If you’re a gardener looking for a simple and sustainable technique to apply to your garden, lasagna gardening might be the solution you’re looking for. This technique utilizes various layers, composting, and natural processes to create a beneficial, low-maintenance garden.
So how does lasagna gardening work and what makes it so beneficial? Keep reading to find out!
How Does It Work?
So, how does lasagna gardening work? The process is very similar to a typical compost pile. The natural process utilizes the sun’s heat and decomposing materials and works together with good bacteria and earthworms.
However, the entire process works faster with the material spread out, like it is in a garden. And, a faster process means gardeners don’t need to turn or sift the material.
How To Start
Imagine the delicious dish this gardening process is named after. Much like that dish, the lasagna garden is a layering process, but rather than using delish pasta and tomato sauce, it uses composted items.
The first layer of the garden should be made from wet newspaper. The newspaper should be between six to ten layers laid flat and overlapping at least six inches. This will help kill off any weeds. Then, cover the newspaper layer with one to two inches of peat moss.
Next, gardeners should begin layering the carbon materials. This layer should be around three inches deep and include things like chopped leaves, shredded paper, or straw.
Then, about an inch of the nitrogen-rich materials are layered on top. These include materials like grass clippings, eggshells, or coffee grounds.
Repeat layering carbon and nitrogen layers as desired and top it off with some bone meal, wood ashes, and a black plastic cover that will help retain the heat. After about six to ten weeks, the material will have shrunk and will be ready for planting.
Why Try It?
The technique was popularized by Patricia Lanza. She aimed to make gardening an easier and more rewarding process. This method is a less labor-intensive way to garden, requiring less digging and watering.
Since layers in the garden will contain materials like newspaper and cardboard, the garden will retain water for longer. This water retention allows gardeners to spend more time enjoying their garden and less time watering it. Plus, a lasagna garden naturally deters weeds and pests, allowing gardeners to avoid using any harmful herbicides or pesticides.
From the confines of a container garden or a traditional outdoor garden plot, this amazingly low-maintenance technique is a perfect solution.
