Seed sowing has begun at Rutland Biodynamics!
After many years of having sent our seeds to be raised by professional organic plant raisers, we have finally taken the plunge to do this ourselves. We have a schedule of approx 100,000 cells to be raised this year, some annuals and some perennial replacements.
First up were 4,000 Capsicum minimum (cayenne) seeds, carefully positioned, cell by cell in certified organic and biodynamically prepared compost, followed by 2,000 Arctium (Burdock lappa – shown in photo).
Our schedule is derived from a combination of germination rates and the dates provided by the annually published guide “Gardening and Planting by the Moon” by the UK author Nick Kollerstrom, whose slim volumes have also provided each year, various fascinating insights into the ideas behind the calendar. Old back copies are well worth pursuing! This annual work recommends dates on which plants sown for root, herb, flower or seed crops benefit, in terms of quality and yield. It is a modern exposition of very ancient empirical traditions that have been with us since the dawn of civilisation and first systematically formalised in modern Europe by Maria Thun, inspired by the eclectic philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, from whose work biodynamic farming was another development.
With best wishes for a successful year from Rutland Biodynamics
