brown and green layering in lasagna bed

7 years ago

So, my new hostas beds are much tougher clay than I thought they'd be and I want to create some lasagna beds in order to plant my new stuff...mostly hostas, some perennials and trees this fall.

My community has free compost and free shredded mulch that looked really lovely and actually finer than I expected...definitely not fresh wood chips. Obviously, all of this comes from the community clippings, etc, so I do not know the sources. Also free, most likely I could get grass clippings, again, they might include all kinds of weed seeds, as these are just there because folks dropped it off.

I HAVE plenty of cardboard from cardboard boxes. I can remove the tape.

I HAVE quite a bit of green weeds.

I HAVE a large "compost" pile that keeps getting piled on, but never turned.

I HAVE some old bags of peat in the shed...is that green or brown?

Then, I could get the free compost and free shredded mulch.

According to http://sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu/compost-info/tutorial/can-i-compost-it.shtml tutorial, they say that wood is "brown".

So, could I technically just layer the free mulch with the free compost to create my green and brown layers...and then amend with my own weed clippings and kitchen scraps into the "green" as I get it?

Something like this, all moistened as I go:

1, bottom layer: cardboard, with no openings

2, free compost/clippings/kitchen/green weeds/coffee

3. free wood mulch shredded

4. free compost/clippings/kitchen/green weeds/coffee

5 free wood mulch shredded

6 Moisten and cover with plastic for 2-3 weeks, then uncover and let nature take over? The tutorial above recommended the plastic. I think I have some, so I wouldn't have to buy it.

Are there any easy/cheap "cheats" to make it all speed a long better...buy earthworms, buy compost starter? And what about my huge pile that I have, that's never been turned...that has apples layered from last year, leaves, weed leaves (no bad seeds included, like thistle tops,etc)

Long post, but I hope that I've conveyed that I'm not trying to buy too much, although I am not against purchasing.

Reminder question...is
Canadian Sphagam Peat green or brown?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

kimmq
7 years ago
Any peat moss, including Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss, is a brown. high Carbon, low Nitrogen.

Pat Lanza, the person that developed Lasagna Gardening has a web site that describes what to do. http://ourgardengang.tripod.com/lasagna_gardening.htm

I have seen many people write about Lasagna Gardening and mostly they get it wrong because they have not seen what Pat Lanza had to say.

kimmq is kimmsr
gumby_ct
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Certainly peat is a brown but fwiw offers no nutrient value to your garden.

Not so sure that green/brown applies in a lasagna garden style bed but when trying to build a HOT compost pile, it does. I thought you were able to plant right away in a Lasagna style bed.

Also not sure about the cover it with plastic. What purpose would that serve? Most times that is to kill weeds but the cardboard layer should help with that.

The cold compost pile should be full of worms and Yes good to use but warning it could also contain viable seeds - weed or otherwise. Turning is not always needed but if it was ever hot then the outer part will likely contain any viable seeds. fwiw - I normally don't turn my compost either. IF it turns out to have too many seeds either use it as is or add it when building a HOT compost pile.

obtw - compost starter is a complete waste of money. Compost will self start with enuff greens just moistened (Not Wet) but if you feel you must add something then use the old compost or just some soil sprinkled in. But definitely don't waste your money on compost starter.

HTH
Related Discussions
Lasagna layers and direct sow
Q
Comments (2)
For the lasagna method, you alternate layers of green and brown over the layer of newspapers. I top it all off in the spring with a layer of composted horse manure. The first year I tried this method, I had time to build a bed for the following year and got it about 24" high. It really sunk down over winter (2007/2008) and last year it was level with the original ground. I just keep adding compost in some areas depending on what I plant. I think you're supposed to give the layers at least 6 weeks to settle down. Last year I wanted to get going on a new bed right away. It was for winter squash which I planted in hills. I made a hole where I wanted the hill and added a few scoops of composted manure. It worked out well but the bed itself isn't in as good shape at the beds I built up with more layers. The lasagna method gets organic material into the soil. My earthworm population grew. I don't walk on the beds so they are always soft. I think just adding soil on top of some newspapers hasn't left enough depth for roots. Flowers are probably ok unless they have a deep taproot. The paper takes a while to decompose. If you have grass clippings, kitchen waste, old hay, old leaves (chopped up), I would build up a higher pile. Then put the dirt on top. You still have time before spring planting. If you need materials, you might have a neighbor with a pile of old grass clipping (without herbicides) they'd love to have you cart away. I also find free manure advertised on craigslist.
...See More
Next Perennials bed project - lasagna bed?
Q
Comments (13)
Depending on if it will be dry most of the time & wet just a few weeks of the year or if it will be moist during the growing season... You might be able to direct some of that water to a channel & plant on the higher sides of it to prevent drowning plants during the high water times. What grows well for me in the shaded moist woodland: groundcovers: Ajuga reptans, Golden Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia), spotted dead nettle (Lamium maculatum) grass like foliage: Acorus (sweet flag), various Carex like 'Ice Dance', Iris (I. foetidissima, Japanese Iris), common orange daylily Hosta Astilbe Aruncus (goatsbeard) Japanese anemone - fall bloomer that tolerates part shade Tradescantia (spiderwort) Mimulus (monkeyflower) Try looking at this swale garden creation with pics (uses rock to help control water & fill space) http://herselfshoustongarden.com/2007/01/swale-garden.html Here is a link that might be useful: bog plants
...See More
Lasagna layers
Q
Comments (7)
cardboard breaks down quickly in my wet climate, so probably in your zone, too the layering is a much less fussy way to garden & saves your back. Plants root through the layers into your existing soil. The persistent plants you mentioned might come through the cardboard. I don't think you can mow over ivy to kill it. The fragments might also root, so be careful. I think it's best put into black plastic bags to rot in time. You might consult the master gardener program in your county for advice in your climate. layer at least 6" over your soil - we've gone 2' or more then spread out a bit more in spring to level it some, planted perennials & shrubs, & by fall the bed has settled more. By end of 2 years those gardens are almost level to existing soil now & plants have thrived! It does work! add what you can as you have it, keep moist, if a dry climate cover to keep from blowing around (tarps, upside down carpet, burlap bags, etc.) include used coffee grounds gathered free from coffee shops for more greens to go with all the fall leaves now expect it to shrink by late spring when soil warms up a bit again volume will be much less - maybe 1/3 to 1/4 what you put on now in fall (you can heap it up higher in middle to get some volume composting happening & spread it out a bit more in spring once composted) For vegetable beds usually use what you mentioned as layers, but start off with manure + bedding on top of cardboard or existing vegetable bed soils + used coffee grounds. Takes a few years to really loosen up compacted soil. A bit faster if you fork it over in spring. The no-till methods work best if you have at one time loosened compacted soil & double dug the beds, keep permanent paths, etc. Dig it once & you won't have to dig it again. Don't be discouraged & grow easy crops your 1st year! There's always an other garden season to plant something new.
...See More
Question on Fall Lasagna layering
Q
Comments (5)
Forget the sand, it adds nothing to a lasagna bed. Just start with the newspaper layer, wet that down and start piling on alternating layers of whatever "greens" and "browns" you have... garden debris like cut down end of season plants, pulled annuals, used coffee grounds, fresh grass clippings, rotten fruit and vegetables, etc. are greens. Shredded newspaper, wood chips, shredded cardboard, and leaves which should be dropping in Ill. now or soon are browns. It's not an exact science and the alternating layers don't have to be in precise amounts. I don't know about the mushroom compost and where it fits into the scheme of things - since it's already compost. I might be tempted to save that aside and use it as a direct soil amendment later.
...See More
gumby_ct
7 years ago
I guess there are some who do the green/brown thing in lasagna gardening but I wouldn't (IF it were me) get all caught up in the percent of each.

I think the whole concept is to get worms to recycle organic matter into nutrients the plants can use, not to get hot 'n' fast compost cycle going.
User
7 years ago
"I HAVE some old bags of peat in the shed...is that green or brown?"

It's packing peanuts! If peat moss dried out, it is astoundingly hard to remoisten. If you mixed them thoroughly into a much larger amount of something, it would not be as bad.

********************************

Overall your plan sounds good.

EXCEPT THIS, because you would have a compost bucket effect in your hostas. amend with my own weed
clippings and kitchen scraps into the "green" as I get it?

Compost them first and use them as topdressing later. Make a new compost bin and put the upper layers and outside parts of the old pile (not compost yet) into it and use the inner parts on the hosta beds.

You can have a no-turn compost bin, just periodically rip it down and remove the good stuff. I have a trommel sifter - one afternoon of sifting instead of regular turning is easier.

http://lazygardens.blogspot.com/2015/05/diy-trommel-sifter-for-compost.html
http://lazygardens.blogspot.com/2015/05/diy-cheap-compost-bin.html

brown and green layering in lasagna bed

Comments (4)

kimmq

gumby_ct

Related Discussions

gumby_ct

User

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US