I made a lot cAROL, but no pictures. Sorry.

It's easy. You don't need pictures. Just pile on the organic matter, moisten as you build. Keep moist, It'll be fine.

I prefer cardboard over paper as a base.

Karen

I'm starting a lasagne bed as soon as it quits raining-have a lot of "layers" collected already. The Soil and Compost forum has lots of good advice and help.
Shirley!

I do all my beds by lasagna gardening. Like Karen says, it's easy. Cardboard or several sheets of newspaper for the base, a few layers of browns and greens, and I usually top it all off with a layer of shredded leaves.

For browns, I use lots of shredded paper, since it's easy for me to get, and if I have enough shredded leaves (which I usually don't!) I'll use those. For greens I use half finished compost, manure, or coffee grounds. Shirley is right - do some reading over on the soil and compost forum and it will help you out.

But don't sweat it - doesn't have to be a perfect formula.

Have fun!
Dee

Thanks every one, I have done a lasagna garden many times, but I remember seeing someone post pictures of theirs on here, was it Wendy?Sassy?I wanted to show the pictures to my daughter, I tryed to find the old posting but can't.I appreciate all your help,so quickly,you always comethrough,
cAROL

Ah... I have completed 4 lasagna garden beds, just finished them up this past weekend - and they are now ready for plants. I uploaded a few pics at Picasa/photo share for you to view. https://picasaweb.google.com/100276590830892159654/Garden2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCILRl_WVvYT9WQ&feat=directlink

Granted these were started last year, so they had a lot of time and mother nature doing the work. I will be doing some rapid layers around the side and for a friend.

Layer 1 - cardboard - corrugated cardboard (no pizza boxes) *hint: home improvement store, appliance store, spa or billiard table stores - all of these have very large pieces of cardboard - sometimes tape and staple free.

I would agree that cardboard suppresses the weeds better and longer. Then layer green/brown on top - use organic compost from the kitchen or grass clippings on top of the cardboard - lucerne/alfalfa hay is also excellent for rapid beds.

Good luck!
Lisa/NC

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden 2011

I highly recommend a book that I have out from the library right now. Actually I have two of them out and they are by the same author. Lasagna Gardening and Lasagna Gardening for Small Spaces by Patricia Lanza. I have 'winged it' and made lasagna gardens before, but decided I wanted to hear from the experts, so went looking for a book to give me some more hints or tips. These are both great!

Here are some pic's. I made this bed last Spring to grow tomatoes. I filled it with whatever I could get in the spring - trying to follow the green/brown rule. I was doing this for aprox a month. Mostly, I used old leaves, peat moss, not finished compost, kitchen scaps, coffee grounds, paper, etc, etc.

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And it worked

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Good luck!

Hey cAROL! sorry I didn't see this til now.. If you ever have any questions that I don't see on here pls feel free to email me any ol' time! :)

I see tho that everyone else has already said what I would have said as well and adamark has some excellent photos of the steps!

I'm going to be starting some new beds this week myself cuz I have just plain run out of room! I need more places to grow.. and less to mow! LOL :))

~Wendy

Another post with pics - from wendy2shoes

Here is a link that might be useful: two hour new garden bed

Ok,here is the problem, Brenda has a ton of Snow on the Mountain. Will the cardboard smother this invasive plant this year,so that she can plant below the cardboard level next year?She wants to be able to plant carrots in this spot.Same with thistle?
Thank you so much,again.
cAROL

cAROL I am certainly not an expert, but I am thinking that maybe thick wet newspapers would mold to the plants better and smother them. I tried with cardboard a couple of years ago and it seemed that the cardboard was less pliable, even when wet and it kind of sat on top of the thicker stems of what I was trying to smother. If I had it to do again (in that particular spot) I would have used wet newspaper. Luckily I didn't have to deal with the nasty stuff! It was at MILs house and we sold it (although not to get rid of the stuff! :))
Anyway, the author of the book that I am reading (Patricia Lanza) says that when she first started, she used cardboard, but now feels that thick newspaper is better.

Thank you all again,Brenda left for home a little bit ago, we had a wonderful, wonderful, visit,talked garden, WSing,veggies, you name it, we talked it.A wonderful few days!
I was telling her I was using the cardboard to kill out the gooseneck,the more we talked, she got so excited to know she will not have to dig, by hand, all her weeds,she can now use the paper,and cardboard.The pictures you all posted were a great help,actually, a wonderful help.
The house is quiet once again, I miss her already!
cAROL

cAROL ~ I tend to use thick newspaper with cardboard tossed on top. Not much gets past that! :)

I am fighting that awful gooseneck myself.. but it's in the main perennial bed and I'm not about to dig all my GOOD plants out to get the goosenecks out.. I just try yank them and their roots right now when everything is just starting to poke its head out. I would bet the lasagna method would work pretty well with gooseneck just make sure there is NO spot left uncovered..lol That crazy stuff will manage to find it if she does!

~Wendy

Hi sassy,
I am the one with the goose neck, that plant should be banned,ha ha,I will be able to lay down newspaper and cardboard,but it is also in my flower bed,gurrrrrrrr.
Brenda has thistle,snow on the mountain,and other weeds.We both garden organic,and love this idea,I have lots of cardboard, but think I will need more.
cAROL

cAROL - check with your local supermarket--paper towels and other bulk items come in large cardboard boxes with very little printing on them. I asked at my local market and they said they'd be happy to let me take them--suggested I call ahead so they can stack them for me the day I'm coming in for them.

I also used to get end rolls from our local newspaper. It's plain newsprint without the ink before being printed on. When the paper gets too low they take the rolls off the printers.

Thanks gardenweed, great ideas,I always thought the stores kept their cardboard,and sold it.I will be sure to check this out, I need LOTS,LOL
cAROL

I needed LOTS last year too--my neighbor (same one who went dumpster diving for WS milk jugs) also dumpster dove for cardboard and brought me a couple truckloads. I had a huge area to cover on the south side of my property as well as a smaller area on the north side.

This entire area on either side and behind the stone bench plus around the far right side of the lilac bush all the way across to the hydrangeas on the left got a layer of corrugated cardboard topped with bark mulch.

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You didn't take a picture of your cardboard?
I will take before and after shots,I worked on my area today, rain tomorrow,then I will put down what cardboard I do have.oh, along with newspaper,then mulch,I need to go get the mulch first.
(((Nasty snow)))
You covered a HUGE area !
cAROL