LASAGNA FOR THE GARDEN

 

 

In all my years of gardening, I thought I had at least heard of most all techniques. Well, I was proven wrong. Have you ever heard of lasagna gardening? Neither had I until this past week.

Patricia Lanza introduced this new concept back in 1998. An inn owner and mother of seven kids, she didn’t have time for gardening in the traditional way. Her strategy reduces the time weeding, tilling and watering by at least 60 percent.

Also called sheet gardening or no-dig gardening, this technique is actually an age-old philosophy built on the idea of putting layers upon layers of different materials. It is often used to enlarge perennial borders or convert part of a lawn into a vegetable patch. It is also a great way to fill an area like raised beds or contaminated urban areas with a healthy growing medium.

The whole point of a lasagna garden is to simplify tasks by using natural organic methods and materials that are on hand. It is not recommended for larger areas like a whole conventional garden because of the amount of material that is required for all the layers.

  

HOW TO BUILD A LASAGNA GARDEN

 

*Establish the garden area. No need to prep the soil, simply lay black and white newspapers or cardboard over existing weeds and grass. Water thoroughly and the weeds will smother and die and this will also prevent new ones from sprouting.

*Gather brown material…lots of brown material. This is your leaves, straw, peat moss, wood chips, shredded paper, newspapers and sawdust. These materials are dry and decompose quickly and also, being bulky, they ensure a light, oxygen-rich soil. Next gather green materials that include compost, manure, grass clippings, yard waste, vegetable scraps like coffee grounds and eggs shells, seaweed, blood meal and animal bedding. These are rich in nitrogen and are dense and moist.

*Layer the browns and greens by alternating with 5-inch layers of brown with 3-inch layers of green. Top these layers with 5 inches of garden soil. Although you can do this any time of year, fall is the optimum time since leaves are plentiful and over winter there is time for the amendments to break down and blend together.

*Spring is when you will enjoy the fruits of your labor. The layers will have produced a soft, pliable growing medium with no need to till or water.

*When seedlings emerge, spread a six-inch layer of straw over the surface. When the straw breaks down, it adds another layer of organic matter. It also keeps the weeds down and conserves water. If the straw still has wheat or barley seeds in it and they begin to grow, simply turn the straw over and smooth it out.

*Each fall add a few more layers. Each year the soil will become richer.

Lasagna gardening and good water conservation strategies go hand in hand. Soaker hoses are your best bet with this technique because they can be laid directly under the straw mulch and the water will go straight to the plants’ roots. If you use overhead sprinklers, some water will run off when it hits the mulch.

As with anything, there are pros and cons to this method of gardening.

 

PROS

 

*It is very cost-effective. The whole point of lasagna gardening is to use what you have on hand and recycle materials to create a garden bed out of layered materials.

 

*It improves the soil since it is like a compost layer across the whole gardening space. Since you build on top of the original soil’s surface, it is great for growing crops on top of areas with poor soil. By nature, layers hold nutrients longer than if they were just applied to the top of the existing soil. In essence, this is basically layering a compost pile. With the process of decomposition, soil is naturally amended and it lasts an entire season. This improved soil absorbs water, slows evaporation and keeps plants’ root systems cool.

*It is low maintenance with no need to dig, till or weed. You just need to keep it “cooking” by alternating carbon (brown) and nitrogen (green) layers and keep it wet.

*It’s ready to plant when you are. You can let it “cook” until it is ready to plant or you can add a layer of compost and plant immediately.

 

CONS

 

*It has also been called no-till. This brings up a whole new set of views. Some are proponents of it and others like to “stir” the dirt.

 

*When gathering your carbon layer, if you use too much cardboard and newspaper, these are recyclable to reduce the carbon footprint and a shortage of these means more need to be manufactured. However, on a small scale, this is not a problem.

*Safety of materials is a consideration. Much of the cardboard comes from boxes produced overseas whose guidelines aren’t as stringent as ours. Dyes, chemicals and other petroleum products can be present that would contaminate the vegetable patch.

*As the layers break down, the soil oxygen levels are greatly reduced because they are suffocated by the layers. This lack of oxygen means that the aerobic bacteria can’t do their job efficiently. This slows the decomposition which means that many released nutrients will not be absorbed in the soil but rather leached away in rain run-off.

*Time is a factor. It takes a lot of time to literally move all the carbon/nitrogen layers and for them to break down.

*Garden size is a factor. This would not be practical for a large area. You need to source all material for two layers of carbon. To get an idea of how much this is, take the square footage of your area and multiply by two.

*Pests may be a problem. The layers will deter some but will encourage worms, slugs and snails. Worms are a plus but the other two are by-products of layering since the layers create a warm, moist environment for them to live in.

Lasagna gardening is just another concept. Having a garden is so much more than just throwing a few seeds in the ground. It is a complex venture and, to do it right, there are so many variables to consider. No-dig gardening may be perfect for some situations and not for others. As with anything, just weigh all your odds before you start.