The Green Witch: Your Complete Guide to the Natural Magic of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, and More - Arin Murphy-Hiscock 2017
Caring for Your Garden Naturally
Keep a Green Witch Garden
Walking the Green Path
There are several ways to cultivate your garden naturally. After all, the idea of using chemical ingredients on your garden to cultivate growth or kill invading insects is contrary to the green witch way. Here are some tips for using natural methods to increase the bounty of your garden.
COMPOSTING
Composting is the practice of returning organic matter to the earth where it can decompose and add its nutrients to the soil. Although composting is usually thought of as something landowners do, as it traditionally consists of creating a compost pile in the corner of a yard, urban dwellers can also compost easily in a modified fashion. Vermicomposting, or using red worms to break down organic matter, is one option. Vermicomposting kits can be ordered online or obtained from ecological shops or garden centers. A less expensive and easier alternative is a compost bin. You can place the bin outdoors, which most apartment dwellers prefer, but if you have no balcony, you can put it in a dark corner of the kitchen or laundry room.
Compost requires three things: warmth, dark, and food. The warmth is achieved by placing your bin close to the wall if on the balcony or storing it under your sink if indoors. Dark is obtained by using an opaque material for the bin and by having a tight-fitting lid. The food comes from finely chopped vegetable and fruit scraps. Never add meat products or anything with grease to your compost bin. These will decompose, all right, but it will smell dreadful, unbalance the compost you’re building, and attract pests. You can add tea leaves (tear open your tea bags if you don’t use loose tea) and coffee grounds, eggshells, fruit and vegetable scraps, and dead leaves and flowers pinched off your houseplants and container plants.
The ideal container for composting is a plastic garbage can or a large Tupperware bin. Line the bottom with dead leaves or shredded newspaper. Put a layer of earth on top of that, then add your first batch of chopped food scraps and a bit of water. Stir it with a stick and replace the lid. The lid will hold the humidity inside as the food begins to decompose, but it’s a good idea every once in a while to “water” your compost to keep it damp (but not wet). Add a bit more dry material, such as more shredded newspaper or earth, each week to ensure a good balance of carbon and nitrogen. Every time you add more scraps, give the compost a stir to combine the new material with the older compost. Once in a while, give the whole thing a complete turn over with a small shovel or trowel to aerate the soil. In about three months, your compost will be ready for use. Add some to the top of each of your containers and houseplants. Be sure to leave some in your compost bin to start the next batch.
If you’re concerned about smells, don’t worry. Good compost has a sweet, rich smell as it decomposes. To keep stronger compost odors at bay, turn it more frequently.
Compost tea is made by filtering water through the compost. This produces a nutrient-rich liquid that you can use to water your houseplants and spray the foliage of your container garden to help nourish and protect the plant both above ground and below. To make a simple compost tea:
1. Loosely fill a bucket a third to halfway full of compost. Give the compost a couple of turns with the trowel to aerate it properly and break up any clumps.
2. Pour warm water (not hot or boiling) over the compost and allow it to sit for two to three days.
2. Carefully decant the resulting brown water into another bucket or pitcher.
3. Allow the wet compost to dry out to its usual damp state before returning it to your compost bin.
You can use the brown compost tea to water your plants or to spray the foliage to battle pests, illness, and pollution damage. Never drink compost tea; it’s not for human consumption.
AIR POLLUTION
The green witch living in the city may be exposed to high levels of air pollution. Pollution can create breathing problems, of course, but it also leaves a film of grime everywhere. Not only do your windows become dirty and your walls dull over time, but your garden suffers as well. Leaves can become yellow and limp, growth can be sketchy, and the plant becomes weak. Be loving with your plants. Gently wipe off the dust that accumulates as a result of city life. If you are lucky enough to have a small plot in a city garden, hose it down regularly. Use a spray of compost tea to help nourish the plants and counteract the damage air pollution can cause.
INSECTS AND OTHER PESTS
If you’re working with an urban container garden, you’ll probably never have to worry about deer or rabbits nibbling your seedlings down to a bare stem poking out of the ground. You will, however, still have to worry about insects.
If your container garden is the haven of the usual numbers of city bugs, then burning citronella candles in the area can somewhat help thin out the insect population. If your plants develop more plant-specific insect infestations, there are a few green witch—friendly things you can do to help. The first thing to remember is that you don’t have to resort to chemical insecticides. Using these in a container garden is overkill, and, besides, there are cheaper and kinder alternatives.
Try a natural insecticide. Make an extract of garlic, onion, or hot pepper. Take 3 tablespoons (approximately an ounce and a half) of the vegetable matter and chop it finely or purée it in a blender with a bit of water. Add 2 cups of water to the mixture and allow it to steep overnight or for a full day. Strain it, dilute it so that the total amount of liquid equals 1 liter or 1 quart, and pour it into a spray bottle. Test it on a leaf of the affected plant; if the leaf responds poorly, dilute the spray some more and test again.
In extreme circumstances, you can use a solution of one part bleach to forty parts water to eliminate stubborn pests. Spray this over the foliage and stem of the plant, but do not soak the earth. Rinse well with clear water. This is easier if you place a plastic bag or some such thing over the earth and the container, or tilt the container so that the runoff doesn’t land in the pot.
When you spray, no matter what you spray with, remember to practice safe spraying habits:
✵ Always wear gloves, long sleeves, and a mask when spraying with insecticides, even natural ones. Garlic, onion, and hot pepper can all be very irritating to the mucous membranes. If you inhale the spray, it can cause pain and irritation to the throat and lungs. Don’t spray when there is a strong breeze. Wait for a calm day.
✵ Do not spray during the heat of the day. Do it first thing in the morning or wait until the evening.
✵ Always perform a test on a small area of each type of plant before you spray them all. This way you can test the strength of the spray as well as the plant’s reaction to it.
✵ Never spray all your plants indiscriminately. These sprays are not all-purpose preventives. They are meant to target a specific problem. They can also kill off the beneficial insects and microbes that live among your plants.