I’d like to grow lasagna too. It would be much easier than making it in my kitchen, that’s for sure. But unfortunately, that’s not what people mean when they talk about a lasagna garden. What they mean is something even more amazing – if you’re a gardener. They’re talking about creating a garden without digging.
Without digging, you say? But how would I make a garden? To many, the creation of a garden involves loosening and adding to the soil and moving large quantities of soil from one place to another. This is true for making raised beds, anyway. But to create a lasagna garden, what you need to do is mulch.
To create a lasagna garden, find a part of your yard that has a lawn or other groundcover and has good sun. The only thing it’s lacking is the soil. Begin by placing cardboard or newspaper over the area where you want the garden. This layer acts as a biodegradable landscaping fabric to stop weeds from poking through. Use newspaper if you want to be able to dig through the layer later. Use cardboard if you really want good weed protection. This layer also acts as a moist environment that attracts worms.
Next, begin to layer green and brown materials just as you would in your compost bin. Place a double-thick layer of brown materials like old leaves and follow that up with a thinner layer of fresh grass, compost, or other green, nitrogen rich materials. Continue this process until you have at least 2 feet of materials. Leave the materials to compost for several months, and you’ll have a garden with good, rich soil.
A lasagna garden is not for those who want an instant garden. However, if you’re able to wait for a few months, you’ll get fantastic soil with very few weeds and minimal digging. And yes, if you want to you can build a garden bed around it once it’s done. You just don’t need to do so.
Would you make a lasagna garden?