Odlingsförsök efter Maria Thuns så–kalender. En undersökning av morötter som odlats på de fem kalenderdagarna rot, blad, blom, frukt och ogynnsam dag

Abstract

Despite Maria Thun's 50-year experience and the peer-reviewed studies available, the sowing-calendar is today regarded as highly controversial. In the field of biodynamics the use of this kind of calendar, which takes the moons sidereal cycle in concern when sowing, is somewhat more common and accepted. However there is also certain skepticism among biodynamic researchers, growing trials have been made which did not show satisfying results according to Thun's theory. The basis for this bachelor thesis was a growing-trial made with carrots in 2015, where five rows of carrots was sown, managed and harvested according to the different times of Maria Thun's sowing-calendar, namely: root, leaf, flower, fruit and unfavorable day. Both quantitative and qualitative studies have been made of the various carrot groups. To investigate the quantitative differences the carrots were counted and weighed. To investigate qualitative differences the groups were judged according to saleability and storability, and three tastings were held at different storage stages. Also extracts from three carrots of each group were mixed with copperchloride and made into crystallization images. The result of the study is somewhat ambiguous, but observations have nevertheless been made where the link between different types of crops and the four elements that are associated with the zodiac can be seen. The carrots grown on root days held a consistently high standard in the quality-emphasized investigations, and carrots grown on leaf-days had many small and somewhat more branching roots that were not counted as saleable. The result of the crystallization pictures showed that the leaf group had a short needled, narrow expression, and in the second and third tasting the leave-carrots were perceived as somewhat dry and harsh. When it comes to the crop yield the results did not correspond to Thun's experiences. The root-raw had a relatively low yield and the unfavorable-raw had a relatively high yield. However, it can be said that the carrots sown on what Thun calls unfavorable days had a bit more varied results, and was both highly and lowly regarded. The result of the yield however did indicate a possible connection between perigee (when the moon is closest to the Earth) and an increasing seedling emergence, which can be said to correspond with researcher Hartmut Spiess and John Bach's experiences, which, contrary to Maria Thun have reported favorable results for crops sown at perigee.