1. Yes

2. Raised beds 3' x 7' and 3' x 3' inside a fenced 30' x 60' space

3. Cardboard, newspaper, shredded paper, horse/cow manure (aged and fresh), straw, hay, grass clippings, leaves, kitchen scraps, old produce, ashes, bloodmeal, bonemeal, kelpmeal, ground corn, cornmeal, alfalfa pellets

4. It was so easy! It saved so much time!

5. Chiefly how to enjoy my garden again and not obsess over how things looked -- they grew just fine.

6. If you have to worry about your neighbors' opinions, make sure the lasagna beds are neat and do not attract vermin. (Or put up a screening fence.)

7. Sorry, not now.

How about you, violet?

Yes.

It varies. A total of about 2,000 square feet, so far.

It varies. Two beds were a layer of cardboard set down on the grass, and covered with 12" of semi-finished compost. 4 beds were made with cardboard, sod and sawdust/wood shavings. 2 beds were several layers of shredded leaves, shredded Eelgrass, grass clippings, shredded cardboard, compost and everything else I could scrounge up and shred.

I was surprised at how quickly the new beds were usable and acceptable in appearance.

I learned that the top layer should always be a thick layer of coarse brown mulch. I also learned, in my specific instance, lasagna doesn't solve the problem of shallow soil on top of rocks, roadbed and sand. I'm now double digging all my beds, slowly, removing said rubble to improve soil depth.

Don't cover a new lasagna bed with burlap, unless there is a thick top layer of coarse brown mulch right under the burlap. Weed seeds, moisture and sunlight all penetrate burlap, and unless there's mulch under it, the weeds have a perfect growing environment.

Here are some pics of a 26' diameter mandala shaped keyhole bed, made with sod and sawdust/wood shavings:

I scalped the lawn after drawing the circle:

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I dug out all the sod, and stacked it, grass down, on alternating layers of sawdust/wood shavings:

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I covered the finished beds with 6-mil black plastic for the winter, and filled in the paths with wood chips:

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I just started planting the bed last spring, and have no pics of the full bed yet (have to go up on the roof to do that), but here's a pic which shows some of what's growing there:

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Here are some pics of one of the beds I built with cardboard and sod taken from an area where I needed to extend a new wood chip path:

I dug the sod from the new path, and piled it grass down on cardboard which was layed out on the lawn. This one is ~4'x20' right after I planted it last spring:

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This is the same bed, in late summer:

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Have you done it yourself? Yes every year

How large is your space? all of my gardens get this, from the small area around my mailbox ,the long 5 foot strip that runs down my fence, around the back fence, the bed in the middle of my front yard, the square flowebed between my driveway and my front porch, the small part along the other side of my driveway, the beds along the sides of my house, The flowerbed on the hill side( has doen it a world of good as I can now dig in the soil there) then the veggie garden which is around 1000 square feet.

What materials did you use? Pretty much anything I can get my hands on. Cardboard, newspaper, horse stall cleanings, coffee grounds from Starbucks, egg shells( try to get them down right away so they can start to break down to feed the soil), shredded leaves, branches, ornamental grass, straw and anything else that looks like it will do good.

What surprised you about the process most? the amount of worms I think was one as well as how well it does for the gardens, easy

What did you learn? when to start if I want to have it done by planting time in the spring. I like the cardboard/newspaper to be pretty much broken down by planting time.

Anything you wouldn't recommend? to stress over it, it is easy and fun

Can you post pics?Sure
2006 gardens

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Sandy

I don't lasagna garden per se but I have borrowed some of the methods. My gardening is not vegi gardening and the like but an attempt at ecological restoration at an 8.5 acre church property.
I smother weeds with newspaper, cardboard or whatever else is handy. Sometimes I strip sod and then put it back upside down to increase odds of success. I heavily mulch some areas with whatever is handy - usually wood chips as well as coffee grounds and leaves. My mulched areas always get more worms. Soil does soften and improve under the heavily mulched areas but it takes time. Weeds can grow in the mulch but mulching does help. Some weeds like english ivy laugh at any attempt to smother them (I have it growing under through and over a thick and wide pile of large asphalt shingles) but most can at least be suppressed with mulch.
FYI, I tried soil solarization two times with clear plastic and failed miserably in spite of very intensive preparation. What I like about lasagna-like methods is that they make working on such a large area more feasible in my limited time.

Bob..this is probably heretical on a gardening forum, but I've been battling an Ivy infestation for almost 10 years, and the only things which have worked are:

1. Roundup (maximum strength, with dish soap)
2. Black 6-mil plastic
3. Mechanical control (dig it up and compost it)

I'm still about a year away from total eradication.

I did some last year after being inspired by Donn about how quickly you could plant in them. I use cardboard, used coffee grounds, semi-finished compost, shredded leaves, seaweed, etc. Here's a picture of one started last fall for this coming spring. In some areas the depth is 5 feet and the width is 25 feet.

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They are easier than digging dirt and rocks.
They make the worms move into areas which they would otherwise not venture into.
They incorporate organics into the soil.
So much easier than what I was doing before...

Donn,
Roundup did not work for me the few times I tried it on english ivy. Any tips?

Bob,

You have to mix something to break the wax on the leaves. I use Dawn dishwashing soap. Do it in the morning, and look for hot sunny days. Spray it twice, and use a heavy mix, like twice the dilution they suggest, with the strongest they sell.

When you're cutting back big vines, drill the rooted end, and pour undiluted Roundup into the holes.

Tiffy,

5 feet deep?!? That's awesome! I haven't quite acquired that much material yet, but I'm making good progress on my small city lot.

I used a lot of mulch made from coffee grounds, shredded leaves, some compost, and an occasional sprinkling of alfalfa pellets in a sort of informal and "as materials are available" method of lasagna gardening. I didn't have materials ready last year or even in the spring, so I just added them around the existing plants as I got them.

I was most surprised at the large amount of earthworms and the amount of material that seemingly dissolved into the soil this past summer. I have soil around my roses that appears to be mostly worm casings, a fair trade for the thick layer of leaves I put around them last fall!

Folks who do vermicomposting gather the castings for use, but I think I like the in place method, I just put the food where I want the nutrients to build up.

I just remembered that I have a photobucket account, so here's some pics.

Remove a little bunch of daffodils and daylilies (to replant later) and build a box in front yard:

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Then add lots of coffee grounds, shredded leaves, and seeds:

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Is that not a sweet before and after? :-)

buffburd, I love the photos. Ok I am loving all of the photos that are posted. But yours sure show how plants, even seeds planted in a bed like this seem to love it.
Sandy

Buffburd,

First, let me compliment you on such a nice garden! You make me wish I lived in the city again where there are no deers to chomp down sunflowers unless they are out of reach. :) Also, could you tell me what is the yellow flower behind the Nasturniums? Looks nice!

My French may have gotten the better part of me in my explanation. That bed is 5 feet by 25 feet and 2 feet high, so the layer of 'stuff' is 2 feet. (Hope it's not as clear as mud.) :)

Ya know- I can grow stuff OK, but you folks really know how to arrange and plant for effect. I'm just learning the idea of planting colors together and plant spacing etc.

Have you done it yourself? Yup!

How large is your space? I started with a 10x10 spot that was actually layered. The material from that spot went into my main garden which is maybe 20x20 or 25. I add in layers to that one every year and mostly use 1/2 finished compost. Now I use hybrid methods- laying down cardboard and layers of leaves when I start a new bed of dirt/compost (I don't keep material around very long, so haven't started a true lasagna bed in a while).

What materials did you use? Mostly oak leaves, some grass clippings (normally mulched into lawn, but used them to start a bed), bunny litter/poop, I shredded a Xmass tree, food scraps, garden refuse, cardboard and newspaper...

What surprised you about the process most? It was super easy. I put in very small soil pockets to just cover the root balls of plants, or maybe 1-2" soil for seeds, and planted right away. VERY preoductive. The nay sayers on 1/2 finished compost being a problem for nitrogen... well... they don't have to do it this easy if they don't want :)

What did you learn? I've been composting for years, but this showed me that I don't need a compost pile (except for meat, bones, fats). Now I just throw everything on the garden while it's growing- stale bread, coffee grounds, scraps, all sorts of stuff. It all turned into worm castings by the end of last growing season, and I suspect that it wioll happen faster with this worm population that's sprung up.

Anything you wouldn't recommend? Don't wait until it's done to add water. Add as you build. Don't wait months to plant- plant right away.

Can you post pics? Maybe later. I have shots of big plants growing out of unfinished compost.

No pictures handy, but I started about a year ago. I have three beds, they are 4 feet wide by 9 feet long. They are 12 inches high. I have layered mostly straw, used grounds, and manure. I add other things as I can - like leaves, partially finished compost, finished compost, old meal from the cupboard (cornmeal etc), but I always wish I could find more diverse stuff.

I was stunned by the number of red wriggly worms. It was like a mat of worms under the top layer, last year. Amazing.

I turned my beds two days back. I was actually surprised that the soil wasn't softer and crumblier --- It was actually a bit compacted and harder than I expected. (I had ignored my beds since about August.) It was still much improved over the original, of course.

hmmm - - recommendations ---- I have trouble with egg shells.

Love all this input and your pictures. Y'all are an inspiration -- this spring I'm going to shoot for more flowers mixed in with the veggies.

Thanks!

g'day violet,

we do raised beds which to us is another version of lasagne, the best way to garden as far as we are concerned.

we have pic's and details of our gardens on our web site you are welcome to peruse them.

len

Here is a link that might be useful: len's garden page

buffburd, gorgeous garden! What a transformation!

1. Yes

2. Various sizes. Anywhere from about 2x4 feet to a 20 foot diameter bed.

3. I usually start with a layer of newspapers, about 6 to 8 sheets thick. Then I put half finished compost and/or kitchen scaps as my first layer. Then a layer of shredded paper, a layer of cow manure, a layer of shredded leaves, and then top it off with another layer of cow manure or, if available, finished compost.

4. Hmm, surprises? I guess the first time I did it I was surprised that it worked so well.

5. I learned I didn't have to break my back digging out my quarry - er, ah, yard to have a nice garden.

6. Recommendations - if you are going to use ripped-up cardboard as a layer, make sure it is ripped in small pieces, as it takes a while to decompose (I now use shredded paper instead.) ALso, be careful with grass clippings. It seems no matter how long I wait before adding them, I always got a nice layer of grass growing in my bed - 100 times nicer than my so-called lawn, lol! I haven't used grass clippings in a year for this since that.
Make sure to keep well-watered.

Below is a pic of my largest bed in progress. Sorry for the poor quality. This bed, as you can see, also utilized a LOT of coffee grounds!

Dee

Here is a link that might be useful: lasagna bed

Thanks everyone for the compliments, I hope I can do even better this coming year, and I can't wait!

Tiffy,
I guess that it makes more sense that your layers are 2 feet deep and 5 feet wide, as opposed to the other way around. That's still impressive however.

If you mean the taller plants behind the nasturtiums, those are some marigolds I got from Walmart(the large kind, I had some in the side yard that got about 5 feet tall, some in the front had woody stems nearly 2" in diameter at the base!). I also had some volunteer black-eyed susans to the side of the nasturtiums. I couldn't tell what they were for a long time, so I just let them grow, and it worked out nicely.

I saved a couple of the heads from the yellow marigolds for this year, I had a ton of orange ones, but the neon yellow colored ones are especially pretty.

I'll have to see how the seed saving turns out, this is my first full year gardening, since I didn't get to do much the previous summer.

I can see that I have a lot to learn about gardening techniques. Thanks to everyone! I also see that I have to find local sources for compostables. Some of the materials and quantities listed in these threads just amaze me!

I've heard that freecycle.com is a good place to find these sorts of things.

I put down more straw, some partially finished compost, leaves, coffee grounds, bunny manure, and so on and so on---

I'm so excited.

Are you building your beds now? What else can I add?

I read about this last week and described to my husband, who being the sceptical but good-hearted person that he is, helped me make one this weekend on the bare clay left after the house was put in. I started with cardboard, but ran out of it so finished with several layers of newspaper. Then I cleaned the horse's stall and layered a layer about 8" deep (not all of this was this week's cleanings, about 1/2 of it was last week's and it was very wet from all the rain and included straw and hay.) Followed by a layer (maybe about 2") of pine mulch that had been sitting for over a year and started to turn into black gold, along with all the coffee grounds from the last couple of weeks, then another layer of stall cleaning (but this one was mostly straw and uneaten hay) and a final layer of the mulch. DH wants to put a layer of topsoil over it because it has to sit until May before we can plant anything and it's right beside the deck. Will that mess anything up? Oh, and I guess we will have to put a layer of fabric mulch overtop of everything; the feral cats are already digging in it *sigh*.

I've made two small beds lasagna-style...and the main thing I've learned is that even when I think I've collected enough materials (saved old newspapers, unfinished compost, chopped oak leaves, coffee grounds from Starbucks, etc), I didn't collect enough. Both times I ended up making more of a "pizza" than a "lasagna."

Nevertheless, it's been wonderful! And easy and fun to do. I like to do the work in the fall so I can plant in the spring. But this past fall, I started buying plants for the bed (couldn't resist the sales) before it was even made. Ended up planting in it within weeks, and it worked out great.

So glad I learned about this here! Thanks y'all!
Judye

There's an interesting article in one of the websites about "composting"....that specifically says "DO NOT USE CARDBOARD" in the compost pile. Broken up or otherwise.
The reason being cardboard contains toxic glues that can adversely affect the soil.
It also goes on to specifically say not to use "newspaper"...since the inks used in modern newspaper editions can also be toxic.

Just mentioning it.

Hum "one of the websites" gee if anyone googles composting you can turn up way more than anyone could read in a life time. Care to share what web site? And hum I guess because one person,web site, states to not use something we all should rush out and rid our lives of cardboard and newspapers. When millions others state yes to use it.
Shaking head, and going to make me some supper.
Sandy

"Just mentioning it."

ATTENTION COMPOSTERS!

The above post, citing an unknown website which supposedly states newspaper and cardboard should not be used in compost because of toxic ink or glue, should be ignored completely. The poster obviously has no clue.

Modern newsprint uses soy based inks, and modern corrugated boxes use plant starch glues. They are both fully biodegradable, and leave no residue of any sort in the compost.

I avoid using glossy coated papers and cardboard in my compost and lasagna, and I religiously pull plastic tape off the cardboard. Other than that, it's all perfectly safe to use.

Ditto what Donn says!

Do tell, 'Jeannie in the bottle' which appears on this forum every now and then... Could you post this website? We'd all love to google it and see it's value.

I don't use cardboard or newspaper, I prefer to use things that seem closer to being able to remember once having been plant or animal matter.

It's rare that we get a box that isn't covered in colored inks and white (presumably bleached) stuff anyway, and although I'm sure it'd break down, I'd personally rather put it in the recycle bin.

I guess we tend to use newspaper (we only get one small one per week) for the kids craft projects anyway - and when they're done with it it's usually covered in all sorts of gunk including nail polish, glue, glitter, etc.

But I don't care if other people use it. It doesn't seem worth getting worked up about one way or the other.

I have a hill at the back of my lot, faces south toward the house, which had a dry dusty lawn on it. Mowing was a real chore, because it's a hill and the grass was kind of sparse and the mower kicked up lots of red clay dust.

So last spring I turned it into a garden, with a path cutting across it diagonally. One third I dug up and amended with compost. Another third I spread a thick layer of wood mulch and attempted to grow vegetables (big headache, couldn't dress with enough compost and manure to overcome nitrogen shortage, but it's looking better for this year).

For the section above the path I used lasagne method. I had a large pile of rotted leaves, and my other ingredient was grass cuttings the neighbors set out in brown paper yard waste bags. Spread the bags over the old lawn, and layered the leaves and clipping over them. Planted petunias and ageratum along the path, and tomatoes behind.

One thing I worried about was that the whole mess would slide down the hill with the first heavy rain; never happened. I planted into the lasagne without adding any soil to the holes. This was very easy, the lasagne was thick enough that I don't remember seeing any paper when I made the holes, just make a hole drop the plant in and smush the lasagne around it.

I was amazed that everything grew. Had to do a lot of watering, but it is a dry site and the whole garden was that way. I was expecting to see a lot of the paper turn up, but there was no sign of it in the Fall when I was cleaning up the vines, etc. What remains is a very dark, powdery soil several inches deep; when I planted bulbs I dug it in to the clay soil some and the clay was very mellow (it mixed nicely with the black stuff).