As you dream of your spring garden during the dreary cooler months, you may be one of those people who want instant gratification when warmer weather arrives. If so, Lasagna Gardening may be for you.
As with any garden, you must decide what you want to plant and where you want to plant it. With that decided, begin to assemble your "layers."
The key ingredients in any lasagna garden are organic materials. These include chopped leaves, peat moss, animal manures, grass clippings, coffee grounds, and vegetable peelings.
For the first layer, you will need something heavy to smother the existing grass and weeds. Several layers of newspaper work great. After these have been laid, water them down. Add a two-to-three inch layer of peat moss to cover the paper and water thoroughly. Now, spread a four-to-eight inch layer of organic material (leaves, manure, compost, grass clippings) over the peat moss and water again. Add another layer of peat moss, another layer of mulch, and so on, until the beds are 18-24 inches high, thoroughly watering after each layer. That's it. Your lasagna garden will be ready for planting next spring.
For more information on this technique, check out the book Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza.
Judy Hennessy, Smith County Master Gardener
Texas Cooperative Extension
Miscellaneous Index
Gardening Tips For NorthEast Texas Index
East Texas Piney Woods Gardening Home Page