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Soil, Compost & Mulch

What should a fall lasagna bed look like in spring?

keeperofthememories

16 years ago

Last fall, I worked on making half of my garden into lasagna rows. I used mostly chopped maple leaves, grass clippings and food scraps. I didn't cover the rows but just left them over the winter.

Now that the snow has melted, I see the rows don't really look "plantable". They look like a row of chopped leaves. So....what should a fall lasagna garden look like in spring? Did I do something wrong? And can I actually plant in this pile of leaves???

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Comments (3)

Kimmsr
16 years ago
That bed will look just like what you are seeing.
You did nothing "wrong", just that your expectations are probably too high. As the attached web site explains you can plant in that Lasagna bed.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lasagna Gardening 101
kqcrna
16 years ago
In your zone it was probably frozen through much of winter, so it wouldn't really break down then. Now that spring is here it should thaw out and progress faster. Mother nature has been keeping things pretty wet here, but if your weather is dry, it would help to keep those beds moist. Rotting stops when the materials dry.

Did it shrink much? You said you used grass clippings too. Have the grass clippings been consumed? I'd stick my fingers down into the pile and see what's under those leaves. Adding more N now (grass clippings, coffee grounds, etc) would give those leaves something to work with and maybe speed things some. If there's nothing under those leaves, you might need to add some other ingredient to plant in- soil, compost, more N to compost the leaves- just something so that new plants have something to sink their feet in and get a footing.

The other option is to cut an X into the bottom layer of cardboard or paper and plant into the soil below it. The top leaves and whatever remains will break down and nourish the soil eventually.

Karen
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The myth that leaves and pine needles will turn a soil acidic persists even in the face of good, solid research that shows the will not happen and the lack of research that supports that myth. One such soil scientist that did research, and continues to do that, is Dr. Abigail Maynard at the UCONN Agricultural Research Station at New Haven, Conn who has found that even after years of adding Oak leaves and Pine needles to soil plots there was no significant change in soil pH. The predominant leaf in my compost and shredded leaf mulchs for many years has been Oak and I have seen nothing to indicate there is a problem with that since the "stuff" I grow does quite well and is also quite insect pest free. Those leaves and pine needles will make a very good mulch on top of the soil you made and will, eventually add to your soil as they are slowly digested by the Soil food Web you will be building up, too.
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It's always an inspiration to see the gorgeous and quick transformation Kathy made with her yard. We have a new area to work on this spring and I plan to use the lasagna method since it's the best way to plant over limestone rock. You are likely in zone 8 and some parts of your yard could be even colder. I'm 8a in San Antonio and Boerne is usually at least 5o to 10o colder. Converting lawn to planting beds is a great idea in this area. There were a few weeks last spring when the large lawns were green and looked nice for the first time in several years but generally lawns look pretty bad around here. Most of the year a nice garden of flowers with a background of evergreen plants can look good even when the flowers fade and the foliage turns brown. Salvia greggii, copper canyon daisy, and blackfoot daisy continue to bloom on sunny days throughout this unusually cold winter. If you are new to Boerne be sure to find out about deer in your neighborhood to avoid disappointment. They can cause a lot of damage.
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keeperofthememories
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for your responses. I wasn't sure what to expect this spring, but I was thinking it would look more like something I could actually plant in.

Yes, the rows did shrink and all the grass clippings are gone. It is mostly leaves and straw that I'm seeing when I reach inside. I can add more N to some of the rows but I won't have enough for all the rows before planting time.

So when it is planting time, I could add compost on top of the row and plant seeds or pull the leaves apart and put compost in the hole for transplants, is that right? Would the rows require more watering than usual?

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