Plants and their many good uses…
The use of plant-based preparations is often practiced in Organic farming and is not exclusively reserved for BioDynamics. Sprayed in small, homeopathic doses, these preparations serve as a signal to the plants; a piece of information; an invitation to prepare themselves for a change. Plant-based preparations are often used before, during, or immediately after an important stage in plant development such as bud break, flowering, or in anticipation of heightened disease pressure (usually Mildew and/or Oïdium).
These preparations play a role in the core functioning of the plant and are not to be used for curative purposes or direct action. In fact, in Organic and BioDynamic viticulture, we commit to using only preventative and prophylactic means of fighting vine diseases and forego the use of chemical curative products. We have only limited applications of copper and sulfur solutions at our disposal to combat the presence of diseases such as Mildew and Oïdium in our vines.
Plant-based preparations also allow us to further limit the use of these copper and sulfur solutions, the goal being one day to use only plant-based disease prevention solutions together with the use of essential oils, for example. As such, we continue experimenting every year using different plants and observing the effect that these preparations have on the health of our vines. Every year is different, making impossible the use of pre-determined miracle recipes. Part of being a BioDynamic producer involves observation, analysis, and adaptation
As of today, given our proximity to the ocean and its corresponding weather patterns, we regularly use the following plant-based preparations :
+ Horsetail concoction at the start of the season (until the “clustered flower buds” stage)
+ Yarrow herbal tea at the “separated flower bud” stage
+ Yarrow and flowering willow herbal tea
+ Oak bark concoction, Meadowsweet herbal tea, etc.
We therefore focus our efforts and research on plant-based preparations known for their properties as effective disease-prevention solutions. Together with our Organic treatments, we use essential oils from lavender and orange peels (citrus sinensis).
