Contrary to the conventional gardening technique of digging and tilling, lasagna gardening is a modernized way of organic gardening, without undertaking labor intensive procedures. The term lasagna gardening technique is given in regard to the methodology of creating the garden beds. Hence, its name is not related to the plant varieties that you will be growing in a lasagna garden. Also, with reference to the gardening method, it is also referred to as sheet composting.
Basics of Lasagna Gardening Technique
Technically speaking, lasagna gardening technique is one of the latest organic farming methods. You will be using kitchen garbage, fallen tree leaves and other waste collected from the yard. This technique relies on the basic layering tips for making garden beds. As the resulting soil is rich in nutrients, there is no need for supplementation of fertilizers. Considering this, fruits and vegetables harvested from lasagna gardening are healthy and free of chemical fertilizers.
Ingredients for Lasagna Garden Layering
Any waste material that you put in composting can be used in lasagna gardening method. Some of the materials that can be added in lasagna gardens are dried leaves and grasses, fallen blooms, tea bags, tea leaves, unused vegetables, pet moss, shredded newspaper, sawdust, wood ash, etc. The point is that the material that you incorporate in lasagna gardening, should be decomposable. Hence, the elements that make up a lasagna garden depend entirely upon the availability of such materials.
Making Lasagna Garden Layers
Though lasagna gardening layers can be made at any time of the year, the ideal starting period is the fall season. You can collect maximum ingredients (dried grass, fallen leaves) for making lasagna garden layers during such time of the year. When creating lasagna gardening layers, decide the site as per the direction of sunlight and availability of irrigation facilities.
Once you fix the gardening area, lay a cardboard layer (preferably brown corrugated thick cardboard). If you cannot arrange for the prescribed cardboard, you can use 3-4 layers of old newspapers. In order to kill the underlying weeds and grass, watering should be done thoroughly. To this first layer, add coir or peat moss (about 2-3 inch thick). Then add the collected materials (about 7 inch). You can continue adding coir and materials alternately, until the thickness of the beds is about 20 inches.
Planting Crops in Lasagna Gardens
After making the layers, the next step in gardening technique is planting of seeds. Some gardeners prefer baking the layers for a few days to accelerate decomposition of the wastes. However, you can plant the seeds the same day, without baking the layers. Depending upon the dimension of the area that you have selected, you can create lasagna garden beds. Sowing seeds and/or growing crops in lasagna gardens is done the same way as in regular vegetable gardens. For better growth, you can consider supplementing it with farmyard compost.
Advantages of Lasagna Gardening Technique
In comparison to traditional gardening, there are several advantages of lasagna gardening technique, which include:
* No need for soil preparation (weeding, tilling, digging), prior to planting of vegetables and/or crops.
* Minimal usage of chemicals for fertilization and weeding.
* Best gardening technique for areas with poor soil or brackish soil.
* Low cost gardening, as no expensive additives are used in lasagna gardening.
* No need for frequent irrigation, as the layers of mulch have high water holding capacity.
Since waste materials are recycled properly without polluting the environment, you are also promoting a green environment by implementing lasagna gardening technique. If you are able to grasp the basic lasagna gardening instructions, then maintaining a garden is quite easy. Watering at regular intervals and removal of weeds is advisable for the proper maintenance of a lasagna garden.
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