Yummy Lasagne Gardening

[smallfrog]

Hi all.
I�m trying to improve my soil at the allotment its very compacted and very unloved in places. Lasagne gardening came up on one of the threads about soil improving.
Basically you�re making a raised bed out of compost. So starting with card then adding green waste, then I think more brown and so one until you reach the top of your raised bed.
Reading around it then there are three schools of thought.
1 You plant it straight away.
2 You leave it for a year then plant it.
3 You cook it. You do this by covering your lasagne in black plastic weight it down and then the sun cooks it.
I have started a bed of my own so far it has horse manure mixed with base soil, then card, then green waste mainly grass and finally a topping of rough compost. (The type that could do with a bit longer in the compost heap.) I have more card and or paper and there will be grass cuttings after the weekend. I won�t have enough rough compost to cap it but I can get more manure. Then all being well and the bit of black plastic I have is big enough I�m going to cook it.
Lastly do you think I�d be able to get my broad beans into this year to over winter.
Has anyone else tried this method and had any luck.
Anyother soil improving ideas welcome. I'm composting everything i can get my hands on and can get manure.

[1066]

Hi, I've sort of done some lasagne beds and find it a great way of not digging, I'm on heavy clay, which although nutrient rich and good at holding water, is very hard work. I do various versions, all involving lots of manure! And over the last couple of years, the beds are much better. Still a way to go yet tho. What you are doing sounds right to me.
Re the broad beans, I don't see why not. With all the manure and waste you will have a very rich/warm/fertile bed. So the way I see it, is that beans, peas and squash would love it. I'm not very good at over-wintering BB's, so am no expert there!

[FionaH]

I did the same in a couple of my raised beds, works really well.

[Two_Sheds]

there are three schools of thought.
1 You plant it straight away.

You can do this if there's no fresh manure in it (you can't plant anything into fresh manure) and if the top layer is friable

2 You leave it for a year then plant it.

You shouldn't need to leave it for a year, just until the big bits & weeds have rotted down. If the weeds aren't dead they will start growing back like crazy

3 You cook it. You do this by covering your lasagne in black plastic weight it down and then the sun cooks it.

The aim isn't to cook it - it's to kill off the weeds. A mulch of some kind will help, whether that's black plastic or cardboard (I used cardboard because it's organic, ie rots down too.

The black plastic route is useful if you want to just make holes in it and plant through the holes

[ginger ninger]

This is something like how I use-to fill my compost dalek. I've done this with my raised bed. It works great and with the green waste in...it keeps the soil warmer than without it, so it warms up quicker in the cooler months.

[chris]

I do similar in my daleks too. I use a "salad" dressing of urine too to spice (heat) things up a bit more!

[ginger ninger]

I do similar in my daleks too. I use a "salad" dressing of urine too to spice (heat) things up a bit more!

Mmmmm, remind me to pass on the salad dressing if ever invited for tea

[Glutton4...]

I'm gradually filling my raised beds with layers of horse manure, grass mowings, old compost, and chicken-coop bedding. Last year the beds were half full, and I grew Onions and Garlic quite successfully, despite the fact that it was only just a year into the project. The beds rotted down by half over the winter, and were topped up with more layers of the same, this spring. I have planted them all up with Potatoes this year, and have mulched with grass mowings - they're looking good!

Initially, I was concerned that the media wasn't rotting quickly enough, but as crops are growing well, and the beds are certainly not lacking in nutrients, I've stopped worrying. I'm just pleased I don't have to dig. Luckily my Husband loves harvesting Spuds...


Mwahaha!