Sorry about the Title--- I obviously meant 7 INCHES, not 7 FEET of compost. Can't figure out how to edit it! Sorry!

Plant away. That's how I do it. I also get some great volunteers in the compost bins every year.

I have found when I am planting in new fresh lasagna beds, that seeds and plants will do much better if I put them in a pocket of soil to get started.

I'd stir it up a little in the row.

Horse manure is very weedy. You're probably going to want a nice mulch on those beds. Newspaper (between your rows) is very weed impenetrable.

Hey, arwmommy! I just wanted to say hi--it's Agilityscots from over on BYC! (different username here)Imagine my surprise when I saw your post this morning! (sort of like seeing your teacher outside of school when you're a kid, he he he)

I'm also thrilled to hear that someone has experience using organic lasagna gardening; I just started my first lasagna bed yesterday. So, quick question for you: have you put partially rotted chicken litter into your lasagna beds? I know you're not supposed to because of the nitrogen content, but I'm wondering if you have...my chicken litter has been composting for months but still isn't quite broken down.

Amy

Hey Agility! What a small web! ;)

It's so funny because I got into chickens BECAUSE of organic gardening--- I needed their poop/litter for the compost! I wanted them more for poop than for eggs!!!!

This is what I do with the litter. First, I have 2 types of litter-- Pine shavings/poop that is in the house, and straw/poop that is in the run. The pine shavings obviously take a lot longer to break down, but I kind of don't care--- its the nitrogen of the poop that I am concerned about breaking down. It does this quickly, and really heats up the compost pile!

I clean out the coop twice a year. In the Fall, I put the straw/poop right into the empty beds, and then pile grass clippings, manure, compost pile, leaves etc. on top. I put the shavings/poop in the compost pile, to give the shavings time to break down a bit.

In early spring I spread the (mostly) broken down compost on the beds-- there is still pine shavings that are not totally broken down, but I consider it like mulch!

Then a month or two later, I clean the coop again, and put all of the straw and shavings into the compost pile. This then has the summer to break down, and it goes into the garden beds as mostly finished compost in the fall.

Is that clear? I think that as long as the poop has had a chance to break down, the bits of bedding are OK in the garden beds--it will break down with a bit more time.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

My concern from reading your post is that your tomatoes willl be shallow rooted. You might be wiser to dig a very deep planting hole, fill it with compost, and plant deeply.

I misread the post and thought it was for tomatoes, not seeds. Ignore. Just I have tomatoes on the brain. Sorry.

Thanks Leanne! That's too funny about how you came into chickens; I had no idea!!

That's an excellent explanation. I have some partially rotted chicken litter (on the bottom of my bin, of course) and it sounds like you'd go ahead and use that; it's been sitting for at least six months, but isn't fully rotted since I don't/can't turn it during the winter. Do you think the nitrogen in the poo has dissipated a bit, so it won't burn my seedlings?

Amy

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

Oops, sorry, I typed you in as Leanne earlier! :-) Typing too quickly...

It will certainly help if I can get some of my own composted chicken litter into the beds, because it will both feed it and bulk it up nicely. I'm so glad I found you here! I've been on BYC's gardening site but it's too quiet. I like how you can get instant answers here.

I stumbled on lasagna gardening completely by accident. I had been primed to do Mel Bartholomew's square foot gardening this year but my BIL talked me out of it for several reasons, and I also kept hearing about lasagna gardening on all the boards. I was especially intrigued by the idea of NO tilling. So I bought the book, and my first bed is already started in the yard! I put down newspaper and cardboard yesterday, topped it with several inches of leaves, then finished compost, then garden soil. I still need several more layers to fill it, so that's why using my own compost is such welcome news! I'll try to get a pic up today.

I want to be able to get my peas in as soon as possible, and also get my lettuce seedlings in; I think they'll be ready in the next 2-3 weeks to go in the ground (I wintersowed them and they just have seed leaves right now).

I can't imagine older folks doing the old till-and-weed business...heck, I can't imagine doing it myself! Way, way too much work. That's why I never gardened seriously before this, because I thought that's what you HAD to do. I think you're right on the money...just haul some stuff over there and get it started for them. :-)

Amy

Hey!
Another BYCener here! Im also going to have my first chicken litter to use, and I plan on using it directly in the garden as lasagna layers. In the house where I have the peeps, Ill have chicken manure/pine shavings, and out in the coop I have chicken manure/old hay. I really dont want to pile it up and compost it, Id rather just put it in the garden. I think it should work just fine.

Hi there, cavamarie! Good to see you here!

I'm feeling better now about putting old chicken litter into my lasagna bed; I was worried that it would burn little seeds and seedlings, but you've both made me feel better. I just went out and put in several inches a few minutes ago!!

Cavamarie,
I do think that if you put in the litter you should let it wait for a month or two before you plant in it... the person who owns the big organic composting company here is a friend of mine, and she always talks about how HOT that chicken poop is, that it MUST be composted first. I do know of people who have burned plants by using fresh litter on their garden. I would just be careful. The shavings or hay can go right in, that is not the problem, it is the poop!

JMHO!

Hi Leanna, that's exactly what I've heard many times...chicken litter is supposedly the best for all the N in the poop, but it's super hot. I dug some stuff from the bottom and middle of my pile to put in my bed after our email exchange, and it's anywhere from a month to 7-8 months old. Hopefully if I start putting in peas and lettuce in the next couple weeks it will have chilled out a bit!

Amy

Hi, arwmommy,
Im not planting in it, Im putting it in between the plants as a mulch, not putting it very close to the plants. That way I figure it can do its lasagna thing in between the plants and help the soil that way.

ialbtc

I was glad to see your post. I have sand myself and have thought about the layering method of composting. I have wondered if it is better to plant in compost or soil mixed with compost myself. I didn't see much on the answer as I did on a disscusion about chicken manure! So, I'm still looking for more dialoge on the compost planting!