Preparation 500 (Horn Manure)

Prep 500 is made by putting fresh cow manure - preferably organic - into a cow's horn and burying it over the winter period, from autumn equinox to spring. This transforms the manure into a very potent preparation which enhances the soil and it's organisms and makes nourishment more readily available to the plant roots.

Experience (over 80 years since Steiner began the biodynamic movement in 1924) shows that Prep 500 actually changes the nature and structure of the soil to a more beneficial state for the plants. It also aids in making topsoil, speeding up the process. as it takes the earth 3000 years to make half an inch of topsoil on her own everything we can do to help is obviously a good idea.

To do a stirring you need ...

• A bucket 
• Wooden stick for stirring, a piece of broom handle is a good thickness. 
• Fresh water, preferably spring water, or rain water from a butt, or water from your own stream if you are this lucky. Or if you have a "flow form" use water which has been through this. You can use tap water but allow this to stand for an hour before you begin the stirring, in order to let the chlorine dissipate out into the air. 
• Preparation 500 
• A watch or clock to time yourself. 
• Some friends to help is very good too. Group energy is really is important and the old adage "when two or three are gathered together …" has been a magical working thing for centuries longer than the Christians picking it up and adding it to their quiver. Also, it’s hard work! Having friends helps and you can make enough for all of you to share. 

You crumble a small piece of the Preparation 500, smaller than the size of a golf ball, into your bucket of water. Now begin to stir. You have to get a rhythm and feel for this, it must be regular and rhythmical, not too fast, don't push the river, as they say, it flows of itself. Not too slow. It will feel like walking easily when you've got it right.

You stir the water clockwise for about 20 seconds until you’ve made a vortex, like a funnel, going down to the bottom of the bucket. After 20 seconds you'll feel the vortex collapsing into chaos again so you begin to stir the other way round, anti-clockwise , until you have made a vortex to the bottom of the bucket. Again, after 10 seconds you'll feel the vortex begin to collapse again so you change direction and stir clockwise again. You keep doing this, stirring to make a vortex one way then changing direction and making a vortex the other way for 1 hour by the clock – hard work!

When you have stirred for an hour, stop. The preparation is now ready to be sprinkled on the garden, window box, plant pots, farm, whatever you have. You must do your sprinkling within a couple of hours or the mixture goes off. The most effective way is to get a large wall-paper-type brush, dip it in the bucket again and "flick" the brush over the area you are treating.

You'll need a calendar of days when it is very beneficial to make up the Preparation 500 and flick it with a paint brush onto your garden, window box, plant pots, whatever. There are 8 Preparations in all, 2 of which (preps 500 and 501) you stir and apply directly to your soil and plants. 6 of the others are for your compost. there are also 'teas' for dealing with fungus.