The Villa Montalvo (Saratoga) Lectures by Alan Chadwick

• Series of four lectures at the Villa Montalvo Center for the Arts in May, 1972

(Click on the Part identifier to listen to the audio recording segment)

An Introduction to Chadwick's Lectures and a Glossary of Terms is here

Evidence for the dates of these lectures.

Lecture 1: The Vision of Biodynamic and Organic Gardening, Cultivation

Delivered: May 2, 1972

(Includes the full text transcription of this lecture)

Part 1.1 (Quotes by Lindsey Robb and Robert Graves; Agriculture and Horticulture; Long term vision of the garden and orchard is necessary; Gradual development of soils, both in the wild and in the garden; Recovery back from destructive elements in the world through the moral attitude of the gardener; the Cornucopia; Cleansing the air through the developing life of the garden.) 10:13

Part 1.2 (Sedge: an example of the natural process of soil building; Rudolf Steiner and other philosophers have questioned the trend toward destructive elements in agriculture; Balance in life and creation; Relationships and disrelationships as the essence of biodynamics; Verbosity does not serve, gardening is a spiritual journey; Becoming aware of nature's laws; Difference between forces of sun and moon; Horticulture is an art that uses the souls of living things as its medium; Respect for all life.) 9:56

Part 1.3 (The magic of nature; Share the garden with the rest of the natural world; Best not to be divorced from the forces of creation; The Joy of creating a balance in the garden instead of declaring war on nature; the Cornucopia; Medicinal value of quality foods; Vegetables grown on chemicals breed pests; the Delirious joy of an organic garden teeming with life; Nutritional value of fresh foods; Locally grown produce has a unique quality and magic.) 10:07

Part 1.4 (Cultivation; Delicate and fragile character of soil; Protection of the mystery of fertility; Wild nature is more potent in its vitality and resistance than garden plants; The virtue of weeds; Life into death into life; the Vision of the gardener can transform dead soils into fertile soils; Discovery by the Greeks that plants grow best on a landslide; Drainage; Breathing of soil.) 9:31

Part 1.5 (Breathing of plants increases as a result of the breathing of soils; Cycles of plant growth; Raised beds as imitation of natural landslides; French Intensive Method; Deep cultivation; Worms; Deep-rooted plants; Frost and snow as natural cultivators; Glaciers; Plant growth creates fertility if the correct systems are used.) 10:54

Part 1.6 (Soil must be kept alive; Soil texture; Dew and capillary; Destructive effects of roto tillers; Cultivation during summer and during winter; Thermal control in the French Intensive System; Mulching; Constitution of potting soils; Nature loves the human being; the Sensitivity of plants; Nodules of bacteria on legumes.) 11:16

Part 1.7 (Fava beans; Fungus problems; Clovers, Cover crops and compost; Seed production; Stratification in soils.) 11:14

Part 1.8 (Questions and answers from the audience: Wickson's Fruits and Vegetables; Organic and Biodynamic; Rudolf Steiner.) 4:03

Part 1.9 (More questions and answers from the audience: Agriculture and Horticulture; All farms should be based upon the love of the land; Monoculture; Hybridization; Decline of seed quality; Control of gophers through companion plantings.) 10:06

Part 1.10 (More questions and answers from the audience: Trapping gophers; Deer problems; Cover crops in the orchard.) 8:23

Lecture 2: Propagation, Cycles, Plant Relationships

Delivered: May 9, 1972

(Includes the full text transcription of this lecture)

Part 2.1 (Gratitude of nature toward human beings; Visions of master propagators have created most of the garden plants; Raising seeds; Cuttings, Root divisions; Direct sowings and transplanting; Preparation of seed flats; Potting mix; Turf loam.) 9:59

Part 2.2 (Turf loam; Leaf mold; Carnations; Tomatoes; Sieves; Watering and sowing the corners and edges of flats and beds; Cover seed lightly; Soil sterilization; Weeds Herbicides.) 10:07

Part 2.3 (Influence of the moon; Pricking out; Need for continuous growth; Potting soils; Spacing on transplants; Ideal temperature of water; No overhead watering initially; Golden rule for covering seeds; Sensitivity of plants; Stratifications; Evening transplanting; Holding plants only by the leaves; Spacing of plants in the final beds.) 9:43

Part 2.4 (Thermal control; Continuous and accelerating growth of plants; Using young vegetables for food; Continuous harvesting; Selecting varieties of vegetables; Weeding of beds; Warmth in the seed beds; Dry off seedlings before transplanting; Water only to roots for two days after transplanting; No additional watering.) 10:21

Part 2.5 (Planetary cycles and their effects on plant germination and growth; Inclination and declination; Polarities; Sun cycle; Spring equinox; Fall equinox; Annuals and Perennials.) 7:24

Part 2.6 (Winter dormancy; Moon cycle; Interplay between sun influence and moon influence; Effect on tides and all water by the moon; Seed germination is an effect of water and therefore affected by moon; Keep seed bed moist during germination; Avoid watering in the full sun; Polarity of air to soil as balance to each other.) 9:42

Part 2.7 (Cuttings and strikes; Buds as quasi independent organisms; Sexual and asexual propagation; Soil medium for cuttings and strikes; Timing for cuttings best at equinox; Annuals and perennials; Carnations; Nothing static in nature; 1971 and 1972 were very different from each other.) 11:18

Part 2.8 (Propagation by seed is best, when possible; Position of parent plant to take cutting from; Optimal size of cutting; Grape vines; Transplant as soon as possible; Pruning of strikes; Wilting; Rooting powders; Bulbs.) 9:21

Part 2.9 (Propagation of the strawberry; Must decide if the plant should be for fruit or for propagation, not both; Analogy to poultry reproduction; Must wait for the second and third year runners for best results; Remove runners from crop plants, blossoms from propagation plants; Runnerless strawberries propagated by crown division; Hybridization and retrogression of plant and animal stock; Taking seed; Reintroduction of origin plants in strains is advisable; Raising seed in the home garden.) 11:11

Part 2.10 (Culling inferior plants; Wait until the third or forth pod for best quality seed; Remove the first and second pods; Pinch back the main shoot after the pods form; Relationship between plant and gardener; Propagation of education.) 5:46

Lecture 3: Fertilization, Plant Relationships

Delivered: May 16, 1972

(Includes the full text transcription of this lecture)

Part 3.1 (Repetition of the introductory quotes by Graves and Robb; Environmental side-effects to introductions of plants and animals in new locations; Weeds and pests; Misguided use of chemicals to poison weeds; Weeds are the great soil builders; Birth defects traced to use of herbicides; Fear is not an adequate approach to ecology; Must be based upon respect for all of nature.) 10:12

Part 3.2 (Interrelation between man and nature; Life into death into life; Green matter of weeds is essential for making organic compost; Manures are mere processed weeds; Grass vs. mixed pasture for cattle; Conspiracy by chemical manufacturers to promote misinformation; Origin plants higher in vitality than cultured plants; Nothing is wasted in nature.) 10:00

Part 3.3 (Happiness affects vitality; Fresh air; Fertility vs fertilizers; Lorette's system of pruning; Greed in modern agriculture; Relationships and disrelationships between plants; Fava beans as antifungal.) 10:17

Part 3.4 (More on fava bean culture; Seaweed; Nettles in compost; Interplanting vs sprays; Sonchus as aid to tomato culture; Ranunculus controls clovers; Manures; Pig, cow, sheep, rabbit, horse manures; Poultry manure is not very beneficial; Stock piles of decomposed manures; Bird Guano.) 9:34

Part 3.5 (Geographic differences in fertilizations; Leaf mold; Oak leaf mold is best, then beech, then most deciduous trees; Leaves not to use as leaf mold; Calcium; Bone meal; Oyster shell.) 7:32

Part 3.6 (Carnations need oyster shell because the origin species grew along the seashore on ancient shell deposits; Live lime as a disinfectant; Seaweeds restore vitality in plants; Bracken fern as natural disinfectant, mulch in strawberry bed, and frost inhibitor.) 6:12

Part 3.7 (Wood ash; Building the burn pile; Trace elements; Vermiculite; Worms; Deep rooted plants; Humus, moisture, and fertility.) 9:44

Part 3.8 (Raised beds; Compost; Do not add manure to compost; Building the compost heap; Shady places are best; Warm gasses needed by plants are produced by compost; Life into death into life; Use compost at the moment of the height of its decomposition; Two and one-half to three months is usually enough time; Open the ground underneath; Green matter is best; Harvest weeds before they go to seed.) 10:39

Part 3.9 (Stratify compost pile with layers of greens, then kitchen swill, then a complete covering of soil; Benefits of sour milk as a compost starter; Live lime as foundation of vegetable clamp to expel rodents; Keep compost moist; Turning is not necessary; Special composting plants: nettles, comfrey.) 10:15

Part 3.10 (More on comfrey; Fava bean; Chickweed; Chicory; Rhubarb; Alfalfa; Pulsation; Clovers; Leeks; Sonchus; Senecio and the beneficial birds; Plantain; Nasturtium as control of white fly and as compost ingredient; Mustard as antidote to acid soils.) 10:42

Part 3.11 (Biodynamic preparations; Importance of texture in soils; Sunflower stalks; Earwig traps; Jerusalem artichokes; Hollow stems; compost of seeds; Potatoes for cleaning new soil; Questions from the audience: Best oaks to use for leaf mold.) 9:49

Part 3.12 (Questions from the audience: Fava beans in compost vs as green manure; Nasturtiums on the compost vs stratifications in soil; Moisture content in compost pile; Horse manure; Poison oak; Alan's age; Prospects for his involvement in a garden project in Saratoga; Wood ash; Need for patience.) 10:20

Part 3.13 (More questions from the audience: Cover your swill with soil immediately, then begin again with green matter in the compost; Three methods for digging soil.) 3:56

Part 3.14 (More questions from the audience: When to use the compost; Fertilizations for shrubs; Never feed trees or shrubs as they go into dormancy; Irrigation as a vehicle for taking nutrients down deep; Fertilization of Camellias; Soil texture; Overhead watering vs watering to the roots; Spring rains; Transplanting vs direct seeding; Clean tools; roots on the compost.) 11:48

Lecture 4: The Totality of the Garden, Garden Layout

Delivered: May 23, 1972

(Includes the full text transcription of this lecture)

Part 4.1 (Loofah sponges; Specimens of various plants; Comfrey; Watering depth and frequency; Decrease watering as plants come into fruit or flower; Drying off plants before transplanting; Time to cut flowers before the sun hits it in the morning; Collect berries when absolutely dry; Same with tomatoes; Bloom on fruit is essential to protect; Fruit is best locally grown and ripened on tree.) 10:52

Part 4.2 (Fruits not suitable for human consumption until acids are turned to sugar in natural ripening process; Most fruits must be eaten very fresh; Harvesting of pears; Early fruit crops must be eaten immediately, middle crops may be kept briefly, late bearers should be picked a bit unripe, then stored in a cool place with plenty of fresh air; Storage of nut crops; Vegetable clamps for storage of root crops.) 10:01

Part 4.3 (Continuation of description of vegetable clamp; Decline in commercial seed quality; Chadwick's cherry tomato; Benefits of saving your own garden seed.) 10:37

Part 4.4 (Dahlias; Propagation of Dahlias; Lifting and storage of Dahlias; Planting methods.) 10:29

Part 4.5 (More on division and planting of Dahlias; Potato propagation and storage; Toxic qualities of green potatoes left in the sun; Chitting seed potatoes; Fear of death as impetus toward fruiting.) 11:49

Part 4.6 (Growing from seed much more satisfactory than buying plants; Anemones; Lilies; Begonias; Economy of growing from seed.) 9:11

Part 4.7 (Planting Anemone corms; Freesia; Ornathogalum; Oleander repels gophers and deer; Garden layout within the natural setting; The Clairvoyer.) 9:53

Part 4.8 (The garden as an extension of the environment; Scents of flowers; Mathiola, Daphne, Nicotiana Affinis, Narcissus, Carnations, Alyssum, Violet, Freesia; The emanation of the people and place of Saratoga.) 7:17

Part 4.9 (Questions from the audience: Pernicious weeds must be burned; Dealing with white fly by growing nasturtiums; Nicotiana affinis as an antidote to aphids; Vegetable rennet; Details of watering schedule; No pampering of wilting plants; Theoretical learning vs practical experience; Moisten soil, but do not leach out nutriments by over-watering.) 10:34

Part 4.10 (More questions from the audience: Timing for making strikes and cuttings; Culture of water cress and mustard; Herbal insecticides; Egg shells for carnations and tomatoes; Seaweed in the orchard; Fava bean; Method for selecting and harvesting seed in the garden.) 10:08

Part 4.11 (More questions from the audience: Hybridization; Rock Phosphate; Wood ash; Eucalyptus leaves, bay leaves, walnut leaves, all should be avoided in the compost; Ornithogalum Thyrsoides; Nature Conservancy; Saratoga Gardens; Termites.) 9:34

Part 4.12 (More questions from the audience: Wood ash; Don't feed plants, build soils instead; Manure tea; Stratifications for seed propagation; Fern culture; Healthy soil as solution to fungus problems.) 7:01

Return to the top of this page