| GARDEN TIPS |
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This page contains some of the gardening tips I have found beneficial. I hope they are of benefit to you! Visit Nature Spirits to discover how to communicate with Nature Spirits in every aspect of your life, including gardening. Click here to download Garden Coning Session Dialogue, an adaption of the basic Coning Session tailored for the purpose of enlisting the aid of the Nature Intelligence for gardening purposes. For information on how to use dowsing methods to communicate with Nature Spirits and to apply this knowledge to every aspect of your life, visit Dowsing 101. Use these handy Garden Charts to keep track of your garden activities. Happy Gardening! Theresa |
GARDENING TIPS Keep a log of the dates of the last spring frosts and the first fall frosts on your property so you will know when to start planting and harvesting your garden. Check your local university or county agricultural extension office. They often have mounds of information free to the public. Some even offer free soil samples. Planting tiny seeds like carrots: sprinkle on top of the prepared soil. Press in lightly with palm of hand. Cover lightly with peat moss or more soil. Mulch lightly when they are strong enough to handle the weight. Be sure not to let them dry out! Mulch: 6-8 inches is recommended. If you use leaves, they can be worked into the soil for the next year. Be sure they don't get matted, oxygen is needed to keep it healthy. On your seed packets, label the year they were produced. Charting: Keep a garden diary. Log the dates you plant or transplant each seed. This way you can determine the approximate time it takes for each species to germinate. Note what company you purchased your seeds from. If your seeds do poorly or you do or do not like the taste of the fruit or vegetable, you can remember which ones you planted. Cross-pollination when you have several types of one plant, such as squash can also provide some surprises, especially if you save their seeds for the next year. Note how many seeds you plant, so that you can determine the germination rate and how long it took them to germinate. For example, I wanted to get an early start on tomatoes, so I planted four seeds in each pot. Nearly every one came up, so I know next year to only plant two seeds in each pot. (I don't like to thin them, especially when they are healthy!) |
BUILDING SOIL Before building your soil, consider calling a coning session, inviting the Deva of Soil, in addition to the usual members.(See the Nature Spirits page for info on coning sessions.) Ask the Deva of Soil to balance and energize the soil of the entire property to a depth of five feet. You can also ask for advice on how to build the soil. A wonderful practice is to have an "Open the Garden" ceremony each spring solstice. During the ceremony, welcome the various Devas to help you plan the garden. Ask the Deva of the Soil if the soil needs to be re-balanced. Machaelle Small Wright's techniques are what I use, without the flower essences. Her soils have been tested before and after these intentional processes, showing a remarkable increase in vitality. Although the soil in Ditoh's Northern Arizona garden is perfect for growing grapes, it's not so great for veggies and fruits or human touch. To build the soil, we used the "sheet" or "lasagna" method. These methods use a layering technique. The first thing I did was to dig 18-24 inches and remove debris, rocks and boulders. Then I loosened the soil in the bottom of the terrace about a shovel's depth. Next, I either sifted the dirt through my wire-mesh bicycle basket or "hand sifted," depending on what I planned to grow and my level of patience and time. The goal was to make it easier for the root systems and especially tuberous plants to grow. Next, I began layering, using materials at hand. I started with either pine needles or alfalfa, then an inch or two of sifted soil, then another layer of alfalfa followed by kitchen scraps, alfalfa or leaves, then soil. I then topped it off with 6-8 inches of leaves or wood chips t o keep the soil cool and moist. Ditoh gets free alfalfa scraps from a local feed store by sweeping up the remnants that fall off their trucks. We obtained two grades of wood chips, free of charge. Check with your local electric company as a source for free coarse chips. In the fall, we cover all the beds manure and leaves that friends save for us or that we rake up locally. Your county fairground or horse breeders are a great source for manure. Once the beds are complete, I lovingly transport a handful of worms and with the aid of their innumerable roly poly friends, the beds are ready for planting and fully digested in about six months. Before making amendments, the soil was very drying to the skin and caustic when inhaled. However, within a year the amended soil became rich, with that wonderful earthy smell and producing healthy and vibrant plants. Not your typical desert terrain! Check into Rudolf Steiner's methods for building soil. Farmers and gardener's have been having incredible results from using this genius' method. |
COMPOSTING While building terraces, we did very little conventional composting. Kitchen scraps generally went directly into the next bed we were remediating. However, we did keep a small pile going for the purpose of increasing the worm population. One simple method of composting is to lay down alfalfa, leaves or weeds (without seeds) in about a 3 foot square section. If possible, locate it under a tree to keep it from drying out. Locating it in the path of a sprinkler allows it to get moisture, when needed. After adding kitchen scraps to the compost pile, cover it with alfalfa or leaves. Aerating your compost pile, which means turning it with a pitchfork or fancy drum, will dramatically speed up the composting process. It takes about 6 months for kitchen scraps to decompose, with the assistance of red wiggler worms. Night critters rarely dig in the compost if you cover it completely so the smell doesn't lure them. However, if you have pets or wild critters that get into your compost, you can do several things. One easy solution is to lay chicken mesh fencing over it and weigh it down with rocks. You can go online to find plans to build bins to keep the bandits out. Bins can be built out of wire or wood fencing. Cheap building materials can be found at garage sales or asking friends for items they don't use anymore. Two other great sources are craigslist and freecycle.org. I have built sturdy bins using pallets that were slated for the dumpster. In Arizona, I had a problem with a herd of hungry javelinas who eat and trample anything in their way. The problem was solved by using discarded bathtubs, which also make great worm beds! Ideally, compost piles should be about 3 feet square. This allows the inner section to heat up, killing seeds and organisms. However, it will also kill your worm population. For more information on composting, check out the "More on Composting" article below. You can also check online, books at your local library or gardening center for more information. Years ago, I picked up a wonderful free composting guide at Home Depot. Be creative and find out what works best for your schedule and environment. |
PLANTING IN HARMONY WITH MOON CYCLES Each Wednesday when I have a coning session with the Nature Intelligences, I have in hand the moon cycle chart, created by our local organic farmer, Thunderfoot. Planting by the moon cycles has been in existence for eons. I like the layout of this chart for ease of use and its common sense approach. I also love the infinity symbol which represents abundance and eternity to me. One moon cycle takes approximately 29.55 earth days, broken into quarters which are about a week in length. Starting at the bottom with the New Moon, follow the arrows up to the intersection of both circles. This is the first quarter of the moon cycle and is generally the best time to plant and harvest leafy plants such as lettuce, kale and chard. and flowers for teas or medicinal purposes. The second quarter of the moon begins at the intersection of the two circles, with the rising energies moving counterclockwise until it reaches the apex, the full moon. As you visualize this upwards migration, it helps to remember this is a good week to plant and harvest upright plants such as corn, okra or cardoon. This is also a good week to plant and harvest vines and plants whose seeds are produced inside the fruit such as squash and melons. It is suggested not to plant on the Full Moon nor the week following. The third quarter is a good time to pull weeds and unwanted woody plants. It's also a good time to build soil, turn the compost and any other garden chores that need attention. The fourth quarter begins from the intersection of the two circles and descends to the New Moon. This descension is a helpful reminder to plant and harvest plants that grow down, roots such as turnips, beets and carrots. It is also an optimal week to transplant biennials, perennials, trees and shrubs. Then, start all over again! |
SAVE A FORTUNE ON FERTILIZER AND OTHER PRODUCTS! When you are using organic matter such as compost and manures to enhance your soil, it is rare that you will need to fertilize your plants. Each Wednesday, during the coning session, I ask the Nature Intelligences if any plants need to be fertilized. I would like to share with you a cost efficient and time-saving way to fertilize that they taught me. Several years ago, the Nature Spirits introduced me to a new concept. I found that they are able to take the essence or vibrational pattern of anything and use it. This is a wonderful way to communicate clearly with them. For instance, you may set the intention that you want the Nature Spirits to fertilize your garden with a specific product. What often happens is that the human assumes the specific Nature Spirit knows what he is talking about. Remember that Nature Spirits are regional. The ones in your area may have never communicated with humans before. This is why calling in Pan is important, he is universal, gets around and has many experiences with humans; he knows the lingo. Several years ago, Ditoh had a houseplant that was sickly. Using his pendulum, he asked what it needed. Water? No. Different location? No. Fertilizer? Yes. After a series of questions, it was determined that the fertilizer the house plants needed was in the house. After further questioning, he found that his powdered green drink, Barlean's Greens, was what the plant needed. Ditoh mixed the powder with water and added it to all the houseplants. They loved it and have been thriving ever since! Soon after, during my weekly coning session for the garden, the Nature Spirits suggested fertilizing several plants in the garden. After going through the names of a few fertilizers, I discovered they wanted Barlean's Greens to be used. Well, we have quite a large garden and Barlean's is not cheap. In the past, I had learned that all things have a unique vibrational pattern. I also had experience with distance hands on healing (being able to heal without being in the presence of someone.) It occurred to me that perhaps I could use the essence or vibrational pattern of the Barlean's Greens, instead of pounds of the actual substance to fertilize the garden. With the help of the Nature Spirits, we tested the theory. I placed about a tablespoon of Barlean's Greens in my open palm. I called in Pan and asked him to invite any of the Nature Spirits of the specific plants we wanted to fertilize. Then, I invited them to use the essence or vibrational pattern of Barlean's to fertilize the plants. I waited a few moments until I felt they were finished. I was told the Barlean's in my hand no longer had any frequency, it was now in the plants' vibratory field. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, the Nature Spirits are regional and may be new to communicating with humans. In the past they have been quite disgusted with the way we treat plants and animals and often avoided us altogether. Because of the conscious work of people like Machaelle Small Wright, those doors are now open to work with Nature Spirits. Many Nature Spirits are more than happy to help conscious humans balance and clear the energies on earth that are out of harmony. I say all of this to point out that if I called in the Nature Spirits of the plants in my garden and asked them to use the essence of Barlean's Greens to fertilize the plants they caretake, they may not know what I am talking about. It is likely they don't know the name and most certainly not the vibratory frequency of Barlean's Greens. You may assume they know what you are talking about. Thus, it's likely you make the request, assume it is done and go about your business. I have been guilty of this in the past. It is becoming clear to me that humans need to be more serious and conscious when working with unseen Beings. The time to clear and balance earth's energies is too critical right now. Also, it is imperative that we work co-creatively with Nature Spirits, for they can help us grow food that is for our best interest. With the deluge of toxic chemicals, such as chemtrails and atmospheric pollutants from factories, cars and such, it is even more important that we get all the help we can. With GMO foods on the rise, it is also imperative to save and plant seeds that have not been genetically modified. Take this seriously, for GMO foods interact with our DNA and creates havoc on our bodies, unborn children, pets and the environment. Laboratories doing studies on the effects of GMO products are creating bizarre mutations on lab animals that could be poster children for scarey sci-fi movies. I encourage you to try this method with anything. Perhaps you don't need to take 5 mineral tablets each day. Ask the Nature Spirits to give you the frequency of your mineral tablets on a daily basis. Play around, be creative and see what works for you! |
MORE ON COMPOSTING They provide a ton of free information suited to your particular area. The following information came from a free brochure from the Arizona, Yavapai County extension office. WHY COMPOST? The average American household generates 230 pounds of food waste per person per year. Together they represent 20 to 30% of the municipal waste stream. Composting is a simple, convenient, odor-less way to dispose of yard and kitchen wastes. It can be easier and cheaper than bagging these wastes and putting them in the garbage. With home composting, less garbage is sent to the landfill. Through composting, yard and kitchen wastes are converted into a valuable "organic" soil amendment that can be used with house plants, lawns, flower and vegetable gardens. Compost will build up the low levels of organic matter found in many soils and improve plant growth by adding nutrients. Composting saves money by reducing your need for commercial fertilizers. Composting also saves water by increasing the soil's moisture holding capacity. Composting is complete when you have a uniform dark brown, crumbly, earthy smelling product. HOME COMPOSTING, THE LAZY WAY Normal yard and kitchen wastes can be easily converted into a valuable soil amendment through home composting. If time is a limitation, try the "dump and run" approach: Locate your compost pile so that it is a shorter trip from the kitchen door, yard and garden than to the garbage can or dumpster. Stand discarded pallets on edge and wire them together in a square at the corners to make an excellent compost bin. Pick a shady spot. Add to your pile as materials are available, but otherwise, leave it alone. Turn it only if odors develop. If materials are shredded and turned weekly, mature compost can be produced in 2-3 months. The "dump and run" approach will take 12 - 18 months. There will be no difference in the quality of the end product. HOW TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS You can have compost in 2-3 months if you intensively manage your compost pile. Mix brown and green wastes to get a proper carbon to nitrogen balance. To achieve this, mix one load of brown plant materials (dry leaves and woody plant stalks) with one load of green plant materials (fruit and vegetable scraps, garden and grass clippings). Sprinkle each layer with a thin coat of soil. Shred or chop large plant material into smaller pieces before adding to pile. Water and turn your pile weekly. Turning the pile with a fork or spade incorporates oxygen, mixes the brown and green materials and makes your compost pile as moist as a wrung-out sponge. A pile 3' x 3' x 3' or larger is ideal in maintaining the desired pile temperatures between 90 - 140 Farenheidt. Use a temperature probe to determine how well the pile is cooking. WHAT TO COMPOST When possible, layer in green, high nitrogen materials (grass clippings, food scraps and manure) with brown, high carbon materials (dry plant material, leaves and woody plant stalks). If the pile has too little nitrogen, the growth of microorganisms slows down, delaying the composting process. Tree trimmings are best left for community pick-up and shredding. MICRO-ORGANISMS A sprinkling of soil between layers will inoculate the pile. MOISTURE Inadequate moisture in dry, windy climates may cause slow decomposition. A good practice is to water the pile once a week during hot, dry, windy days. Increase water detention by smoothing out the pile rather than creating a peak. Place the compost pile in the shade under a tree to reduce evaporation. A larger pile - 3' x 3' x 3' - is ideal and will more effectively retain moisture. Water less often if you live in a humid, rainy region. OXYGEN Keep good aeration in mind, alternating coarse and fine materials, as the pile is built. Aeration can become a problem when large amounts of fresh grass clippings are added. Fresh grass clippings tend to mat up, cutting off oxygen. When this happens, the pile begins to smell, as anaerobic decomposition begins. This can be avoided by layering the grass clippings over the top of the pile or by spreading them out and letting them dry before adding them to the pile. Better yet, leave grass clippings on the lawn where they can serve as a natural fertilizer. Check the pile for odors. When odor occurs, turn the pile with a fork or spade to incorporate oxygen. TEMPERATURE AND TIME The larger and hotter the pile, the faster it will compost. Adequate temperature is rarely a problem in hot, arid climates as long as green, highly nitrogen materials are continually added. Organic refuse has excellent insulation properties; composting will continue unabated in warmer climates. Stick a broom or hoe handle into the pile, leave it a few minutes, then pull it out. If it is warm to the touch, the pile is cooking. With passive composting, the outer layer of material may not decompose. When opening the pile to extract compost, incorporate any uncomposted material into next year's pile or use it as a mulch. COMPOSTING TIPS Because cows' food is digested through several stomachs, their manure has less seeds than horse manure, which means less likely for you to have unwanted weeds. Consider having 3 composting bins, one for organic material that is already composted and ready to use, another for ones that are still cooking and a new pile. COMPOST TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE |
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NATURE SPIRIT HELP WITH PLANTS, ANIMALS, INSECTS AND WEATHER Having problems with animals digging in your garden or eating more than their fair share of the produce? Do you have an overabundance of insects doing serious damage to your healthy plants? Is there a severe weather alert in your area? You can enlist the help of Devas and Nature Spirits with these problems and any others that occur. Remember that the Devas hold the blueprint for everything in form. They co-created every thing and know how it works and what it needs to operate effectively. When you call for their help, it is like calling the architect who designed your house. He has the blueprints and can show you how the plumbing, electricity and all parts of your house were designed and created. If you were having problems with your plumbing or electricity, you would call in an electrician or plumber and show them the blueprints of the house so they know how to put it all together or to make repairs. That is the role of Nature Spirits. Every thing in form has a creator, a Deva. The role of the Nature Spirits is to take whatever the Devas co-created with the Source of All, and put it into form. If you are having problems with a sickly plant, let's say a peturnia, call in the Nature Spirit of the petunia to find out what is wrong and what you can do to bring it back into balance. If you have a raccoon digging up and damaging plants during his nightly forage for grubs, call in the Nature Spirit of raccoons. Have a conversation and ask how you can come into an agreement so that you can both get what you need and live together harmoniously. When I try to communicate telepathically with a specific wild animal, usually nothing happens. But, when I work through the Nature Spirits and we talk about the needs of each of us, often the animal leaves our garden or is more gentle around the plants. I understand they have a survival instinct and the area we live in is harsh, due to man-made imbalances caused by decades of the mining and tourist industry. Ditoh and I have created a heavenly oasis in a desert that is quite enticing to wild animals: water, food and shelter. We plant more than we can eat in anticipation of sharing it with these beautiful creatures. Working with the Nature Spirits to keep all in balance has been very helpful. If you have insects invading your healthy plants, call in the Nature Spirit of that insect. If you don't know the name of the insect, either be looking at it or clearly visualize which one it is that you are referring to. Have a conversation with the Nature Spirit of the insect to determine the best way to come into balance. Keep in mind that when you get rid of all the weeds in your garden, you may be creating an imbalance. Keep in mind that weeds and insects are part of the balance of all things .For example, you may find that as long as you have dandelions, one specific aphid munches on them and none of the other plants in your garden. The role of many of insects is to eat decaying plants or to be a meal for "friendly" critters such as ladybugs and lizards. Although many people cringe at the thought of eating local weeds, many are highly nutritious and have amazing medicinal properties. I love dandelion tea, especially when mixed with other herbs such as rosemary. They are also yummy in salads with plenty left in the garden to feed the hungry aphids. When one understands the nature of the creative ability of humans, it is easier to understand what I am about to share with you. Thoughts create your reality. What you think and believe to be true in this moment will create your actions and reactions in the next moment, day, year, until you die. Negative thoughts "glop" together until a moment comes when it becomes physical, such as disease in the body. Positive, loving thoughts flow freely, blessing everything they encounter. Many weather patterns are created by the thoughts of mass consciousness. Physically, many natural events, such as hurricanes and tornadoes are a result of human "stinking thinking" as well as an imbalance caused by human interference. Just like there are Devas of every thing in physical form, there are also Devas over clouds, storm systems, fault lines where earthquakes occur and the seas where tsunamis and other activities occur. Thus, if you know of a severe storm approaching your area, you can call in the Deva of the storm or the Deva of the wind or the Deva of any thing and ask for protection in the form of a bubble or umbrella. You can ask that the winds be lessened around your house, that lightning not strike your property. Not all you ask for will happen because there are bigger forces beyond your control and perhaps "lessons" that can be gained by experiencing the "fury" of nature. Just be aware that you can contact the Devas of the weather and ask for what you need. I have experienced innumerable times when rain or clouds came or disappeared out of nowhere during ceremonies and intentional prayer meetings. The Devas, angels, ascended masters and whatever other names you call these high order Beings, are here to assist us. However, we must ask for intercession and assistance because they cannot do our will without our permission. To do so breaks the Universal Law of Free Will. It's real. Believe it and work with the magic. |
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Horse manure "tea" Place manure in a bucket and let soak 2-3 weeks. Rehydrate, as needed. Dilute with water. Spray or pour around the base of the plants you wish to fertilize. Be sure not to spray manure on leaves you plan to eat, like lettuce or cilantro. |
Harvesting leaves for consumption and medicinal purposes is best done in the morning before the sun dries out their natural oils. Create bundles by tying the ends with rubber bands and placing them upside-down on hooks in our dark, storage rooms away from dust and critters. I've also had success drying herbs by placing them on stackable dehydrator racks where they get plenty of airflow (without turning the unit on). |
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