Heavy rain was in the forecast a few days ago and so I thought it would be the PERFECT time to get started working my new lasagna garden in the field. And since building up a lasagna garden isn’t one of those projects you can accomplish in a few hours and be done with…
I figured I might as well document the whole thing so next year I’ll be able to look back and see:
- How long it took to build a lasagna garden
- Exactly what I used to create the lasagna garden {layer by layer}
- How long it will take for the items in the lasagna garden to break down
- How well plants grow in a lasagna garden vs a regular vegetable plot.
They say that compost and good mulch is the key to growing a boatload of vegetables. And well, we’re going to find out how it’s done together. Naturally, the old school way, without any extra resources other than what I come by living in my day to day life. {So that means no next extra trips to the nursery for soil amendments or anything fancy.}
The hope is, I’ll be able to create a rich growing medium for next year’s vegetables, without spending a dime.
There are two areas that are wide open and receive a ton of sunshine on our property. The field, and the backyard.
Now personally, I think looking out my back windows to see a nice big vegetable patch would be absolutely lovely. But the HH doesn’t agree. He likes looking out the back windows and seeing the water.
In fact if it was up to me, I’d probably have the entire property turned into a real working farm with a greenhouse and have chickens and sheep grazing all about.
But then of course someone would have to go out in the dead of winter {basically 6 months here} and feed the chickens and the sheep and find the time to grow, harvest, sell and put up all the foodstuffs and well, since I like to spend half my time on my other hobby… rug hooking, that’s probably never going to happen.
Blah blah blah… So I started the lasagna garden in the field.
Using what cardboard I had on hand {to snuff out the grass and weeds below} I placed the cardboard down in the middle of the field and created an 11′ x 10 1/2′ garden space.
The hope is that as I acquire more cardboard, the lasagna garden will be expanded and take over a much, MUCH larger space in the field. But for now, an 11′ x 10 1/2′ garden space is a good place to start.
I then had my handyman save me some of the grass clippings as he mowed {normally he doesn’t use a bag, but since I needed a “green layer” to add to my lasagna he obliged.
If rain wasn’t in the forecast I would have watered down the cardboard before I started piling stuff on top. But, since a big storm was in the forecast I didn’t have to schlep water out to the field. Ideally, you’d want to wet each layer green/brown/green/brown as you go.
Luckily here in coastal Maine with all the marine air, we barely have to water anything. In fact, I think I’ve only had to use the sprinkler on my little kitchen garden three times this season {and that’s mostly because I haven’t gotten around to mulching the kitchen garden yet}. If I had mulch down, I probably wouldn’t have had to even water once yet this season!
We don’t have sprinklers in our lawn either {nobody does around here} … and it’s still crazy green!
Yada yada yada…
So after the cardboard and grass clipping layer, I went down to the rocky shore to collect seaweed for layer #3.
I had mentioned that I was going to use seaweed in my lasagna garden last week and a few people asked me if I was going to wash the seaweed before putting it into my garden. And my first thought was… why on earth would I do that?
And so I did a little research on the Google to see what random people on the internet suggested. And it was about 50/50 wash/don’t wash. And so then I sent my friend Lisa in Tasmania an email and asked her because she’s been using seaweed in her gardens forever.
And this is what Lisa had to say:
“I don’t rinse the seaweed. The salt content is negligible and that just sounds like a whole lot of extra work. One of my cousins who is in the agricultural field told me that, so I’ve just gone with it and things still going along well with my soil.
I use the seaweed grass on my garden beds straight as mulch – very handy. Will help slow weeds and keep moisture in the soil – not to mention the slightly salty nature of the fresh stuff keeps slugs and snails at bay.
You can throw it straight into the compost as well.”
And so there you have it.
The beginnings of my lasagna garden.
- Cardboard
- Grass Clippings
- Seaweed
I still have a wee bit more of seaweed to collect before I can move on to the next layer {paper} but I think I’m off to a pretty good start so far.
The hope is I’ll get enough layers built up before the first frost.
Keep Calm and Garden On,
~Mavis
Wendy says
I’m excited to follow along with you for this project. Seaweed, who knew?
Tracey says
How do you deal with groundhogs? It’s a constant battle here, as they dig under my fences and feast on the buffet laid out in the raised beds.
Mavis Butterfield says
We haven’t had to “deal” with them yet so I’m not sure.
KC says
We had a community garden, and went for burying the bottom 6-12″ of a chicken-wire fence underground, and that worked.
That said, many other plots in the same community garden *didn’t* bury part of their wire fencing, so by the end of each year, that groundhog was the fattest groundhog you’ve ever seen – so it may have had plenty of food without dealing with our piddly buried fence, and that makes a difference. Around here, we do not have groundhogs, but we have rabbits, and what the rabbits eat depends on whether they’ve got some lovely green grass and clover available or… not. So not being the best food bargain on the block helps.
Dan says
Google recipes for woodchuck stew. Lol
Tammy says
That’s so cool that you can use seaweed.
I’ve been trying to convince my husband to do a lasagna layered bed for years but he just won’t go for it. Haha
Suzanne says
You’ve got me inspired! I already have a layer of cardboard down in my current veggie garden – it’s on an area I’m not using, so I put the cardboard down to control weeds. Now I’m going to make it a lasagna area and use it as a fresh area in the 1/4 of my garden for next year’s planting. I’ll give the other 1/4 of my garden a rest next year and do the same.
Elle says
Do you save all eggshells? They are great natural calcium. I dry them, pulverize in the blender, and spread on garden beds every spring. They would be great as you build your lasagna bed! (get nearby friends to save for you too?)
I totally abide by “you only get 1 chance to create the best first garden bed”! My best food year has always been year 1.
Idaho girl says
I’ve heard slugs and snails don’t like crawling on eggshells
Jeanine says
Since we don’t have grass, what could I use over the cardboard? I can get the seaweed since we live 6 miles from the beach. I’m sure the locals and tourists will think I’m nuts! But who the heck cares. Thanks for sharing this info. So off to Costco for boxes and the seashore for seaweed. I also have lots of oak leaves, that might work over the cardboard. What do you think? Any advice?
Dena Wessels says
Does Maine have any regulations in regard to harvesting seaweed for personal use? I know of a couple of areas in WA that do: “….. and SEAWEED may not be taken from private beaches without the owner’s or leesee’s permission.” From Washington Sport Fishing Rules publication.
Mavis Butterfield says
“Citizens can harvest up to 50 pounds per day for personal use under Maine law. Seaweeds should be harvested by trimming the blades from the ends of the plants, leaving the holdfast attached.”
Carol says
Fun to see your lasagne gardening bed step by step. We did the same thing several years ago with great success. We were able to find a source of free manure from a farm nearby. We also found a source of “ruined” wheat straw for our layers. Good luck! Looking good!
Linda Sand says
Several of us were gathered together one day when one woman asked us what you do with compost. It seems she had been adding to their compost pile for 20 years without ever removing anything so it was getting too full!
Linda T says
We are on a lake (no seaweed-boo hiss) and when I started gardening here, we fished a lot. I saved the heads, guts and other inedible parts and tilled them into the garden area along with wood ash from the Wood stove. My garden stunk like you would not believe but it has produced like a champ every year. Now, when the kids fish, I put lake water into the guts and water with it.
Patti says
I think you are going to love your lasagna garden. We do a lasagna garden – it is four rows about the size of your first garden row. We also have four steel cattle troughs on the side. We have a tremendous amount of produce from this = squash, zucchini, green peppers, hot peppers, tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, etc. I mean, right now my husband is picking about 50 tomatoes a day (Purple Cherokee, Early Girls, Roma and another heritage slicing tomato) and that is not counting the cherry tomatoes. Our tomatoes are doing so well that the cages have fallen over in half and are breaking due to the weight. Next year we are going to have to build some wood trellises. He also added straw as the top mulch this year and it made a huge difference. We are in South Carolina where it is hot, hot, hot. Normally by this time, the tomatoes have quite producing due to the heat (although they come back and continue from September until December.) This year they may not quit!!
Dianne says
Hi Mavis,
So excited to watch this “Lasagna” garden come to fruition! I find it very interesting.
Dianne
Jill Hamilton says
Hi Mavis,
Did you recently update your email list? I haven’t received any of your daily posts for a couple weeks and was worried something happened to you. I’m happy to know you are still posting, but would you please add me back in so I receive them daily? I did have an old aol email that your original posts went to but I am giving you my updated one. Thank you!
Mavis Butterfield says
Hi Jill,
I’m not sure what happened but I just added you back in at the new email address. Please check your inbox now for your subscription activation email. 🙂
Sherry says
Hi, Mavis! I’m gardening vicariously via your blog. I live in my daughter’s nanny suite and do not have gardening privileges! Please keep up the good work!
Betsy in MN says
I have made many new garden beds with this technique and I think it works wonderfully. Very little labor for a new garden. There is a good book explaining the technique.
Annette says
Was anyone else thinking “lasagna garden” meant growing tomatoes, garlic, basil, oregano and thyme?
Rebecca says
Yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking! Does it means layers and no digging? I’m still unsure.
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes. Layers = No digging. 🙂
Rynda says
Hi! I’m super excited to watch this develop! I know you’ve done this before, but the process of cardboard to squash/kill the grass, then basically creating your own mulch- made me think of a super cool guy in England who I’ve followed for a few years whose motto is “No Dig”. Charles Dowding. I think you’d like him.
Garden On!
Rynda
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks, I’ll check it out.
Tracy L. says
Mavis,
I am only able to container garden. Is this something you can do in containers? Every year I spend so much money replacing the dirt, so I would love a better way.
Heather says
If you haven’t, check out CraftyGemini on YouTube. She lives in Florida and has videos about lasagna gardening, etc. I thought it was interesting until my husband said that newspaper we put in our composter 10+ years ago was still readable. No lasagna gardening in dry, smoky northern Nevada.
PollyS says
My best garden ever was a lasagna garden. The first layer on top of the cardboard was a bale of hay, then grass clippings, and just about any organic matter I could get my hands on. My biggest find was about 20 bags of leaves found at the state Capital one October. They were already bagged up and the landscaper employee was happy to load my car up with the bags. Less stuff he had to deal with, I guess.
Recently I’m starting another lasagna garden. My husband was driving by a tree service company and they’re giving away chopped up trees/mulch. I was giddy! We filled up a bunch of contractor bags and will be going back next week for many, many more.