First...I looked up Abbotsford and you are in the same relative weather area as I am here in Western Oregon. In the interest of full disclosure I have ONLY been gardening for 8 years and I am giving my opinions based on that experience, reading and NOT scientific evidence. How long have you been gardening? It looks like from the photo you will be having to deal with the grasses that border the compost. Was the compost spread over dormant grasses? How long has this been fallow? Here is my advice. In the next couple of weeks we should have a "drying period." Watch the forecast, and at the end of that time work this into the soil. If it is on top of grasses, I would just disk it in. I think if it is on sod, it would be difficult to till and might just spread the grasses. If there is no sod...go ahead and deep till it in and plan to till it a couple of more times before planting (weather permitting). To me, you are one year away form effective gardening on this. Mother Nature will not be rushed, but rather loves smooth steady attention Good Luck PS. Go to your GW profile and update your location and zone and then it will appear in future posts (that is essential to get quality responses)

Yes Amy, I would go ahead and use it as I don't think the N will burn the plants. Because you are about to plant, I would mix it up a bit with the rest of the soil/lasagna ingredients to distribute it a bit more. So great to talk to you about something else! How did you get started with the Lasagna method?? I have been very happy with it and think it has been a great way to do it! Our garden looks great due to the raised beds and we mulch the walkways with straw a couple of times a year to keep down weeds, bring in worms, and build the soil there too, in case we ever rearrange the garden layout (though I can't imagine doing that!). Everyone always is amazed at how "clean" it looks and has no weeds (except for the property line where the neighbors weeds come to visit---ARGH!!!). My grandparents (in their 80's) still do the backbreaking till and plant and weed like crazy gardening. I tell them and show them about Lasagna gardening, about doing it organically with NO chemicals, and they just don't get it. It makes me so sad because they work on their garden for HOURS a day (mostly weeding) and this could be so much easier for them. It's just the way they have always done it and they are not about to change. I swear one fall I am going to haul a few bales of hay and some compost over there and spread it around myself! They would just MiracleGro it to death anyway, I suppose! Anyway, I am planting a bit today, I will try to get you a picture of our "empty" garden.... post one of yours if you get the chance! Leanna

Jenny, I've recently learned that unfinished compost prevents germination of seeds. I am planning to use unfinished compost on my garden beds in between the plants in the future to suppress weeds. Also, the bacterial activity in the compost might serve as a deterrent to wandering bugs like squash bugs. Short answer; I would deliberately use unfinished compost in the manner you are suggesting. - Paul M.

THANK YOU ALL -- and I had to laugh at the huge logs --- if wood chunks that large don't do damage... I image my little 2-4 inch pieces won't kill the plants. On the remaining 900 plants (yeah - we're pyscho - we have 1150 plants in all to plant), we switched gears and started using the finished compost (what the nursery was selling as top soil - but later explained was compost a year ago) in the holes. We mixed it with peat moss and in some cases vermiculite. We're going to use the remaining 15 cubic yards or so of the 'woody compost' (aka the compost I was freaking out about) on the TOP of the soil. We're thinking 1 to 2" of that followed by 1 to 2" of pine bark mulch for a max of 3" in total on top. We also bought some grass fertilizer for the bamboo -- the guy who sold us that recommended it anyways and supposingly its all nitrogen anyways. RUELLIA -- YES - it looks like that picture ...however, I specifically purchased "PURPLE SHOWERS" ..it was my understanding (dangerous internet surfer that I am) that Ruellia Brittanica 'Purple Showers' was "*STERILE*" so it did not spread like unnamed varieties. The nursery thought I was crazy (they said and I quote "we've never seen a sterile plant in our 10 years of being in business").. BUT I'm pretty sure one of the places I read about "Purple Showers" was on Gardenweb. Also Riverview Farms in FL also states Purple Showers is Sterile. I'm just hoping its not invasive. Billums_MS ... have you heard about Purple Showers being sterile (or less invasive) or do you think its all hogwash and I'm in deep trouble? I literally had 36 3-gallons planted right in the middle of our back yard. So if its invasive...boy will it wreak havoc here.