1st Ever Lasagna Bed

3 years ago

Ok. So kind of contrary. Dug the sod because it's Bermuda. Uggghhh!

Went back and forth on how to go forward because I'm older and so indecisive. Drive myself crazy, I tell ya! Hokay. I finally decide to do the layers to smother the grass and build soil at same time, because I'm a compost nut.

I dug out what I could. Let sit in hot sun for about 10 days. Then I use the kiddie pool to soak the cardboard I've collected and lay in such a way that NO light will come through. Then I topped with mulch that was 'supposed' to be pine bark fines, but came as mostly compost and was HOT!

But it's been a few months, so added a tad of Black Cow manure and then built layers of shredded paper. I get a lot of that from work (especially valuable to me when I don't have leaves).

Topped that with a good sprinkle of manure and then with straw that has chicken poo, from when I had chickens (few years ago?). I saved it. More shredded paper and more Black Kow.

Is this enough? It's about 20" high. I compost and usually the bare minimum is 3 ft. I'm not in a hurry to plant this. I'm trying to rid myself of my dastardly Bermuda grass and create a butterfly garden (mostly for the Monarchs). More than anything just want to kill the Bermuda for the beds.

I have to add that I sprayed the area with Ornamec170 1st. Wish I had found out about it sooner in the season! It did seem to weaken it quite a bit, though.

My question is: does anyone have any experience with doing this within Bermuda? Did it work?

I know Bermuda is usually an ongoing problem and I will keep up with it, but still worried I wasted my time and resources.

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Comments (4)

laceyvail 6A, WV
3 years ago
If the grass is stoloniferous, lasagna bed/mulching won't work--grass will grow all through the mulch.
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diggerdee zone 6 CT
3 years ago
I don't have experience with bermuda grass, but I would think you'd have to keep on top of the edging of the bed to keep the grass out, especially if, as laceyvail says, it's stoloniferous. I think you made a pretty good effort at removing the grass UNDER the bed and hopefully that will work. Fingers crossed!

All my beds are lasagna and to me it's the only way to go! Good luck with yours. I hope you win the battle - or at least keep your enemy at bay!

:)

Dee
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gawdinfever Z6
Original Author
3 years ago
Keeping it at bay is really all it is, Dee. Depending on how my weather goes this fall, I think I may keep digging in that side yard and remove all of the from there and have more beds and some type of path. Maybe deep mulch over thick cardboard. I have my work cut out for me, but I'm a hard head. The hardest part is trying to figure out how to keep it from coming under fence from neighbors yard. It's a chain link. Right now, I just dug an angled trench that can be sprayed and or trimmed to keep it knocked back.

I know it sounds ridiculous, but I've even thought about digging a narrow slot and putting like roofing tin on some such. It would look so stupid, but I so hate that invasive grass!
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gawdinfever Z6
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
Topped off the bed with layer of compost and then about 12" of soil w/alfalfa pellets lightly mixed in. Planted some zinnias I'd grown from seed and topped with more compost and then fine bark pines.. Wasn't sure how they would do, as the mix seemed really too wet. Eventually, it will be mostly perennials. I added a monarda cutting and 3 baby phlox cuttings I had done, as well.

Well, we had the drought going on in May and June and guess it worked out. Zinnias look really healthy! Still working on getting enough cardboard to kill the rest of the grass, but I've been sick and haven't had much energy. I'll get there eventually. Seems nut sedge and other weeds moving in while waiting to get cardboard. (Sigh). Knew it would happen with bare soil.

Sprayed with Ornamec again. Seems to work really well, if you keep up with it. Not much grass to speak of now. Going to enlist my family to help me gather supplies to cover the rest and get the rest of area setup for more lasagna beds this weekend.