Preparation 501 (Horn Silica)

Preparation 501 is made by adding rainwater to finely ground silica (quartz crystal) to make a thin dough-like mixture. This mixture is used to fill cow’s horns which are then buried in the earth at Easter and dug up at Michaelmas. The energies stored in the horn are enhanced and fructified by the energies present in the soil over Summer, and radiated back into the Silica.

Preparations 500 and 501 act together in a complementary way balancing and harmonising the above-ground parts of the plant with the roots and soil. The water, air and fire elements help the Leaf, Flower and Fruit/Seed processes in the plant. They are most active over the Summer period. Working out how to use 501 to best effect seems a little complicated at first but, once you get the hang of the calendar and how it works then it becomes quite obvious.

Stirring

To do a 501 stirring is very similar to stirring Prep 500 - see here. However it works best if you're prepared to get up in the morning! The stirring should be done in the morning, preferably when the conditions are dry, one hour before sunrise and applied within two hours after sunrise. Look at your stirring calendar for relevant dates.

Calculate the area of your garden. The amount of Preparation 501 to use is normally 1/30 oz per 2 gallons of water per acre(4840yd2), or 1gm per 10 litres of water per 4000 m2 … but for your purposes use a tip-of-a-penknife’s worth in a ¾ full bucket!

Water – Before the day of stirring fill your bucket with rainwater or pond water (not tap water or water that has just come out of a well or spring. If you have to use tap, well or spring water leave it in an open-topped container outside in the sunlight for three days).

Application

Strain the liquid through the sieve into the sprayer. As you are walking in your garden, apply the spray in the finest mist possible to the relevant parts of the relevant plants; don't forget grass and your houseplants.
When to use ...

This is the complicated bit, whichever part of the plant you apply it to will grow well. For instance ...

• Grass leaves on a LEAF day - you'll be mowing every day !!! 
• Lettuces on a FRUIT day - they'll all bolt 
• Cabbages on a flower day - they'll all flower 

So there are things you have to think about - what do you want from the plant?

If you want your flowers to flower really well then you should use 501 on the flowers only - so this means being careful with your spraying - on a FLOWER day.

If you want your lettuces to hear up nicely then you use 501 on their leaves on a LEAF day when the lettuces themselves are coming close to hearting up. there's no point in doing it to tiny, baby seedlings, they can't heart up yet, they haven't grown enough.

If you want to slow down your lawn growth then use 501 in a different way. T his time use it in the afternoon, on a root day. This will draw the energies down into the roots and make the grass plants concentrate on this area of growth, rather than the leaves. Additionally it will strengthen the roots and make them better able to survive periods of drought.

When you harvest your potatoes you also use 501 in the afternoon, on a root day, a few days before you're going to lift them. this "finishes" the tubers, improving their taste and storing capacity.

If you have black spot on your roses you can use 501 to help with this. Use it in the morning on a LEAF day, being careful to spray only the leaves of the rose. You need to do this several times over the summer for susceptible roses. And you still have to take off the diseased leaves and burn them - it won't cure the leaves which are affected, but it will help the new leaves to resist the disease.

• These are just a few ideas about using 501. if you want to learn more come to a workshop.
  
• We will be putting out the book - Biodynamics for Gardeners - in 2006.