Has anyone tried this?
'Organic Manure', (ISBN 0-929979-62-1) by Nikolaus Remer. p52;
"When he gave his agricultural course Rudolf Steiner mentioned the fact that it would be beneficial to add clay in appropriate doses to sandy soils. He wanted to indicate the dosage at a later time. Later on this did not occur in his lectures. In 1955 I asked Dr Ehrenfried Pfeiffer about it. He told me that Rudolf Steiner had given him the information at a later date.
Orthoclase, ie Potassium feldspar, must be ground to a fine powder. A quantity the size of a bean is mixed with the soil of the field to be treated. The horn of a cow is filled with the mixture and buried in the field during the summer. In November it is mixed and sprayed like Horn Silica. This process presents a possibility for further development, as is evident from the numerous efforts by Alexandrov, dealing with siliceous bacteria that originate in the soil and animate potassium alumino-silicates.
Alexandrov has achieved good results with siliceous bacteria on many varieties of cultivated plants. (Woronkov; Silicon. Akademie Verlag, Berlin, 1975, p. 30: compendium of the work of Alexandrov.)"
Clay preparation
Clay preparation
does this not have similar effects as the Silica in the plant book? it seems to me that this is comparable in its effects on sandy soils, by making them much better at holding water and thus support plant life, which at decay adds organic matter.
Plant book
I think that we should postpone discussion of what is in your book until it is available in the shops. I would find it frustrating to have the discussion going on if I could not join in due to information being unavailable.
Re: Plant book
Mark wrote:I think that we should postpone discussion of what is in your book until it is available in the shops. I would find it frustrating to have the discussion going on if I could not join in due to information being unavailable.
So where were we? I think that there's been reasonable chance to get hold of your book now. What were you saying .. similar effects of Silicea in your book.. when compared to the potassium feldspar of Dr steiner's clay preparation.Kaviraj wrote:Okay, sorry.
Sorry to have interrupted. Do go on .....
I wrote this for the UK BD magazine Star and Furrow, It seems apt here as it collects the clay prep information of which I am aware.
Clay
“The forces coming in from the cosmos and being caught up underground must be able to flow upwards again, and the substance which brings this about is clay. Clay is the mediator through which the cosmic activity in the soil is enabled to work from below upwards. In actual practice this will give us the key to the handling of both clay soil and sandy soil according to the particular way we may wish to cultivate. But we must first know what is actually happening. How clay is to be described and treated in order to make it fertile are important but secondary considerations. The first and foremost thing to know about clay is that it promotes the cosmic upward flow…..
…. In the case of a soil which does not in itself promote the required upward movement of forces which ought to work upwards in the Winter period, it is well to add clay in a proper proportion. (I shall indicate this proportion later on.) In this way we enable the soil to carry those forces upwards to make it effective in the realm of plant growth above the Earth.
Silicon is the general external sense organ of the earth, lime representing that which desires; clay mediates between the two. Clay is slightly closer to silicon and yet it acts as a mediator with lime. ”
Dr Steiner - Agriculture - Lecture II
__________
Wouldn’t it have been great if Dr Steiner had had time to indicate the proper proportion of clay to add so that the upward movement of the distant forces could be facilitated?
There has been original work to try to make this process effective using clay in various preparations. Of those that I am aware Hugo Erbe was the first to go public with his own clay preparation. I suspect that using this idea of clay as the go-between for lime and silica he sought out rhythmical manifestations of clay and of a sheath whose purpose was also rhythmical. After using the pericardium for a while he came to the sudden realisation that the oesophagus of a cud-making animal was the sheath he had been seeking. This should be filled with ‘brick clay’ that had been through a mindful rhythmical process. The clay should be left for seven weeks and then dispersed in water to make a ‘slip’. This would be allowed to settle and be dispersed in fresh rain water a further six times before the sediment was put into the oesophagus. Once tied and contained this would be put in a hollow tree to be amongst the rising and falling sap. 10g in 100 litres would be sprayed out in spring .
Peter Bacchus told me that the horn preparations were sometimes made with a clay plug over the contents before they were buried. In this way a clay element was introduced into the field sprays although, if I have remembered our chat correctly, it does seem a little haphazard.
More recently Greg Willis had developed his own ‘horn clays’. Greg is one who can receive inspiration and the inspiration which came to him was also clear: cow horns should be stuffed with bentonite clay and buried from equinox to equinox over the solstice. This creates two clay preparations that have been interred for six months which either gather the growing forces of spring or the maturing forces of autumn. These ‘6 month’ horn clays are used in Willis’ spring and autumn field and foliage sprays, and he is convinced about the benefits of using his ‘missing preparation’ in the mixes when used in the right season. Greg also uses 12 month clays and interested readers are referred to GW Agriculture’s literature for details of their use .
Enzo Nastati from ‘L’Albero Della Vita’ in Italy makes his clay preparations during the holy nights. This ‘argilla’ is used widely throughout his many preparations for specific agricultural tasks, in combination with potentised biodynamic preparations and usually with gold. I trust this will be of particular interest to those who were fortunate enough to attend his recent UK lectures. Those who missed these events may be heartened to hear of the longer UK course currently being finalised for winter 2007-08 .
It was only after coming to know of all these different clay preparations that I read that there is indeed an oral route back to Dr Steiner and his missing indication for clay.
"When he gave his agricultural course Rudolf Steiner mentioned the fact that it would be beneficial to add clay in appropriate doses to sandy soils. He wanted to indicate the dosage at a later time [but…] this did not occur in his lectures. In 1955 I asked Dr Ehrenfried Pfeiffer about it. He told me that Rudolf Steiner had given him the information at a later date.
“Orthoclase, ie potassium feldspar, must be ground to a fine powder. A quantity the size of a bean is mixed with the soil of the field to be treated. The horn of a cow is filled with the mixture and buried in the field during the summer. In November it is mixed and sprayed like Horn Silica. ”
So colleagues, let’s go to it and see which one works best for us, and please don’t forget to share your findings.
Clay
“The forces coming in from the cosmos and being caught up underground must be able to flow upwards again, and the substance which brings this about is clay. Clay is the mediator through which the cosmic activity in the soil is enabled to work from below upwards. In actual practice this will give us the key to the handling of both clay soil and sandy soil according to the particular way we may wish to cultivate. But we must first know what is actually happening. How clay is to be described and treated in order to make it fertile are important but secondary considerations. The first and foremost thing to know about clay is that it promotes the cosmic upward flow…..
…. In the case of a soil which does not in itself promote the required upward movement of forces which ought to work upwards in the Winter period, it is well to add clay in a proper proportion. (I shall indicate this proportion later on.) In this way we enable the soil to carry those forces upwards to make it effective in the realm of plant growth above the Earth.
Silicon is the general external sense organ of the earth, lime representing that which desires; clay mediates between the two. Clay is slightly closer to silicon and yet it acts as a mediator with lime. ”
Dr Steiner - Agriculture - Lecture II
__________
Wouldn’t it have been great if Dr Steiner had had time to indicate the proper proportion of clay to add so that the upward movement of the distant forces could be facilitated?
There has been original work to try to make this process effective using clay in various preparations. Of those that I am aware Hugo Erbe was the first to go public with his own clay preparation. I suspect that using this idea of clay as the go-between for lime and silica he sought out rhythmical manifestations of clay and of a sheath whose purpose was also rhythmical. After using the pericardium for a while he came to the sudden realisation that the oesophagus of a cud-making animal was the sheath he had been seeking. This should be filled with ‘brick clay’ that had been through a mindful rhythmical process. The clay should be left for seven weeks and then dispersed in water to make a ‘slip’. This would be allowed to settle and be dispersed in fresh rain water a further six times before the sediment was put into the oesophagus. Once tied and contained this would be put in a hollow tree to be amongst the rising and falling sap. 10g in 100 litres would be sprayed out in spring .
Peter Bacchus told me that the horn preparations were sometimes made with a clay plug over the contents before they were buried. In this way a clay element was introduced into the field sprays although, if I have remembered our chat correctly, it does seem a little haphazard.
More recently Greg Willis had developed his own ‘horn clays’. Greg is one who can receive inspiration and the inspiration which came to him was also clear: cow horns should be stuffed with bentonite clay and buried from equinox to equinox over the solstice. This creates two clay preparations that have been interred for six months which either gather the growing forces of spring or the maturing forces of autumn. These ‘6 month’ horn clays are used in Willis’ spring and autumn field and foliage sprays, and he is convinced about the benefits of using his ‘missing preparation’ in the mixes when used in the right season. Greg also uses 12 month clays and interested readers are referred to GW Agriculture’s literature for details of their use .
Enzo Nastati from ‘L’Albero Della Vita’ in Italy makes his clay preparations during the holy nights. This ‘argilla’ is used widely throughout his many preparations for specific agricultural tasks, in combination with potentised biodynamic preparations and usually with gold. I trust this will be of particular interest to those who were fortunate enough to attend his recent UK lectures. Those who missed these events may be heartened to hear of the longer UK course currently being finalised for winter 2007-08 .
It was only after coming to know of all these different clay preparations that I read that there is indeed an oral route back to Dr Steiner and his missing indication for clay.
"When he gave his agricultural course Rudolf Steiner mentioned the fact that it would be beneficial to add clay in appropriate doses to sandy soils. He wanted to indicate the dosage at a later time [but…] this did not occur in his lectures. In 1955 I asked Dr Ehrenfried Pfeiffer about it. He told me that Rudolf Steiner had given him the information at a later date.
“Orthoclase, ie potassium feldspar, must be ground to a fine powder. A quantity the size of a bean is mixed with the soil of the field to be treated. The horn of a cow is filled with the mixture and buried in the field during the summer. In November it is mixed and sprayed like Horn Silica. ”
So colleagues, let’s go to it and see which one works best for us, and please don’t forget to share your findings.
Pictures of horn clay
I've put up some photos of a horn-clay 'experiment' for you to see. The first one is the group of Water Association people filling the horns.The second is just the horns in the ground waiting to be backfilled. The last is the clay once removed from the horns after 12 months in the ground.
Re: Clay preparation
What happened to the plants when sprayed with this?
Re: Clay preparation
For a 2024 update have a look here
Re: Clay preparation
Easter clay preparation now ready. If anyone wants any do ask. I sprayed it mixed with 501 this morning in the general Easter spirit of upwards-streaming forces after doing 500 on Good Friday. We probably need plenty of the 501 pole after the very wet months we've had.
Re: Clay preparation
The Heart of Clay
Dennis Klocek
AB # 13, Fall 1995
It has been said by soil scientists that, by working the soil, it is possible to do in a few years what would take nature thousands of years to accomplish. Intensive soil cultivation and the addition of proper soil amendments can aggregate sandy soil to give it more crumb, or open heavy lime marl to give it more porosity. In both instances, when the proper soil consistency is maintained, the soil is said to have heart.
Among soils, only alluvial clay loams have this heart naturally. Clay is the heart of heart in the soil. But, as it is with everything in nature, there can be too much of a good thing. To much clay can produce a dense, sour soil in which water stagnates in puddles, plants rot from the roots, and growth is slow and uncertain, especially during cool seasons. Heavy clay heats up slowly. And if it ever dries out, it takes a concerted effort to penetrate it with water, since clay tends to shed water rather than absorb it when dry.
All things being equal, however, clay has a great potential to establish heart in the soil since it is absorptive, plastic, and chemically dynamic, when trying to overcome soil deficiencies.
A gardener has a bit of an advantage over a farmer, if the clay soil is truly impervious. A farmer deals with clay in selecting rotations of plants, which can pulverize the soil and break up the clods. In the west, where alkalinity also works against soil porosity, gypsum is often added because its sulfur content connected to the calcium (lime) brings the pH closer to neutral. This encourages heart in clay. Through proper plant rotations, as well as the application of rock powders, compost, and very careful tillage, a farmer can turn clay into soil in a number of years...
Dennis Klocek
AB # 13, Fall 1995
It has been said by soil scientists that, by working the soil, it is possible to do in a few years what would take nature thousands of years to accomplish. Intensive soil cultivation and the addition of proper soil amendments can aggregate sandy soil to give it more crumb, or open heavy lime marl to give it more porosity. In both instances, when the proper soil consistency is maintained, the soil is said to have heart.
Among soils, only alluvial clay loams have this heart naturally. Clay is the heart of heart in the soil. But, as it is with everything in nature, there can be too much of a good thing. To much clay can produce a dense, sour soil in which water stagnates in puddles, plants rot from the roots, and growth is slow and uncertain, especially during cool seasons. Heavy clay heats up slowly. And if it ever dries out, it takes a concerted effort to penetrate it with water, since clay tends to shed water rather than absorb it when dry.
All things being equal, however, clay has a great potential to establish heart in the soil since it is absorptive, plastic, and chemically dynamic, when trying to overcome soil deficiencies.
A gardener has a bit of an advantage over a farmer, if the clay soil is truly impervious. A farmer deals with clay in selecting rotations of plants, which can pulverize the soil and break up the clods. In the west, where alkalinity also works against soil porosity, gypsum is often added because its sulfur content connected to the calcium (lime) brings the pH closer to neutral. This encourages heart in clay. Through proper plant rotations, as well as the application of rock powders, compost, and very careful tillage, a farmer can turn clay into soil in a number of years...
Re: Clay preparation
Sorry - some confusion in the upgrading of the system means I lost the post about Easter horn clay.
The theory is that the clay brings up the silica forces in a soil that doesn't manage this easily itself. I was playful with this and the easter period - the rising after the descent. So the horn clay was put in a large glass jar and brought into suspension by careful squishing and stirring. Like Erbe's horn clay I let the suspension settle 7 times over the Easter period from Good Friday to Easter Day 2024. That was the making of the preparation.
The horn clay was interred as in the post above in 2009.
- IMG_20240329_163339.jpg (48.64 KiB) Viewed 2207 times
The theory is that the clay brings up the silica forces in a soil that doesn't manage this easily itself. I was playful with this and the easter period - the rising after the descent. So the horn clay was put in a large glass jar and brought into suspension by careful squishing and stirring. Like Erbe's horn clay I let the suspension settle 7 times over the Easter period from Good Friday to Easter Day 2024. That was the making of the preparation.
- IMG_20240329_163548.jpg (45.82 KiB) Viewed 2207 times
The horn clay was interred as in the post above in 2009.