The bousse de corne is one of the most important preparations used in bio-dynamic viticulture. It’s also called preparation 500 and is applied to the vineyard in Spring and Autumn.
Cows’ horns are filled with cow manure and are then buried in the ground during the Autumn equinox. The horns are dug up again during the Spring equinox, diluted with naturally collected rainwater and then this is sprayed in the vineyard.
You need around 100g of the decomposed manure for each 35 litres of water. The mixture is stirred vigorously (dynamised) either by hand or using a dynamiser for an hour before being applied to the soil in the vineyards no more than an hour later.
Preparation 500 is said to improve soil structure, favour water retention, regulate pH, stimulate the germination of seeds and favour root establishment. It also encourages microbial activity and the formation of hummus.
It’s a homeopathic approach used by many top quality growers in the Loire and other regions of France.
