Horsetail (508) for demeter certification
The contribution, measured
Time horizon: Ongoing
How it contributes
Horsetail is part of the biodynamic preparation set; its use is documented in the Demeter programme.
What to measure for this pairing
Why this goal matters
Demeter is the leading biodynamic certification. It requires the organic base plus the use of the biodynamic preparations, managing the farm as an organism, biodiversity quotas and its own cellar rules.
In practice, gaining and keeping Demeter is mostly a matter of doing — and proving. Every preparation application, operation and input has to be logged and traceable for the annual audit.
Goal indicators
Market & certification: The Demeter seal is a strong market differentiator and the formal goal of most biodynamic projects.
How to apply the practice
- 1Prepare the horsetail decoction/tea.
- 2Spray over the vine and soil in humid periods.
- 3Fit into the preventive programme, not as a copper replacement.
- 4Log the applications.
Frequently asked
Does horsetail replace copper?
No. It is a preventive reinforcement within the programme; downy-mildew control still rests on copper and good preventive practice.
When should it be applied?
Mostly in humid, higher-fungal-risk periods, often in combination with the rest of the preventive programme.
Same practice, other goals
Same goal, other practices — Demeter
How GrapeFlow helps
The proof Demeter certification demands — logged by plot and date.
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.
Electronic field notebook
All operations — compost, cover, animals, dynamisation — logged by plot, ready for certification.
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.