The Haber-Bosch process

The first patents for synthetic ammonium nitrates and other chemical fertilizers emerged from Germany. In 1910 Carl Bosch, working at the time for the chemical giant BASF, started to secure a number of patents for the use of synthic chemicals to increase crop production. He teamed up with Fritz Haber and both won a Nobel prize in 1918 for their Haber-Bosch process. This method is still the main formula to produce artificial fertilizers. Basically, this process converts nitrogen(N2) to ammonia (NH3) by a reaction with hydrogen (H2).

In the years after World War 2, more patents were sought and the use of synthetic fertilizers increased rapidly. Countries like China, Russia, and even Vietnam used these products in great amounts and Russia remains to this day one of the leading producers of artificial fertilizers.

Pesticides

The real problem started when pesticides were used in tandem with artificial fertilizers. Again during World War 1, chemical warfare started to be introduced for the first time as a new weapon to kill soldiers in the trenches. Factories had to be remodeled to manufacture and supply these substances, mainly consisting of mustard gas and tear gas. But the war was short and once it was over, all these factories stood idle.

Pesticides such as arsenic, mercury, and sulfur dusting have already been used by the Sumerians in 2000 B.C. but in very small quantities and overall the soil health remained intact. However, after World War 1 and especially after World War 2, its use increased enormously. It is estimated that the worldwide use of pesticides today measures around 2.5 megatonnes per year and this has, of course, a huge impact on the health of our soil and as a consequence our health.

The main detriment is killing the useful bacteria, microbes, and all the millions of other insects and species that help with the composting and the soil preparation. By killing them all, the soil turns to dirt – void of all life, and artificial fertilizers have to be used in ever-increasing quantities to assure a successful crop. The more we destroy, the more we have to artificially feed the plants. It is a cycle of destruction and sadly many farmers are now stuck with this process. To build up a new soil structure takes time, a lot of time. And many farmers would not commercially survive this conversion. This brings me to the next point of stewardship of the land.

The Stewardship of the land

The fundamental way of human existence is to be connected to the natural cycle and the feeling of being at one with nature. We are not above it, far from it!

We are an integral part of the all-natural processes and share this planet with plants and animals in equal measures. We need to respect them and in turn, will be enriched by their contribution to the natural cycle. It should be a cycle of mutual benefit, not destruction.

The introduction of artificial fertilizers was not all evil. Initially, it was seen as a means to serve a growing population with increased food security and lower food production costs. But now we know that this has not happened and starvation still exists. Instead, farmers are held to ransom with increasing fertilizer price rises and worthless soils.

We better had listened to Rudolf Steiner’s warning exactly 100 years ago when he predicted all this and gave lectures to regain soil health and the linked food production and gut health. At the time this approach was ridiculed by many established scientists and the connection was only proven a few years ago.

As I mentioned above, we all can have an impact, positively and negatively. You may not be able to grow your own food, but at least you can source food from responsible food growers who work with the land and its natural rhythms. It may cost a tiny bit extra as this way of farming is slightly more labour intensive and it takes more time to keep the soil in a good state. But by doing this, these farmers make sure that the land keeps its fertile soil and is in a good state of health when it is eventually passed to the next generation and the next after them. We all share responsibility in this and we all share in the stewardship of our precious Earth.

Here is an article that explains more about gut health and weight control

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How to create a perfect lawn

by Jutta Russell | Aug 27, 2021 | Gardening With The Moon, Happy House

Most gardens, in the UK anyway, have lawns. Some are perfect and would make a wonderful backdrop to a British tea party, others are not much more than dirt patches with bits of grass in it. Below is a guide to help you create the first scenario and what to do when you end up with option two – the weedy, unsightly dirt patch.

Natural lawn care

Create a new lawn from scratch:

When you have to start right from the beginning, then the best time to establish a new lawn is in early spring and whenever you see a turf symbol on the ‘LWTM life-style calendar’. First, dig over the dirt patch and remove all unwanted weeds and stones. Then divide your grass seeds in half and first sprinkle them north to south and the east to west. This will make sure that you get an even coverage and no bald patches. Then rake the ground over with a big rake and sprinkle a fine layer of compost on.

All you need then is to watch for the grass to come up. If the weather is very dry, water the lawn seeds in – do this at least once a week. But if you do have some rainy days, then just keep off the grass and let nature do the work for you. In a few weeks, the first little grass stems will poke through. Try to keep off the grass as long as possible, until it is firmly established.

Once the grass has reached a reasonable height, choose a dry day (preferably when you sign the lawn-mower sign in the ‘LWTM life-style calendar’) to do your first cut. Set the blades of your lawnmower quite high, say 4cm (2 in) and finally lower them to the length you want – usually around 3 cm. ( 1 1/2 in).

Lawn care program in March/April and September/October :

Once your lawn is established it is important to keep it in good shape. The best months for this are March/April and September/October during the Waning Moon.

This procedure will take a bit of time, but will ensure that you have a great lawn.

Step One: mow the lawn as usual.
Step Two: Rake out all the moss, weeds and thatch. If you have a medium to large lawn it might be worth hiring a powered lawn raker.
Step Three: If your lawn is prone to water-logging it is well worth spiking the lawn. It needs to be done every other year. This procedure will ensure that your lawn does not get compacted and that rainwater is free draining. For a big lawn, you can hire machinery to do this, but if your lawn is not too big a good old-fashioned garden folk will do this job nicely. Start at one side at the edge and stab the folk into the grounds, making a row of small holes. Then remove the garden folk. Move about 15 cm (4inches) on and repeat the procedure. This is hard work and you may need to work in small areas a bit at a time.
Step Four: Edging This will require a lot of work the first time you do it. But if you repeat this process regularly, it will be rather quick and easy.
When you establish a lawn, it is a great idea to put stones around it, so it is easier in the future to edge the lawn. If you have no stone border, you can create an edge by using a garden spade or half-moon-shaped edging tool (this should normally be done in early spring). Perfect edges make a big difference and create a real wow factor.
Step Five: Feed the grass: In September it is important to feed the lawn with a nitrogen-low feed to make it grow less and get it toughened up for the hard winter months to come. Although I recommended anything natural, like nettle brew. This is one task when ‘over the shelf’ products are hard to replace with ‘home-made’ equivalents.
Step Six: Finally top-dress your lawn with a layer of compost. Fill a wheelbarrow full of compost and shovel earth onto your grass. It is important not to use too much, as you need to rake it into the grass. It might be better to use less and repeat it more regularly.

If you follow these steps consistently, you will keep a good-looking lawn for years to come.

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The Soil Revolution – part 1

by Jutta Russell | Jun 30, 2021 | Biodynamic way of life, Composting and soil tonics, Gardening With The Moon, Moon Science

The status quo –
where are we now?

As far back as 2014, Reuters reported that a senior UN official said, “If we continue with our intense farming practices and destruction of wildlife at the current levels – we have realistically 60 years of sustainable farming left. “ (source Scientific American)

This is a sobering thought. But what has happened on the official front since 2014?

Where are the school campaigns that explain to children that to make 3cm of topsoil takes the earth roughly 1000 years, but we only have 60 left. Where are the billboards and media campaigns to the same effect? I am interested in this topic and apart from the occasional scientific paper, it does not seem to be ‘newsworthy.

But this ecological wave is coming nearer and nearer and nearer. And the evidence is all too clear. Since 2014 we had more floods, bushfires, and heatwaves and the destruction simply moves on. First the coral reefs, then the icebergs in Antarctica, the increase of desert and soil destruction, and the massive, massive loss of wildlife. The last one is properly the most talked about topic. And it is lovely to look after the bees, but only bees and no other wildlife would never ever work.

I know it is not the best place we currently find ourselves in, but this blog series is not meant to be just doom and gloom. The essence here is – what can we do about it? And then act fast!

Luckily there are a few men and women around who really grasped this concept early on and started doing something about it. Some of these methods are really ingenious and we will hear more about their various projects over the next few articles.

But let’s start first at the beginning

When Rudolf Steiner first taught his first Biodynamic soil lectures – now almost 100 years ago – this topic did not seem relevant and he was called a deluded dreamer for most of the 20^th century. But not anymore. Ever since scientists discovered microbes in the soil and even inside us, the concept of ‘the living soil’ has moved from random fiction to fact.

The first Biodynamic lectures were held just after the First World War and this is by no means a coincidence. Although this war was short (1914-1918), the world saw chemical warfare used for the first time in combat. The real war benefit was only established towards the end of this war, but with peace on the horizon all these chemical plants had no longer any use. So a plan was hatched that these chemicals could in diluted form be brought out on the fields to get rid of ‘soil and leaf’ pests. This meant the farmer did not have to adhere to long-standing traditional methods of crop rotation, weeding and composting. The ‘miracle cure was of course much easier to administer.

And initially the farmers were enthusiastic. Who would not like more yield and less work? But after a few years, the quality of the soil and produce deteriorated and some farmers asked Steiner for advice.

Additionally, the first year a little bit of fertiliser did the trick, but with every subsequent year more and more fertilizer had to be used to achieve the same result. This is costly but after a while, there is not much of an alternative. left. The farmers can’t just stop the farm for a couple of years in order to wait for the soil to revigorate. This is not a sustainable business model and the trap continues.

What had happened?

Let’s look first at how the soil works. Compost material (waste from the previous growing season) together with compost tonics and manure are put onto the fields and reinvigorate the soil. This usually happens in late autum (the end of the growing cycle) and in early spring (the beginning of the cycle). This enables the billions of microbes in the soil to turn the compost into a fertile, nutrient-rich soil, ready for the next growing cycle. This humus is full of fungi, earthworms and insects. It is the ‘internet of the soil’, distributing moisture and letting plants almost ‘communicate’ with each other and certainly cross-fertilize each other (that is the principle of companion planting).

But artificial fertilizers destroy all these natural soil improvers, turning fertile, alive soil (there are billions of these creatures in just a handful of earth) into dirt= dead soil.

Lifeless dirt is then artificially fed to produce the next year’s crop, but there is no regeneration. Once this chemical is washed away by the rain, it is gone and more product has to be put on to replace it. But more importantly, the food you eat is ‘also dead’ as no or very few microbes survive. Dead food lacks nutrients and most importantly microbes. We need the soil and its creature for our survival, too. IPS, bloating and more severe health crises can often be traced back to food that gives us fuel (and puts on calories) but does not actually ‘feed us’. And that is not even taking obesity and diabetes into account.

I have often talked about the macro-organism and the micro-organism and how they work together. If you are new to this concept it is as follows:

The Macro-organism is the universe, the planets, stars and micro-organisms are all living creatures. Beetles, birds, whales, lions, trees, flowers, and of course us humans. It is like a huge clockwork, every clog and wheel turns individually, but when in harmony they feed and enrich each other.

Going back to the clock example. Taking a small wheel out of the clock may be ok, but destroying half of the clockwork – what do you think would happen? Most children could answer this.

But this is exactly what we are doing with the planet. Currently, we are losing about 30 soccer fields EVERY MINUTE!

We read above that the earth is capable of making 3cm of good quality topsoil in about 1000 years – please make the Maths.

Additionally, the soil is responsible for catching carbon and hanging on to water. Dirt can’t do that and the results are floods and climate change.

So, we are where we are, and no more gloom! From now on this series will turn to seek real, positive solutions. We need to make this positive turning point for the sake of our children and grandchildren. The Soil Revolution has started and we are all hell-bent to reverse this damage done over the last 100 years. Come and join in and do your bit!

Access here the second installment of the Soil Revolution series

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Renewal pruning of deciduous trees and shrubs

by Jutta Russell | Oct 29, 2019 | Gardening With The Moon, Happy House

The Waning Moon and New Moon in November/December is a good time for renewal pruning of any deciduous trees and shrubs. If the weather is too wet or cold, you can move this task to January or even February. But make sure you have pruned back your deciduous specimen by the beginning of March.

There are two ways to prune:

Method 1 – the slow pruning option:

Before you start to ‘butcher’ your plants, stand back and have a good look. Some may need a radical prune (see section below), but most plants just need to get ‘back into shape’ and a ‘soft prune’ will just do that.

Deciduous shrubs and trees respond particularly well to this method, but it can also be used for evergreens.

First cut out old branches and stems that are too crowded. You can prune them back right to the main stem. Following that prune the rest of the bush/tree into a reasonable shape. Depending how fast the plant grows, take off a quarter to a third of its length. This ‘modest’ pruning method will make sure that the bush rejuvenates over a few years. But whilst this rejuvenation happens, you will still look out on a decent plant in your garden. This way of pruning is also a sensible option for very slow growing specimens.

The other alternative is more radial.

Method 2 – radical pruning option

If you have inherited a totally overgrown or neglected garden, you may wish to prune all plants back to the ground and start from afresh. This method is advisable if a plant is fast growing (although be careful, the more you prune, the quicker the plant will grow back) and if a plant looks very old, tired or even ill. Sometimes a radical pruning session at New Moon is the best option to let a plant spring back into life again. I once had an old holly bush that, due to a burst pipe at a neighbour’s property it had been waterlogged for a while. As a consequence it had lost all its leaves and quite frankly looked dead. So I decided to give it a final go. At the next New Moon I pruned back all side shoots and also chopped a third off the top.

At first nothing happened. But as soon I decided to chop it down completely, a few light-green shoots appeared. Now it is back again to its full old glory and a real focal point in our garden.

Biodynamic gardening made easy

by Jutta Russell | Sep 29, 2019 | Gardening With The Moon, Happy House

What is the big difference between biodynamic gardening and traditional gardening? This is a question I have been asked a lot over the years.

What is the big difference between biodynamic gardening and traditional gardening? This is a question I have been asked a lot over the years.

This is a question I have been asked a lot over the years. The gardening techniques may seem similar, but what is radically different is the overriding principle. A non-biodynamic gardener wants, on the whole, to make her/his plants look the best with whatever is a quick and convenient way. ‘Weeds’ are controlled with pesticides and the soil is a means to grow flowers/plants, but no particular thought is given to it.
Snails, earthworms and most insects (with the exception of bees) are not welcomed and exterminated. This will give you a nice garden but often to the detriment of wildlife erosion and longer down the line the extinction of species.

The biodynamic approach is more wholesome. It all starts with the soil and great effort is made to keep the soil in good condition. The addition of soil tonics, organic sprays and earthworms play a big part. If a plant grows in the ‘wrong place’, it is not just called a weed and discarded. Instead, it is carefully hoed out and used to make compost (although they need to be rotted down) or used in other ways. Take for example the plant nettle. In the ‘biodynamic world’ a nettle is never seen as a weed, but as a useful byproduct of nature. You may not want to have it grown in your favourite flower bed and will probably hoe it out from there. But what you do is different. Normally you would just throw it away as weeds. But the biodynamic gardener finds a lot of uses for it. For example dried – it makes a great detox tea, used as nettle brew it is the best lawn fertiliser there is and the fresh leaves can even be added to salads as they are full of nutrients. Anything not useful does not go to waste, but gets put back on the compost heap to make wonderful soil to help the next generation of crops grow.

Where does the word ‘Biodynamics’ come from?
The phrase ‘Biodynamics’ was created by Rudolf Steiner and is made out of the Ancient Greek words ‘bio’ (life) and dunamis (power). A biodynamic garden is managed as if it was a single complex organism.

In essence, Steiner described Biodynamics as an ‘ecological and sustainable approach to agriculture/gardening that increased soil fertility without the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides’.

So it follows that bees, earthworms and other insects are not harmed but welcomed and put to good use. However, that does not mean that there is no pest control at all. Of course there is. But it is done in a sustainable/organic way and not as a blanket-extermination-program.

To make it all more effective, people use biodynamic calendars to harness the ‘best natural times’. We made it easy here and have created symbols for the most important gardening tasks. Here are some of the symbols to look out for.

We have grouped them together in the category Happy House in the LWTM lifestyle calendar. Here is a link to the calendar.

Click here to read more about how Biodynamic Gardening works

Traditional versus Biodynamic Farming

In contrast to conventional farming which is largely linear – you put a plant in the earth, grow it, take it out and sell it. Any unwanted plants/insects or other animals that interfere with producing just ‘the one crop’ are destroyed. Then the fields are stripped and made ready for the next crop.

The biodynamic approach, in contrast, is circular. You prepare the earth with soil tonics/compost, mostly made from the unwanted plants from the previous year – now turned into compost. Planting is done with calendars harnessing the life-force and plants that cross-fertilise (grow well next to each other, also known as companion planting) are seeded/planted.

Yield is also important, but so is the state of the soil and the balance of wildlife. Not just one crops is grown, but multiple at the same time. At harvest or even during growing, any unwanted parts, like leaves, roots, etc are used for composting instead of extinguished by pest control. This compost is then added to the soil together with earth tonics at the beginning of the next growing cycle.

Traditional Farming:
-Uses the soil as a commodity
-Is interested in high yields
-Pests are kept away by spraying chemicals
-Rows of the same crop are grown and all other plants are killed with pesticides
-It is all about making as much money from the land as possible
– no connection to natural patterns and life forces
– relies heavily on intervention from chemicals from outside.

versus

Biodynamic Farming:
-Is interested in the land as a whole (preservation of animals, soil condition, recycling) as well as the yield.
-Pests are controlled in natural ways and the emphasis is concentrated on how/when planting is done.
– Much time is spent on producing healthy soil conditions that are able to sustain many future crops to come. Compost is seen a vital part of soil preparation.
– Many crops are grown together, in fact that is encouraged so plants can naturally ‘cross-fertilise’ each other.
-Organic soil tonics, preparation and planting calendars are used to improve yield and keep the plants and soil healthy.

– Biodynamic farms aim to become self-sufficient interlinking animals into the agricultural process (manure as fertiliser, composting, etc) and try to limit most outside interactions.

Start a biodynamic compost heap

by Jutta Russell | Apr 28, 2019 | Composting and soil tonics, Gardening With The Moon, Happy House

The LWTM compost symbol

Compost is a great gardening tool and best of all it is free. Chemical fertilizers are expensive and damaging to wildlife. If you have not yet got a compost heap or bin, here are a few tips on how to get started:

Home-made compost is cheap and easy to make, but the downside is that it takes around 6 months to gestate. The speed depends on the position of your heap (sun or shade) and the climate.

The most productive location in your garden is in a hidden corner, away from direct sunlight in dabbled shade. If you keep your bin/heap in full sun then the compost soil will dry out too quickly. But positioning it completely in the shade will decrease the time good quality compost is produced.

Biodynamic Composting
The best time to start a compost heap is during Waning Moon, the nearer to the New Moon the better, or whenever you see the compost heap symbol on the LWTM lifestyle calendar. Compost needs heat to develop, so the best time to start one is in early spring to early autumn. During the cold winter months, the compost soil will lay dormant and the process will restart when the weather gets warmer in spring.

What type of container shall I use?
There are many different varieties on the market. You can buy either a custom-made container (usually made of wood) or you can buy one off the shelve (usually made of plastic).
I have also seen biodynamic compost heaps that are made out of four wooden posts and chicken wire. I would not recommend them as heat escapes too quickly and the process is not as efficient as it could be.

If you don’t want to opt for a container, then the best natural alternative is to dig a hole in the ground (roughly one square meter wide and one meter deep). That means the earth will act as insulation and all you need to do is cover it with a piece of wood or old carpet to protect the compost from the element

Once in place, sprinkle some earth on the ground, then add organic kitchen waste, grass clippings, leaves, eggshells, coffee and tea bags, hair, straw, and wood ash. Avoid all kinds of weeds, metal, glass, plastic, cleaning agents, plants with diseases, dairy products, and meat.

Make sure the waste is balanced

To achieve a good balance apply the four-element rule:

Fire Make sure that the compost is not too dry

Air Make sure the compost gets enough air

Water Make sure the compost is not too wet and slimy

Earth Make sure the ingredients are balanced.

Once the waste has reached about 30 cm (one foot), add a thin layer of earth and some compost tonic, then carry on with another layer and spread some earth on top until the compost heap is full. Finally, cover the full heap with some soil and leave to develop.

How many compost heaps shall I have?

biodynamic compost heap

This depends on the size of your garden, but the minimum is two – one side to fill up and one to use. For a medium-sized family garden, I would recommend three bins – one to fill up, one to develop, and one to use. This system will ensure that you have good-quality compost available all year round.

When shall I bring the compost out?

This is the symbol to look out for when turning the soil, bringing out the compost, and doing some weeding.

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