Amy
First lay down either newspapers in layers (say like 10-12 sheets) or if no newspapers, lay down cardboard. Wet it well. Then your other ingredients could be shredded leaves, compost, grass clippings (not easy to find this time of year) used coffee grounds, straw if you can find it. Just keep adding materials, and wet them as you apply them, I haven't used the peat moss that the author speaks of in her book, simply because I didn't want to use it, its hard to wet and keep wet. Kitchen scraps can also be used, any veggie peelings, etc. When you are ready to plant you can make a hole, add potting soil if you want to, plant your seedlings, water well and watch them grow. Oh and before I forget, keep those seedlings watered the first few days they are in the bed.
Alberta

Yes it is that easy.

I cover the land in wet cardboard/newspaper or used lawn bags. In the fall, around October, I collect the yard leavings on the side of tree lined roads. They're grass is mixed with chopped up leaves! I don't really care for a specific recipe. It'll all end up mixed anyway. I just pile it on like a compost pile. I let mine cook over winter covered with wood chips harvested from the wood chipping contractors. In the spring they're dark underneath, full of worms and ready for plants!

Newspaper and layers is all there is to it. That's kinda why I never bought the book. lol It's just too easy!

Alberta,
Yes, it IS as easy as it sounds :-)
You can make it more detailed or you can "dumb it down" like I do sometimes.
I would even put down cardboard now if you can see the ground. That way, you get a head start...the cardboard and dampness attracts the worms. Put it down now, and they'll already be there, ready to work for you when you start layering the other stuff.

Linda

Yes, it's that easy. Probably the more you add the better. Some people pile up stuff as deep as 2 feet, though I never can get anywhere near that amount, and less will work.

Starting ASAP with the cardboard is beneficial, for the reasons Linda mentioned, as well as starting to kill off the underlying grass and weeds by blocking light. Then it never gets to break dormancy in spring. I started with just the cardboard around this time last year, as soon as the snow melted, and added stuff as it was available. You can start to mow the lawn much earlier than necessary and get some grass clippings mixed with leaves and start the process.

If you search the SCM forum you will find many, many useful threads about building lasagna beds. There are many knowledgeable people there.

Karen

Thanks to everyone who replied!

This most definitely sounds easier than tilling and digging and amending the soil I already have. I guess lasagna gardening really IS amending it, but without all the work!
:-)

I don't have any grass clippings or leaves (my husband uses a mulching blade on our 3 1/2 acres when he mows), but I do have partially rotted compost (my bin is in various stages of decomposition), chicken litter from my chicken coop, and straw. Is that really enough? I suppose I could get coffee grounds from Starbuck's, too, but that's about it. I'm not a fan of peat moss because of its environmental impact, but I guess I could use a little of it.

Also, thanks for the tip on getting the newspaper or cardboard down NOW. The snow should be completely melted here in the next few days, and I'll be sure to get out there. Great idea!

Amy

Amy, I'm planning on doing the same thing here.

I'm having compost brought in for my sheetmulching, and will try to acquire the manure. I have a source for a couple buckets of coffee grounds each week, though I really need at least a bucket each day. I'm just starting to collect my newspaper and cardboard. Most people up here lay the newspaper on top of everything, and then put straw or leaves on top of that to hide the newspaper, apparently....there's no hard and fast rule for that. My goal is to get 4-5 inches of more solid materials that will settle minimally, cover that with straw or leaves/pine needles and plant seedlings and larger seeds directly into it. next year I can plant my beets and carrots and smaller seeds into the beds early on as well.

I figure it will take 3 of us around 2 days to laydown all the beds...move all the materials around.

Okay, I would love to do a "true" lasagna bed but there is a big problem where I live. Last fall I put the cardboard on the grass and then put a couple inches of compost. I would love to add food wastes but I live in Baltimore and there are rats the size of cats here. Can't poison them because I have dogs. I guess I could use stuff like grass, manure, grass, etc... any suggestions. I was even having trouble with them getting in my vegetable garden last year I probably won't put out a veggie garden this year because of it. Ughghhhh! Thanks, jenny.

There are some plants mice and moles, etc.. don't like, supposedly. catnip is one plant...for indoors anyways...perhaps usable in similar fashion outdoors. mint may also be useful, as may be elderberry branches/sprigs.

Ofv course, you'd need to find these things.

I'm a little confused, I thought you were supposed to dig out the dirt in your bed, lay cardboard & water it & then replace the chunks of dirt grass side down and then layer your compost. Or is there more than one way to do this?

Shasta, you can flip sod over and plant and mulch on top of that. That works.
Or you can smother what's growing with cardboard and mulch and plant into that. That works too.

Cottage: I have 4 dogs and had to fence around my veggies. But in places where I can't fence, I'm resorting to big containers. Even if they do their business around the containers, I don't think the plants will be harmed.

We have other scavenging animals here in Harpers Ferry, WV, so we use two trashcans with the bottoms cut out and vent holes in the top for dumping our kitchen waste. Also, I just sent for a trap so I can take "the visitors" to a wilderness area. My problem is a groundhog.

If anyone is collecting grass clippings in their neighborhoods, make sure it's from a natural lawn and doesn't contain Weed-Be-Gone. It's normal for piles of grass to be moldy. It's not nice, but it is normal. I find if you stir it up you can reduce that mold.

Grass (and kitchen waste) will help cardboard break down. I don't really want my cardboard to break down so fast, so I am covering it with leaves and shredded wood and hoping my new perennials will manage okay in that.

Shasta, I've seen that method here on the message board. I think it's just one more variation on a theme. I like the concept of the "original" lasagna bed (Pat Lanza's book) because it involves absolutely no digging or tilling. And I'm lazy. :-)

farfaraway I know that I'll get lazy too, or plain old pooped from planting (if I get sprouts). The reason I may dig mine is because I don't have that much compost to throw on the cardboard, I need to make huge beds for all of these flowers I'm growing plus it will cut back on the mowing with gas $$ going up. I told my better half that I'd like to see 75% flower beds in our yard and we have 1 1/2 acres + another half that's an old apple orchard. I know......I'm dreaming!!

There are lots of discussions about lasagna beds on the GW composting forum. It gives you lots of information. I read it a lot.

Shasta,

Whats life if you can't dream,with hard work, you CAN do any thing your heart desires,Fact!

Check other forums, get them trees small,and start your orchard,you will be surprised how fast they will grow.

Follow your heart and make it happen.

Carol