MASTER GARDENER
Issue # October 2014
Topic: Lasagna Gardening
Text: Most of us are familiar with the process of making lasagna. Alternating layers of cheese, sauce
and noodles are placed in a dish and baked. Lasagna gardening also involves layering. But the end
result is soil, rather than dinner.
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Lasagna gardening creates great soil with less toil. Developed by Patricia Lanza and described in
detail in her book, “Lasagna Gardening”, this method replaces traditional tilling, digging and
hoeing. A garden bed is prepared on top of the ground, regardless of the condition of the
underlying soil.
Start by gathering materials for your “organic mulch” layers. Materials may include any of the
following:
o Shredded leaves
o Grass clippings
o Chopped hay or straw
o Barn litter or composted animal manure
o Kitchen scraps such as vegetable peelings, crushed egg shells or coffee grounds. No
meat scraps or proteins, please.
o Recycled garden waste that you have been composting in your bin.
Mark the outline of the garden with string or a line of flour.
Next layer thick pads of wet newspaper over existing sod. Overlap the edges of the newspaper
slightly to smother the grass and block out sunlight.
Spread 2 to 3 inches of peat moss evenly over the newspaper.
Then add a 4 to 8 inch layer of organic mulch, choosing any of the items listed above, depending
on what you have available.
Spread another 2 t0 3 inch layer of peat moss.
Add another layer of organic mulch, perhaps choosing a different material this time.
Continue to alternate layers of peat moss and organic mulch until the bed is 18 to 24 inches
high. For example, starting with from the bottom, layer newspaper, peat moss, barn litter, peat
moss, grass clippings, peat moss, chopped leaves, peat moss, compost, peat moss.
Top off the bed with a layer of wood ashes and bone meal.
Garden beds can be prepared in the fall, left to naturally breakdown over the winter, and then
planted in early spring.