I'm going to start my first lasagna bed; any advice?

17 years ago

Hi all:

I have posted on here before, but it has been a while. I have a 6'wide by 20' long bed I have used for several years for my veggie patch. It is bordered on one short and one long side by a concrete slab. Every year we till in composted manure from bags at HD, and some compost, then cover with black permeable plastic and/or woodchip mulch.

This year, I want to start lasagna beds. I have the following:

newspaper

coffee grinds from Starbucks

veggie peels

old leaves

old grass clippings

alfalfa meal

peat moss

topsoil (probably frozen in 3 20 pound bags)

semi-rotted compost (probably frozen in a big black plastic bin)

Assuming things are going well, and I can get out next weekend, I could get this started. What else should I look for? What else should I add before planting veggie plants? I don't usually plant before memorial Day, so I do have some time. I think I am short on "green" right now, but the first lawn mowing is a LONG way away, especially since there may BE no lawn. (We had a freeze before we could get the leaves off the lawn, so the grass may be dead.)

I'm really hoping and wishing someone can give me a layering recipe. I have the book on it, but I don't feel like it gives me one I can follow. I cannot get "barn litter", but I can get manure in bags. Will that do?

Thanks for any advice,

Emmie

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Comments (5)

pablo_nh
17 years ago
You don't need a layering recipe, and you don't even need to layer. Layering helps measure stuff out and make sure stuff is well dispersed, but you could premix and then just lay it out.

You don't need manure. You just need greens and browns of whatever sort you can get. You probably don't need to buy anything! Layer up what you have, and mix in some coffee grounds as you scrounge them from StarB's.

Hints- you don't need to buy alfalfa meal if you have other greens, but throw it in if it's taking up space. You don't need peat moss- but if you have some that is just taking up space- then it's fine. If you have another use for it- then use it elsewhere- there's nothing it will do in a zagna bed that shredded leaves won't do.

Shred leaves before use. Newspapers on the bottom. I would break this up into five 3.5'x6' beds or two 2.5x 20' rows and plant 2 across. Walking in decomposing zagna is a good way to get an ankle injury and you shouldn't walk on beds anyway, so leave a little path.

A few last tips- keep layers thin if you layer- otherwise like materials will clump/mat and prevent water and air movement. Water as you build it- some materials will prevent water from sinking in. Save a little shredded leaves for mulch on top. Plant seeds in a thin layer of soil on top, or plant transplants in small soil pockets that just cover the root ball. Have fun- it's really easy, so don't worry about exact recipes etc!
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imrainey
17 years ago
I don't know this concept "lasagna bed". Is it, basically, the same thing as sheet composting?
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pablo_nh
17 years ago
Yes.
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gardenlen
17 years ago
g'day imrainey,

yes the same as sheet composting/mulching and raised beds, square foot gardening derived from it as well with the addition of a growing plan.

we do raised beds all the time now no need for any tilling toil.

got pic's and description of our results on our site.

Here is a link that might be useful: len's garden page
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penguingardener
17 years ago
I lasagna-layered my beds last year for the first time, wonderful results. And I second pablo_nh's comments. For my greens, I used whatever kitchen scraps I had available at the time, but I shredded them first in a processor (like old carrots).

I do have a compost tumbler, I will be adding what compost I have to the beds when I pull out the currently growing garlic and prepare for the next cycle of gardening. Just don't add black walnut leaves. I learned that lesson the hard way.

Oh, put the kitchen scraps as far down as possible or maybe put the coffee grounds on top. Depending on how you layer, critters can be attracted. I know something was digging around the bed with the shredded carrots.
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I'm going to start my first lasagna bed; any advice?

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pablo_nh

imrainey

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