Dynamisation & application
The technique that activates and distributes the preparations.
Dynamisation is the technical gesture that precedes applying the sprayed preparations (500, 501, 508, CPP). Water is stirred for about an hour, creating a vortex and repeatedly reversing direction (creating “chaos”).
The technique and quality of application — time of day, droplet size, coverage — are considered as important as the preparation itself in biodynamic practice. Good execution ensures even distribution and is part of the know-how certification assumes.
Effort
Medium — about an hour per application.
Cost
Low — labour and simple equipment.
Time to result
Immediate on application quality.
What it advances
Contribution by goal — click through for detail and metrics.
The dynamisation and application method is part of biodynamic know-how and the record-keeping Demeter requires.
Well-executed dynamisation and application ensure the preparations reach the plant and soil evenly.
The quality of the 501 application is part of what growers associate with definition and expression in the wine.
How it works
Alternating stirring for an hour is used to “activate” the preparation in the water; the application (droplet, time, coverage) determines distribution.
How to apply
- 1Dynamise the preparation in water for ~1 hour.
- 2Apply right after, with the right droplet (coarse on soil, fine on canopy).
- 3Respect the time of day suited to each preparation.
- 4Log preparation, rate, time and plot.
What to measure
Frequently asked
Can dynamisation be mechanical?
Yes — there are mechanical dynamisers that reproduce the vortex and reversal, useful over larger areas, as long as they respect the method.
Why does the time of day matter?
500 and CPP are applied at day’s end on the soil; 501 early in the morning on the canopy. It is part of the biodynamic application method.
Related reading
Related practices
How GrapeFlow helps
Plan and document this practice by plot, with an audit-ready history for Demeter certification.
Preparations & application log
Every application of 500, 501 and the other preparations logged by plot, date and rate — the history the Demeter audit asks for.
Biodynamic calendar
Root, leaf, flower and fruit days and the lunar phases in GrapeFlow, to plan preparation applications and work in step with the calendar.
Electronic field notebook
All operations — compost, cover, animals, dynamisation — logged by plot, ready for certification.