WORKBOOK QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

from the Mighty Question Line Duo

1.
Q: I bought the old editions of Workbook and Workbook II years ago. Do I need to replace them with the new edition? Is there much difference between the old and new editions?
A: Yes! You do need to replace your Garden Workbooks. The new Workbook is completely different. It includes the results of an additional 20+ years of research by Machaelle, new processes, new troubleshooting, new charts, new information for getting started and much more. And then there are all those photos that really help one get a feel for how the work flows from season to season, as well as how to apply the information.

2.
Q: I'm much busier with school than expected and I don't think I'm going to be able to get all of my garden planning testing done before the Equinox. Is that okay? What should I do?
A: There is no requirement that you finish the garden testing before the Equinox. You need to finish the testing in a time frame that fits your season and your garden's needs.

3.
Q: I am testing for my ETS/Plants, EoP & Indoor Foliar Feeding Chart (page 157). Is it possible to test for both EoP and ETS/Plants to be combined in the same solution?
A: Yes. But most often only one is used at a time.

4.
Q: Has the SLG process for opening a coning changed according to the steps in the new Garden Workbook?
A: Continue to follow the coning steps as given in the Soil-less Garden Companion when you are working with your SLGs. You need to read the new Workbook in its entirety and apply the information in it to an environment or garden in order to understand the new steps and the nuances behind each step's instructions. Once you have worked with these steps for about a year, you will more easily be able to translate the new Workbook processes and your new understanding of them to your SLGs.

5.
Q: Can I use the new Energy Cleansing Process for my SLG?
A: If you test to do the Energy Cleansing Process on your SLG Project, then use the Energy Cleansing Process as it is written in the SLG Companion. If you test that you need to do a Garden Workbook Troubleshooting for your environment (on side 2 of the SLG Troubleshooting Chart), then yes, for that you can use the new processes in The Perelandra Garden Workbook.

6.
Q: There's a section in the Workbook for what to do when switching from a conventional garden to a co-creative garden (p. 88), but what do I do when I'm switching from a co-creative garden using the original Workbook to the new Workbook?
A: Just activate your partnership for Gardening 2.0 using the process starting on p. 71. Then continue your garden work following the guidelines as set in the new Workbook.

7.
Q: I've been opening a coning for everything garden related for more than a decade. Isn't it better to always open a 4-point coning? It doesn't feel complete unless I open a 4-point coning.
A: The original Workbook didn't say to always open a coning for everything. It's important for all of us to put aside our preconceived notions and old understanding of how to work with nature and commit to following the steps in the new Workbook. Trust us, Beth and I have been going through our own bumps while letting go of the old and embracing the new. And we can say to you, it's worth the trip.

8.
Q: I'm having trouble with the Start and Stop buttons. Am I hitting the start button when I say I'd like to activate my connection with nature? Am I hitting the stop button when I deactivate my connection?
A: We can understand why you're questioning this. Here's what Beth and I do: When Beth hits the start button, she says aloud "I'm hitting the start button now" and states her purpose for calling the meeting. Jeannette adds to that a visual of hitting a start button which she finds helpful for holding her focus. It's important to state your purpose so nature knows the information you are after and can make the correct connections for you. In most of the Workbook instructions, when you are hitting the start button, Machaelle helps by giving you the statement to make. Your statement could be as simple as "I'd like to hit the start button now to get help with my work in the asparagus patch."

Wherever Machaelle says "hit the stop button," just state, "I'd like to hit the stop button now."

Just for the record, Machaelle explains the start and stop buttons on pages 23, 73 and 302.

9.
Q: I bought the Soil Balancing Kit when it included Nitro-10 and still have some left. Do I have to replace my Nitro-10 with corn gluten meal that now comes with the Kit?
A: You can continue to use the Nitro-10 until it's gone, then replace it with corn gluten meal.

10.
Q: Do I need to plant my garden on the spring equinox in order to benefit from the energies released by nature at that time?
A: You need to ask nature / test to determine the timing for planting in your garden. Planting timing can change from year to year for the same garden and can be different for each gardener depending on your location, your intent for your garden and the plants going into the garden. And your plants be going in at different times.

The solstice / equinox energy infuses into the soil and becomes available to whatever is planted later in that soil. (It's also available to plants that are already growing in the soil. Like a slow-release nutrient for the plants.)

11.
Q: I have been doing the layout testing for my garden and have tested to divide it into 4 sections. But when I test where the plants go, I am getting too many positive answers. I get a yes for both section 1 and section 4 when I ask where the tomatoes are to be planted.
A: Trust your testing. Never assume that a particular plant will only be in one section or row or that all of the tomatoes (or zinnias or basil . . . ) will be planted together in one section or row. You will be testing location and ratio. So you might have one tomato plant in section 1, row 3. One tomato in section 1, row 5 and two tomato plants in section 4, row 2.

12.
Q: I have an 80 acre farm, am leasing 60 acres to a conventional farmer and have tried to start a small organic farm myself on 6 acres of this land. I have not be very successful with organic or biodynamic methods. Can I use the Garden Workbook for a whole farm or is it just for gardens?
A: Yes. You can apply the Workbook to a farm of any size. Machaelle recommends you begin to learn the processes on a small vegetable garden first so you can build your confidence and understanding before you apply this to your farm. If you want to dive right into the work on the farm, still start small with one pasture or field. All of this is explained in Chapter 22 of The Workbook.

13.
Q: I'm taking down a Yew tree in my yard, and have already planted a new yew tree. What process should I use before removing the old Yew tree? Is it the same as what's in the old Workbook?
A: There is a new process in the new Garden Workbook that you will apply. See the section "The Obstacle Issue" starting on page 84. The instructions include getting information on the timing of removal and whether/when to replace it.

14.
Q: Do I use The Workbook way of opening conings all the time now, or can I still open a coning the old way?
A: Follow the steps for opening and closing a coning that are in the book/program you're using. If you're working with MAP, open and close your MAP coning as you always have. But when you're working with your garden, use the steps as described in The Workbook.

15.
Q: I used to use the Energy Cleansing Process for my office space at work. Step 1 of the new process says to "sit somewhere in or near the area to be cleansed." My office space is not private and it's not a work environment where I could comfortably do the process without attracting attention and being considered a complete weirdo. Is there a way I can still use the Energy Cleansing Process for my work space?
A: In this situation, you can work with a diagram of your office space and do the Energy Cleansing Process in the privacy of your home. You just need to be clearly focused on your work area/office when doing the process.

16.
Q: I have the old Garden Workbooks, all five ETS, Essence of Perelandra and rabbit problem that's putting hitches in my brain-bone. I also have a growing problem with chipmunks. Help!
A: It's time to upgrade to the new Garden Workbook! Using the new Troubleshooting 2.1 and the processes for wildlife that Machaelle explains in The Workbook, you'll be able to easily work with nature to regain balance in your garden, including how the wildlife population interacts with your garden.

17.
Q: I am using the new Garden Workbook for the plants in my apartment. I read this at the end of the book "If you are applying the co-creative principles to your houseplants or if you are container gardening on the patio, each pot is a garden, and each collection of pots within that defined environment needs to be addressed. What is the DDP for each grouping? What is their placement in relation to one another, and what gets planted in each pot? Nature knows which collection of plants support and strengthen one another. Also, when it comes to choosing and using fertilizers for houseplants and containers let your partner give you the information for the best fertilizer to use, how often and how much." I am totally lost on this one. Can you help?
A: Each pot or container is a garden, as is a whole porch of potted plants and containers along with any inside "house plants." The Perelandra garden is one large biosphere with different sections. You could look at each section — the pond, cabin gardens, Fennel Circle, straw sections, garden center, outer ring . . . as individual gardens, but they're all connected parts of the larger Perelandra garden. Your apartment pots are similar.

The DDP that YOU write will determine how these pots inside and out connect and will determine the information you get from nature. So you first have to decide your purpose for having plants in your apartment. Then decide if you are going to start working with the processes with just one pot or if you will work with a collection of them. You can decide to keep it simple and just work with one pot this year. Take each section in the Garden Workbook and apply it to the plants in that one pot as you go through the season. Then next year, begin to expand your work with nature to the other pots as your confidence and experience grow.

18.
Q: I have a cutting from my huge schefflera plant that I moved to my city apartment with me. I would like to keep the plant alive and in my apartment, but only have one window that gets enough light. How do I work with nature to take care of the cutting? Do I connect with Pan? Do I need to open a full coning?
A: Start by working with Gut Gardening in Chapter 2 of The Garden Workbook. It gives you the step by step for getting input from nature in a simple and effective way.