Witchcraft Gardening Basics Or, "A Crash Course in a Witch's Garden" Continued from sidebar DON'T USE: Oil, wax, meat (small, clean bones are OK), colored newspaper, weeds that have set seed, diseased or pest infested plants, and pet wastes or litters. (which can carry diseases, among other problems) Invoke the powers of the microbial soil life with a half inch layer of garden soil sprinkled over each "green" layer. When the pile reaches about four feet high, water it well to the consistency of a wrung out sponge, and let it rot! It will slowly turn into fertilizer that feeds your plants and your soil without interrupting the symbiotic relationship between the two. When it is done, it will be brown and crumbly. This process can take from two weeks to six months. If you're in a hurry, you can speed things up by turnig it every week. To turn a pile, remove the top and outside layers and put them on the ground beside the pile. Then continue with the next layers until you've tuned it upside down while fluffing it to let it breathe. If the pile smells bad, or if flies are taking an interest in it, then turn the pile, incorporate more "browns," make sure it's not soggy (cover it in the rain), and cover the top of the heap with an inch of soil or hay to eliminate the problem and disapproving looks from neighbors. Finished compost is used as a fertilizer and mulch around and under plants. Diseased plants and weeds with seeds require hot compost, one that reaches 140-165 degrees. This technique is best left for more experienced practitioners who are more adept at its mysteries. Use these plant materials as erosion control far from the garden, burn them, or if necessary, dispose of them in the regular garbage. Meanwhile, train yourself in hot compost magic through the recommended reading, intuition, and experience. Nearly all organic forms of nitrogen, like those used in making compost, contain varying amounts of phosphorus, potassium, and trace minerals. Composting ingredients that contain high percentages of these nutrients will improve your end fertilizer. Trace minerals can be derived from plants with literally rock breaking, carrot-like tap roots that explore 25 feet or more down into the Earth. These plants include dandelions, alfalfa, comfrey, and plantain. Harvest their leaves as a "green" and let the roots put forth new leaves for the next compost pile. The older the plant, the better the fertilizer, as the roots have probed even deeper into the Earth. Phosphorus and potassium are present in most crop residues and manures, but you may need to supplement your soil or compost with additional sources. Your local extension service can provide information on soil tests that help determine what amendments will improve your soil's nutrient levels. These tests can be costly, but if problems arise they will guide you in restoring soil balance. Greensand, rock phosphate (not superphosphate that damages earthworms and other soil life), crushed granite and glacier rock are all good sources. You can apply them directly to the garden bed according to package directions, or to the compost pile with a handful between each layer. The amendments come in various packages and if you can't find them locally, sources are listed at the end of the article.  Compost has nitrogen in it, but additional sources may also be desired. the same manures used in compost can be applied directly to the soil. Do this several weeks before planting to give the manure time to mellow. Cover crops are grown exclusively to feed the soil with nitrogen and other nutrients. When mature, they are tilled under, and the soil life transforms them into fertilizer. Life is provided for by death. Every cover crop has different amounts and types of nutrients. Wheat, oats, calendula, buckwheat, and legumes are all common cover crops. Legumes are most often used because they are a group of plants such as clover, beans, and peas that "fix" nitrogen. They have a symbiotic relationship with a type of soil life known as nematodes. These beneficial nematodes take nitrogen from the air and "fix" it to the legume's roots. They look like tiny white potatoes clinging to the root system. They release nitrogen to the plant, helping it thrive. When the crop of legumes is tilled into the soil, it becomes a time release fertilizer as plants and nematodes break down again. The following tips will also help to create your bewitching garden. These methods can be used in any garden, in sun or shade, and can be started any time of the year with Spring and Summer being ideal. Raised beds: Raised beds save water, compost and amendments that are only used where the plants grow and not in paths. Crops can be grown closer together which saves space. You do not need to use the "space between rows" recommendation from seed packets, since rows are not used. Only the "space between plants" recomendation is needed. This provides a canopy of foliage that traps CO2 and soil moisture like a suspended mulch. The leaves shade the soil to further reduce weeding and watering chores. Make beds wide enough to reach across comfortably (4 ft. is standard) in order to save work from bending and straining. Raised beds drain well to allow plants to develop healthy root systems, and they solve rot problems in packed clay soil. They also warm faster in the spring for earlier planting and remain unpacked from foot traffic that would otherwise choke oxygen from roots and spread disease. If you use concrete blocks or railroad ties, your bed supports can provide a convenient resting spot. Concrete blocks may leach into the soil making it more alkaline and most railroad ties are treated with creosote or other preservatives that are toxic. There are saw mills (in our area anyway) that will supply you with untreated lumber. A better choice is to try a stone wall if possible. Make paths wide enough so that you can walk side by side with your friend or partner without breaking off plants. Mulch: Weeding and water requirements are kept to a minimum by mulching. Use compost, straw, hay, woodchips, color-free newspaper, or special mulch papers. All of these sources will slowly decompose, conditioning the soil and slowly feeding plants. Mulch will also save your plants when you are low on compost. Garden Sanitation: The garden is a sacred space and rain is its consecrated cleansing. It should have solitude during this purifying time. Mud on shoes or wet skin and tools, can spread diseases normally not as easily transported without moisture. If you wish to accompany the garden in this cleansing, do so quietly and meditatively. If you have urgent work to do, limit your areas of activity and avoid touching plants. Many of us enjoy spending time in the garden while it is recharging in the rain. This does not mean that you shouldn't connect with your garden friend at this time, only to do so in a respectful way. Being aware of the possibilities of disease transmission will help you to prevent it from happening when you join the rain festivities. Your garden's first year of withdraw from chemical dependency may be severe, because the soil life is insufficient to transform its components into nutrients. However, after the first year, it will flourish and the trouble is worth it. While at first resisting the temptation to reach for a quick fix fertilizer is difficult, be persistent while the balance is being restored. Talk to and love your friends through it, touching them, especially the ones in the tobacco family. Members of this family have fuzzy feelers on their stems and leaves and touching them causes thickened cell structure and sturdier, disease resistant plants. Avoid this practice if you smoke tobacco. It is often poorly grown and may contain the tobacco mosaic virus that can spread to other family members including tomatoes, potatoes, flowering tobacco-nicotiana, and datura. Plants grown with these methods will glow with a mystical aura and they will release their intoxicting fragrances to greet you on your daily visits. The garden will soothe and quiet people, perhaps because of an elusive awareness that something powerful and sacred is happening or because of its visual beauty. Planting by the phases of the Moon, by Sabbat, or under specific planetary influences will also amplify the garden's energy. This kind of information can be found in most almanacs and I've recommended some at the end of this article . Planting in special patterns of Celtic knots, circles, pentacles, or any imaginative and magic(k)al design that you've created will also enhance and focus energy... Are you still skeptical of the damaging effects of chemical fertilizers? Organic Gardening Magazine had a blurb in the January 1996 issue about Miracle Grow ® . Apparently, it corroded a one inch hole through someone's aluminum shelf! Now that CAN'T be right?! Good luck and happy growing!