Can you plant immediately in a lasagna garden?
Written by
Julia Anderson
Reviewed by
Prof. Charles Hartman, Ph.D.The lasagna gardening method enables planting in built-up layers of organic waste rather than soil. This is different from planting in ordinary beds where you prepare the soil by removing existing soil to dig down. Patricia Lanza popularized this approach in her 1998 book, conducting the experiment herself, and concluding that people without gardening experience can create a fertile garden starting with kitchen and yard waste.
Base Layer
- Use untreated cardboard or 10+ newspaper sheets
- Wet thoroughly to jumpstart decomposition
- Avoid glossy/colored prints containing heavy metals
Material Ratios
- 2 parts browns (leaves, shredded paper)
- 1 part greens (veggie scraps, grass clippings)
- Maintain 18-24 inch total height for optimal heat
Immediately plant at the time of capping layers with 4-6 inches of finished compost. Leafy greens will take off first! Hold on planting root crops until layers settle. After capping my kale grew another 12 inches tall in six weeks, even though the layers were still decomposing. Be sure to monitor moisture, newly created beds dry out faster than traditional soil.
Odors
- Turn layers weekly for aeration
- Add shredded paper to absorb excess moisture
- Remove meat/dairy attracting pests
Slow Breakdown
- Chop materials under 2 inches
- Mix in compost accelerator
- Ensure 40-60% moisture level
This is a method that urban gardeners can easily adapt to. Use anything - 5-gallon buckets for tomatoes or window boxes for herbs. I constructed my fire escape system artfully layering coconut coir with a range of compost tea feedings. I harvested about 3 lbs of basil before frost closed in. Harvesting in small spaces can yield a lot with a little layering.
Read the full article: Lasagna Gardening Method: 10 Essential Steps for Success
