Horsetail preparation 508

The horsetail preparation 508 is regarded as something of a "forgotten preparation". Yet in his Agriculture Course R. Steiner repeatedly points to the silica-rich field horsetail and its particular effect.

Horsetail 508 is an easy-to-make preparation used to treat both soil and plants. It protects against competition from weeds and against pests. It also protects against rot, mildew and fungal infestation.

Unlike horn silica, horsetail works downwards, that is, into the soil. There it has an ordering and harmonising effect on plant growth. In other words, it helps to keep weeds in check. R. Steiner recommends it against fungal diseases, but also for improving quality, for example in potatoes.

We add 50g of dried field horsetail to 1-5 litres of rainwater.

Everything is brought to the boil and left to simmer for about 30 minutes. We then leave it covered to steep until the next day (approx. 12 hours or longer). The concentrate is then passed through a fine sieve

How is it stirred?

The concentrate is diluted with rainwater to about 1:40 and dynamised for 20 minutes.

Put the preparation into a wooden or stoneware pot filled with (rain)water, ideally cylindrical – metal is fine too (we would advise against plastic). Depending on the size of your area, use roughly the amount of water your sprayer can hold. The finer the spray it produces, the larger the area you can cover. For smaller areas, it is advisable to add a little more preparation to the water.

When stirring, make sure you complete the full 20 minutes without interruption. Take a wooden stick and stir quite quickly in one direction until a deep funnel (vortex) forms. Then stop and reverse the direction of stirring so that the water bubbles vigorously. Continue like this for the entire 20 minutes.

How is the horsetail preparation 508 applied to the land?

We strain the dynamised preparation into a preparation sprayer and spray it onto plants and soil with a fine nozzle.

When is the ideal time of year for application?

Field horsetail is applied in the winter months. Short spells of thaw are particularly suitable. Field horsetail can, however, also be sprayed directly onto snow.

Which plants is the horsetail preparation particularly suited to?

In principle, field horsetail can be applied to all crops and soils. In horticulture it is particularly effective on the soils for courgettes, cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes and strawberries. Also on berry bushes and grapevines, as well as on fruit trees. On grapevines and berry bushes it is sprayed over a wide area directly onto the branches. In fruit growing, onto the trunk and roots. The horsetail preparation can also be mixed into tree paste.

Field horsetail can be stored like tea in cloth bags or in a paper bag. To prevent mould, it should be kept dry.