If you’re looking for a low maintenance solution for your garden this year, now is the time to jump on the lasagna garden bandwagon.
And no, the name doesn’t suggest that you will be growing all the ingredients to make the perfect pasta dinner. Lasagna gardening — also known as sheet composting — is an organic gardening method in which you prepare a raised bed of nutrient-dense soil from composed organic matter.
Read on to learn the benefits of employing this gardening method this fall.
1. It Doesn’t Require Much Prep
A lasagna garden is even less fuss than the dinner recipe. You can get yours started with just an afternoon of labour. First, scout out a good spot. You want the plot to be in an area that gets good sunlight — at least six to eight hours a day, depending on what you’ll be growing — and is at least smelling distance away from your deck or windows (don’t forget, with great composting comes not-so-great smells!). Once you have the area plotted, define your boundaries with rocks or timber and then get layering.
2. It’s Less Labour-Intensive and Doesn’t Require Weeding
Perhaps the most appealing feature of a lasagna garden is the fact that it doesn’t require hours of exhausting digging. This raised garden method requires some prep work to get started, but it’s not nearly as taxing as other traditional gardening methods. No tilling or turning the soil is required here, just removing rocks or debris from your gardening plot.
It’s not necessary to weed or turn over the soil since the layers of compost will smother down anything at the surface. At most, stomp down weeds rather than pulling them.
Related: 10 Most Invasive Plants in Canada to Remove From Your Garden
3. It Makes Use of Kitchen Scraps and Organic Waste
If you have a yard, you probably already have all the materials that you need for your lasagna gardening journey. The garden starts with a layer of newspaper or cardboard and then alternates between brown and green compost layers. The brown layers should be made of yard waste like shredded leaves, pine needles, and shredded newspaper, while the green layers use kitchen waste from your organic bin and grass and leave clippings. Not only do you not need to buy anything to create this compost plot, but it’s putting your scraps to work.
4. It’s Low-Cost
While growing produce yourself is incredibly satisfying, it’s not always cost-effective during the first year or two as you invest in the materials you need for a thriving garden. The beauty of lasagna gardening is that it makes use of materials you already have. That means there’s less need to buy fertilizer and plant foods to help the growth of your garden. The nutrients are already right there, in your freshly composted soil. And if you were interested in composting already, it’s a way to get started without investing in materials — like a compost bin.
Read More: Here’s How to Plan the Best Layout for a Vegetable Garden
5. It Needs Less Watering
Lasagna gardening is pretty much a set it and forget it task. Set it up in the fall, an ideal time because the rain and snow through the colder months will keep it good and moist, which helps the composting process. And in a few months, by spring, you should be set to plant. It won’t require much maintenance or water throughout that time. To decompose the organic matter, you’ll want a moist — but not overly wet so as to create rot — plot.
Are you ready to start your own garden yourself and make use of that organic matter you already have? Get started with your lasagna garden today. If you already have your soil prepped and are ready to plant, why not check out some of the best fall vegetables to plant before winter hits?
