Lasagne Dilema, please advise

15 years ago

I found out about the lasagne technique last year sometime. And immediately employed it in a troubled and previously weed ridden area where I had hoped to be able to use for a garden spot. I had no idea what would come.

I was pleased with the results and now see the extreme value this process has/had in really changing the soil that I had previously. Making it rich and healthy and FULL of worms etc.

Here's the snag or at very least the dilema I am having.

I realize that the lasagne method is a no till method. I have had what I would call an infestation of stink bugs, leaf footed bugs, squash bugs and other bugs that seemed to be on my plants in excessive numbers. I did the best I could (and still do DAILY) at removing and squishing these disgusting things.

I'm afraid that If I dont till this area now (or when stuff is done growing of course) that I"m just creating a really nice cozy home for them for the winter. It's also quite possible that last winters lasagne layers, did just that for this generation to be so bad.

Is there a balance? Is there something I'm missing? I realize from other posts that controlling these bugs and preventing them from wintering over in my garden requires keeping things free of debris, but the "debris" is what I am considering the materials in the lasagne mix. Leaves, etc.

I will get in there and clean out dead or damaged plant matter and maybe that's really what is being suggested?

I appreciate your advice and suggestions. I just cant do another (bug) year like this one it was very tiresome and frustrating to see all my plants get bombarded over and over til they croaked. It was very discouraging to say the least. And like I mentioned, with adding all this OM I had probably the best soil I've had well EVER.

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Comments (3)

gardenlen
15 years ago
g'day,

we use raised gardens method another of the lasagne process.

as for bugs yes when one first sets up a vegetable garden and until the organic system is working bugs will come, now whether tilling is a method of breaking the breeding cycle i'm not sure? but we find that you need to work on managing the bugs and treating each of them in a way that gives you control. so maybe you could start with learning that about the bugs you have?

for us having native birds, frogs and lizards in our garden goes a long way to controlling bugs, we are coming into our 3rd summer now in our new garden and this year we reckon we are on top of our tropical fruit fly problem using traps alone as t/f/f has no natural predators that we are aware of.

a lot of our mangement is "see them - squish them", and if you do that daily and from day one then the bugs are going to ahve a tough time getting settled into your garden.

len

Here is a link that might be useful: len's garden page
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terrene
15 years ago
There is some thought that it can take several years for your mini-ecosystem to balance out after you first go organic. Perhaps it takes some time for birds to find your gardens and the predator bugs to get established, and they both eat tons of insects. I've been planting lots of native flowers, grasses, and shrubs to attract birds and bugs, and the more the wildlife habitat develops in the yard, the more they show up.

As for the mulch, all of my gardens have compost, leaves, straw, lasagne layers, and tons of organic matter all over. I leave most of the foliage standing over the winter too - not only is this better for certain perennials, but my thinking is that all of this provides habitat for the GOOD bugs as well as possibly for the bad. And the birds will continue to pick at seeds through the winter.

This seems to work pretty well. This year there was some damage from oriental beetles (squish 'em) and the slugs were everywhere this summer, but that was because it was extremely wet here in New England.
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Lasagne Dilema, please advise

Comments (3)

gardenlen

terrene

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