I’ve decided to turn up the potato patch and make the area into a lasagna garden this fall. Then, next spring, I think I’ll plant the pumpkin patch there. I mean, really, it’s crop rotation at its finest.
A lasagna garden is basically layering organic materials {like making a lasagna} to create a rich, no till space later on down the road. I’ve heard a lot of organic farmers say they don’t grow vegetables, but instead, they grow healthy dirt. I’ve always liked that—so this winter, I am going to grow me some healthy dirt.
To start a lasagna garden, you basically need no preparation. You literally do not need to weed or dig down.
If you are starting with sod, you don’t need to dig it up. Your first layer of your lasagna garden is either corrugated cardboard or 3 layers of newspaper {whatever you have more readily on hand}. This first layer will suffocate grass and weeds, hence the need to do nothing to prepare the garden. After you have laid the first layer of the garden down, wet it thoroughly to begin the breakdown process.
Now comes the really fun part: the next layers are literally everything you would put into your compost pile. Grass clippings, food stuffs, newspaper, leaves from the city park, junk mail {avoid any envelopes with little plastic viewing windows, though}, The only rule you really want to follow here is alternating layers of browns and greens–one layer of dried leaves, next layer food stuffs or grass clippings.
Each time you make a layer, water it down. Repeat the process until your “lasagna” is about 2 feet high. It will break down fairly quickly—so you can assure your neighbors you are not giving up on social norms and just tossing your trash out back.
By spring, you should have an amazing patch of dirt that is already loose and prepared to grow an awesome crop.
Have you ever done a lasagna garden before? Did it leave you with awesome dirt?
~Mavis
For more lasagna gardening tips and tricks check out Lasagna Gardening: A New Layering System for Bountiful Gardens: No Digging, No Tilling, No Weeding, No Kidding!
Sarah says
Lasagna Gardening is awesome!! My mom and I used this method while I was growing up, and it’s the only way to go! It eliminates all of the chore to gardening. Weeding is unnecessary because the heat of the decomposing material kills weed seeds, and the occasional weed that does pop up is easily pulled from the loose soil. There is no tilling. You have to water a lot less often. I could go on and on! You will be addicted too. 🙂
Judy Terwilliger says
I did it several years ago, when the book first came out. It went over grass, then cardboard, horse manure, grass clippings, mushroom soil- to about 12 – 15 ” deep. It was the best! our soil is open shale here in eastern PA. The first year there were NO weeds and then as they started to show up, they were very easy to remove. I was growing flowers, not veg, but it was excellent!
Rochelle says
Yes, I did it a few years ago after I had back surgery. My veggie garden had become extremely overgrown with weeds while I was recuperating and I still didn’t have the strength to do any heavy garden. I first stomped the 2 foot high weeds flat and covered them with lots of newspaper. Then I layered in every type of organic matter that I could get my hands on. In the spring I was weed free and ready to garden with no back strain. It turned out great!
Ramona says
Can you do the layers all at once or over a period of time?
Susan says
Hi Mavis. This looks cool. We recently heard of Back to Eden gardening and we just layered our garden this past weekend. I was curious if you’ve heard of it. http://www.backtoedenfilm.com/ It’s kind of a long film and I had to watch it in sections because I fall asleep so fast at night, but it makes sense! If you happen to watch it, I’m curious what your thoughts are.
Karen says
Hi Mavis,
I need to do some serious conditioning to an area if my garden, so I am starting to collect what I need to do the layering. I was wondering if its safe to used sawdust, I have a good contact from a cabinet maker here in town. How long does it take to break down and what can I use to make the pile get hot?
Thank you,
Karen
Mary says
I love Patricia Lantz’ books. They are definitely worth reading. She combines gardening with cooking and telling stories and has many good recipes and great ideas. I widened my garden about four years ago using the lasagna method and it turned out great. I am also going to exten my garden about six feet again this fall and I will definitely do lasagna garden method again. Back to Eden is also a great option but you need good soil under the wood chips.
Karen says
I bought Lantz’s book online today. My garden expands every year, more garden less grass, just the way I like it. I have a large
piece of the garden that I was going to plant in for the fall, but the earth back in that area of the garden is like desert. I have never
done the lasagna method and I am getting too old to till and turn the dirt under by shovel anymore, so I am going to give this a go. I am collecting some of the papers and cardboard from my neighbors. I still need to know if I can use sawdust and what can I use
to heat up my bed with. If someone could respond, that would really help.
Thanks
Mary says
You can use manure or some blood meal for a layer and that should work fine. When the layers sit there all winter the worms do the work for you. If you run over your leaves with a lawn mower and chop them up they will break down easier. Hope this helps.
Karen says
Mary, how much blood meal and or manure would I need to use. The area that I will be working with is about 20X25.
Mary says
Karen,
If you have access to fresh manure that would be great. A 3 inch layer between leaves and greens (grass clippings/kitchen scraps) would be good. You can do this a couple of times and make it deep because by the time it sits there all winter it settles quite a bit. A couple boxes of blood meal should be good. That is hot stuff so don’t use much in the springtime around new plants or they will burn. Try to get as many maple leaves as possible and shred them up with the law mower. I cover my garden every year with leaves. It stops the weeds from growing and in the spring when the soil warms I turn them under. Leaves are like gold to garden beds.
Jules says
When I first started reading this post, I thought “Cool! She’s going to show us how to plant all the things to make some awesome lasagna!!” hahaha! It must be suppertime for me. But really, wouldn’t it be great to have a garden like that?
Brenda says
I was thinking the same thing, Jules!
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes, growing your own noodles would be rad. 😉
Preppy Pink Crocodile says
I’m doing lasagna gardening this year, too! I don’t have space to compost so collecting things has been tricky. But next weekend my freezer will thank me for freeing it of all sorts of things like banana peels and coffee grinds, etc. I also dried out my coffee grinds and egg shells in prep for this too all summer long.
The soil in my community garden allotment is FULL of rocks. There were once homes in the spot where the garden is so in addition to rocks, every spade full of dirt also gives you pieces of brick and foundation. Awesome, I know. Plus it’s all clay. I can’t wait to see how lasagna gardening will pay off next year. Last year my spot was solid weeds and rocks. Next year…well I am just determined to make life easier!
KK @ Preppy Pink Crocodile
Elizabeth says
All of our flowers beds and raised veggie beds were made using this method. It makes the BEST soil, and all the materials are free!
Nikki says
The first time I tried this was over lawn, but either the lawn was very stubborn or my mulch wasn’t tall enough because the lawn came up anyways. Now I dig out the lawn first and put down the lasagna mulch. Hope this helps!
Cami says
What kind of dog is that? SO CUTE!!!!
Mavis Butterfield says
Puggle. 🙂
Brande Plotnick says
I just did this last fall to make space for a new raised bed garden in our yard that I’ll plant this spring. I didn’t layer 2-feet high, but I won’t be planting directly into it either. I just put the raised beds right on top and filled them with soil and compost too. I really hope it works – my recent foray into gardening hasn’t been particularly bountiful! 😉
Lara says
I bought her book and she says to use peat moss. Did you use peat moss or just leaves?
Melissa in Vic says
Your posts on this inspired me to try this in the front flower bed of our new house, which had very poor soil. I tackled this project on the day after my due date, hoping to garden the baby out. Just as I was finishing, the hospital called to say they could get me in for an induction that afternoon, and our baby was born that evening! Our baby is now over five months old, and I have been curious about our dirt and the ‘unveiling’! It was finally sunny enough today to do it, and I am so thrilled with the results! It’s an unique part of your life when healthy dirt makes you happy. I was a little nervous about finding a Slugtown, but it was totally fine and no smell at all – just plenty of happy fat worms and excellent dark soil! Next up, trying out drip irrigation!