Lasagna Gardening Part Three "The Planting"

If you have not been been following the Gardening series you can see part one here and part two here.

I also want to mention that if you are not ready to do a full garden area then try this with a small test area and just grow a few small plants. You can do this in containers too and I will speak on that in another blog ahead. You can also prepare a garden area and do nothing with it but keep adding layers to get the best soil possible for a garden next year. You can do this now or in the fall. Bookmark part one and that way you can come back to the series this fall to begin the journey as you get your yard cleaned up for the fall. The thing that is so great about this style of garden is that you can have huge open spaces or just a balcony and have a lasagna garden.

You can also see parts of her book here.

You have the gardening location picked, you have the layers all ready and now comes the fun part, the planting.

If you have plants then you simply need to make a planting hole by pulling back some of the mulch with your hands. Set the plant in the hole, pull the mulch back around your roots and water it thoroughly.

To sow the seeds in a newly built lasagna garden, spread fine compost or damp peat moss where the seeds will go, then set the seeds on the surface. Sift more fine material to cover the seeds and press down. When the plants have two true leaves pull some of the coarser mulch material around them to keep the soil moist and weed free.

You may want to plant some flowers around the edges of your garden as well or even herbs. Tomorrow I will talk about what plants go well together and what herbs compliment your garden.

A tip for encouraging your garden...Encourage the worms. Yes yucky worms are the best possible choice for getting your lasagna garden going and growing. Earthworms are indicators of a healthy garden soil. To increase your worm population quickly buy worms from a mail order supplier or a local bait shop. Be sure they are common worms or night crawlers. Dump them in the garden under the paper mulch or between mulch layers. They will tunnel and eat their way right away and this will greatly improve your soil.