it is my understanding that you are supposed to do it in the fall after all your plants are done and it decomposes over the winter. are you starting a new bed or wanting to do it on existing in use beds? i too was really excited to try it, next year will be my first year and i am not starting till the fall because all my beds are currently in use. the advice i got was to start stockpiling all of your materials... grass clippings, leaves, manure, pine needles, peat moss, etc. i am sure there is an expert or two out there that will steer us in the right direction. i too am interested in learning. sarah

No, it is not too early. It is never too early to start Lasagna Gardening. It's basically layered compost. So Sarah... take that stockpile material and spread it out over the area you want to be your bed - now.

Here is a link that might be useful: Threads to read on Lasagna Gardening

Posted by patty4150 SoCal (My Page) on

Sat, Jun 30, 07 at 11:05

This is an image of the "soil" that results from my lasagna layers. The most recent lasagna layers were pine needles, used coffee grounds, straw, and half finished compost. I have pulled those layers back, and you can see the crumbly stuff that comes from *previous* layering, along with about a half dozen worms. I find worms every time I pull up the layers, sometimes just a few and sometimes scads.

{{gwi:66048}}

more

• Posted by: violet_z6 6a (My Page) on Sat, Jun 30, 07 at 20:20

Posted by patty4150 SoCal (My Page) on

Sat, Jun 30, 07 at 11:05

Here are some of the vegetables that we have planted [in the Lasagna Garden]. The beans are starting to produce:

{{gwi:66049}}

{{gwi:66050}}

We are trying cantaloupe again � and having much better luck this time (very green and lush growth) thanks to lasagna gardening. One leaf is the size of a dinner plate. It is a french variety - I forget the name.

{{gwi:66051}}

Our basil is coming along:

{{gwi:66052}}

And so is the corn, which will be topped and netted to prevent the squirrels from eating it, once the ears have been fertilized. I am letting some pumpkins crawl around the perimeter of my plot, near the corn:

{{gwi:66053}}

I am delighted to have some bell peppers (about 12 plants) coming along nicely this year, and am looking forward to many meals of stuffed peppers:

{{gwi:66054}}

{{gwi:66055}}

RE: About Lasagna Method

• Posted by: patty4150 SoCal (My Page) on Sun, Jul 1, 07 at 0:03

Oh, hello.

You can just think about it as mulch. Go ahead and mulch around your plants with whatever you have on hand.

I personally add layers throughout the year, though I am considering different schedules. Whenever I layer I try to add an inch or so, if I can, and over the course of a year that adds up to about 15 inches or so, which decomposes into only a few inches, so the process continues.

Anyway, you can layer anything that seems like a good idea - think of it as a top dressing or a mulch - the only thing (that I can think of) to avoid right now is that you shouldn't put fresh manures or other high nitrogen materials too close to your plants, as they can burn the stems. That happened to some of my peppers. Very sad.

If you add cardboard (I never have but many people do) put it on the bottom and layer other stuff on top. You might want to avoid cardboard since your gardens are already growing and it will change the water flow.

RE: About Lasagna Method

• Posted by: sarahlynnwhite (My Page) on Sun, Jul 1, 07 at 19:04

i have heard of layering in coffee grinds, does anyone recommend this?

RE: About Lasagna Method

• Posted by: patty4150 SoCal (My Page) on Sun, Jul 1, 07 at 21:33

I recommend it.

I usually put one starbuck's 'load' (maybe 15 pounds of spent grounds) per one of my beds (4'x10'). I either layer them over straw and water them in, or put another layer on top and water the whole thing to disperse the grounds into the layers. You don't want a thick layer of grounds especially on the top of the other layers, because they tend to cake and repel water. If they are actually within the other layers a bit, the worms start in on them and they are broken down nicely.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nutrient analysis of used coffee grounds

RE: About Lasagna Method

• Posted by: violet_z6 6a (My Page) on Mon, Jul 2, 07 at 11:37

sarahlynnwhite,

You can use anything in lasagna gardening that you would normally use in your compost. You just might want to avoid sticks etc which take longer to break down.

Post a Follow-Up
Your Name:

Your Email Address:

Zone (optional):

Subject of Posting:

Message:

Optional Link URL:

Name of the Link: Return to the Vegetable Gardening Forum

This is an image of the "soil" that results from my lasagna layers. The most recent lasagna layers were pine needles, used coffee grounds, straw, and half finished compost. I have pulled those layers back, and you can see the crumbly stuff that comes from *previous* layering, along with about a half dozen worms. I find worms every time I pull up the layers, sometimes just a few and sometimes scads.

{{gwi:66048}}

Posted by patty4150 SoCal (My Page) on

Sat, Jun 30, 07 at 11:05

Here are some of the vegetables that we have planted [in the Lasagna Garden]. The beans are starting to produce:

{{gwi:66049}}

{{gwi:66050}}

We are trying cantaloupe again � and having much better luck this time (very green and lush growth) thanks to lasagna gardening. One leaf is the size of a dinner plate. It is a french variety - I forget the name.

{{gwi:66051}}

Our basil is coming along:

{{gwi:66052}}

And so is the corn, which will be topped and netted to prevent the squirrels from eating it, once the ears have been fertilized. I am letting some pumpkins crawl around the perimeter of my plot, near the corn:

{{gwi:66053}}

I am delighted to have some bell peppers (about 12 plants) coming along nicely this year, and am looking forward to many meals of stuffed peppers:

{{gwi:66054}}

{{gwi:66055}}

RE: About Lasagna Method

• Posted by: patty4150 SoCal (My Page) on Sun, Jul 1, 07 at 0:03

Oh, hello.

You can just think about it as mulch. Go ahead and mulch around your plants with whatever you have on hand.

I personally add layers throughout the year, though I am considering different schedules. Whenever I layer I try to add an inch or so, if I can, and over the course of a year that adds up to about 15 inches or so, which decomposes into only a few inches, so the process continues.

Anyway, you can layer anything that seems like a good idea - think of it as a top dressing or a mulch - the only thing (that I can think of) to avoid right now is that you shouldn't put fresh manures or other high nitrogen materials too close to your plants, as they can burn the stems. That happened to some of my peppers. Very sad.

If you add cardboard (I never have but many people do) put it on the bottom and layer other stuff on top. You might want to avoid cardboard since your gardens are already growing and it will change the water flow.

RE: About Lasagna Method

• Posted by: sarahlynnwhite (My Page) on Sun, Jul 1, 07 at 19:04

i have heard of layering in coffee grinds, does anyone recommend this?

RE: About Lasagna Method

• Posted by: patty4150 SoCal (My Page) on Sun, Jul 1, 07 at 21:33

I recommend it.

I usually put one starbuck's 'load' (maybe 15 pounds of spent grounds) per one of my beds (4'x10'). I either layer them over straw and water them in, or put another layer on top and water the whole thing to disperse the grounds into the layers. You don't want a thick layer of grounds especially on the top of the other layers, because they tend to cake and repel water. If they are actually within the other layers a bit, the worms start in on them and they are broken down nicely.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nutrient analysis of used coffee grounds

RE: About Lasagna Method

• Posted by: violet_z6 6a (My Page) on Mon, Jul 2, 07 at 11:37

sarahlynnwhite,

You can use anything in lasagna gardening that you would normally use in your compost. You just might want to avoid sticks etc which take longer to break down.

Post a Follow-Up
Your Name:

Your Email Address:

Zone (optional):

Subject of Posting:

Message:

Optional Link URL:

Name of the Link: Return to the Vegetable Gardening Forum

Here are some of the vegetables that we have planted [in the Lasagna Garden]. The beans are starting to produce:

{{gwi:66049}}

{{gwi:66050}}

We are trying cantaloupe again � and having much better luck this time (very green and lush growth) thanks to lasagna gardening. One leaf is the size of a dinner plate. It is a french variety - I forget the name.

{{gwi:66051}}

Our basil is coming along:

{{gwi:66052}}

And so is the corn, which will be topped and netted to prevent the squirrels from eating it, once the ears have been fertilized. I am letting some pumpkins crawl around the perimeter of my plot, near the corn:

{{gwi:66053}}

I am delighted to have some bell peppers (about 12 plants) coming along nicely this year, and am looking forward to many meals of stuffed peppers:

{{gwi:66054}}

{{gwi:66055}}

Oh, hello.

You can just think about it as mulch. Go ahead and mulch around your plants with whatever you have on hand.

I personally add layers throughout the year, though I am considering different schedules. Whenever I layer I try to add an inch or so, if I can, and over the course of a year that adds up to about 15 inches or so, which decomposes into only a few inches, so the process continues.

Anyway, you can layer anything that seems like a good idea - think of it as a top dressing or a mulch - the only thing (that I can think of) to avoid right now is that you shouldn't put fresh manures or other high nitrogen materials too close to your plants, as they can burn the stems. That happened to some of my peppers. Very sad.

If you add cardboard (I never have but many people do) put it on the bottom and layer other stuff on top. You might want to avoid cardboard since your gardens are already growing and it will change the water flow.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nutrient analysis of used coffee grounds

i have heard of layering in coffee grinds, does anyone recommend this?