Lasagne Gardening (Feb GYO Mag)

[OverWyreGrower]

Sadly, I read the title in the magazine and got all excited before I read the article, it seems you can't actually grow a whole lasange, which is a shame

However, has anyone ever used this method of 'no dig' bed preparation?

I have a few (probably easily answerable) questions which I couldn't find answers for in the article.

How clean does the soil underneath have to be to start the bed? Presumably not completely clean/weed free?

How soon can I start layering things up - could I start now, for planting when the horrid permafrost hopefully disappears?

If you've used this preparation before, what have you used for layering?

Thanks!!

[PAULW]

OWG
Just started one myself before the permafrost started, I dug out all the nasty weeds (buttercup/couch) before starting hoping the layers of straw will supress any other weeds, I think snadger is the expert on no dig so will wait to see what the oracle has to say.

[SarzWix]

I did something similar on one bed last year. I roughly dug it over first, taking out the biggest/easiest to remove roots out. Then a thin layer of muck, a layer of cardboard, another thin layer of muck, a thick layer of straw, topped off with a weed membrane. Left for a few months, then planted squash, sweetcorn, courgettes through the membrane. The odd bit of horsetail managed to poke it's way through in about August but was easy enough to pull long strands of it out.
You'll need to make sure there's no trace of frost on the soil before you start because you'll trap the cold in, instead of keeping it out!

[andrewo]

I've been using the no dig method for several years, cleared half an allotment that way. Just have to have patience and alot of compost. Good way to recycle paper, cardboard and straw. I sometimes use black plastic to cover the lot and plant through, good for courgettes and pumpkins.

[Lazgaot]

I started a no dig allotment site last June. The site had been unused for well over a year, possibly two. I didn't have access to large quantities of compost, manure, straw or cardboard to cover 175m2. So I cleared everything and dug out as much of the dock, dandelion, nettles, couch grass and bidweed as I could. I'm now piling on manure to the prepared beds and hope to not dig again, other than to remove the odd bundweed shoot as it appears.

[chuffa]

Only a small part of my plot is a no dig area on my raised beds. I did this as an experiment, just to see what advantages/disadvantages are with this type of bed, but i believe that i wont get a true answer for at least another couple of seasons until i have built the bed up. I loosened the soil at the bottom of the bed after removing most of the weeds, and these are the layers that i put in: quarter inch layer of news paper, 1 inch layer of top soil, 2inch layer of spent hops, more top soil, 4ich layer of straw, 4inch layer of well rotted compost, between each layer i put very small amounts of blood,fish and bone and some old comfrey leaves. I will probably add this year at the end of the season, hops, leaves and compost.

[Two_Sheds]

You can get a book on it from amazon (£3) or free from your library: Lasagna Gardening: A New System for Great Gardens: No Digging, No Tilling, No Weeding, No Kidding!: Patricia Lanza: Amazon.co.uk: Books

I've got a patch of my plot under cardboard and newspaper and weeds at the moment, breaking down slowly (I did it as a mulch to kill off the couch, bindweed and brambles).
I'll see what state the ground is in come the spring .. I may plant straight into it, or if it's still very full of pernicious weeds I will dig it over again.

[snakeshack]

built a raised bed this way today just to try out.lottie has been out of cultivationn for around 20 years ! have cleared bramble hawthorn and blackthorn to ground level and had several strategically placed fires but thought I would give this a go.
put down 4 layers of brown cardboard ,6 inch layer of horse manure (fresh)more cardboard and contents of my compost bin which has given me another 4 inch layer.
will let you know the result when comparison with other beds is complete.

[vegnut]

This is a good way of making it a bit easier on the lottie, but i wouldn't grow root crops such as carrot and parsnip in these beds, due to the fact that you are using a lot of different type of composts and manure, that'll fork the little fellas, and the soil below your layers may be a little hard so you may get some not so straight roots. Just my pennies worth. Hope it was helpfull.

[di]

We've "possibly" got a new plot this year...if so think I'll try this for some beds intended for Squash,hoping it may make light of next Autumns dig....it's very heavy soil with lots of couch grass to contend with,not sure how convinced I am that this method will kill off the roots so personally I'd be a little apprehensive of growing potatos this way.(had an incredibly unsuccesful year a couple of years ago,where every spud had a spear of grass root growing through it)

[snakeshack]

have planted shallots and garlic on one bed,am planning onion sets on the other

[terrier]

I've never heard of it before but I just did a Google search for it and there's loads of info, it looks like an American idea (havn't read properly yet)but looks worthy of a good read at least.

[Growem]

The article in the magazine inspired me to give it a try. So far I've went out and bought the boards I need for a 2.4x1.2m raised bed. If it seems to work, I'll get more timber for more beds. I'm going to try putting more or less straight over the weeds which are mainly grass. My plot was more than a bit neglected last summer and the grass is winning against me. I figure if I cover it up and then have only a dedicated area to weed, as versus EVERYWHERE, it might be more successful. Not sure what to plant in the bed yet, but am leaning towards peas and beans.

[SnooziSuzi]

I read this article too and was inspired to try it, but I wondered about the soil layer that you are building upon; would the worms eventually bring this layer up to mix with the layers added in the lasagne or to make a deep bed would you still have to dig down?

My lottie (like so many others) has about 1 foot of soil that's been put on top of an old ash heap from the 50's and before so a lot of it is just ash which scabs my taties so I am in the process of putting in raised beds so that I can turn the top layer and then build up from there but if I can get away with not even turning the topsoil first then I'll be able to get on with it much quicker and my plot would be ready for planting in by May

[snakeshack]

on the bright side the only two beds not completely covered in snow are the two lasagne beds as the manure is heating them up sufficiently,garlic's starting to show too