# Lasagna gardening



## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

I tried putting my after pictures from our lasagna garden but I put it on my original post and it didn't update. Here's my after results. In September, Gramps built a temporary frame and put a bunch of flattened out cardboard in the bottom then layered with compost , old dried leaves, and waste from the chicken coop. He watered betweend the layers then covered it with clear plastic sheeting. 
We've had such a mild winter here that the grass started growing under the plastic. He took the plastic off last week and the is what we found. Everything including the cardboard was this wonderful compost ready for planting!


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Yum! I remember the lasagna i used to make in NY. Horse manure, shredded leaves....... we used to call it black gold.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

OK, I'm convinced I need to give that a try. We've got some pretty decent soil here but it wouldn't hurt to add some extra to it.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

Whatever you can see around the outside of the frame is clay. We amended with everything we knew of and it was "ok" but not really good. After our spring flooding is turned back to rock. Jim said he'll try this and if it doesn't work, he's done. So I have my fingers crossed....


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## zamora (May 26, 2015)

When we had horses, I would save all the paper feed bags and we would cut them open and lay them in the garden in a layer like you did with the cardboard. When it was planting time, just cut a hole in the paper and plop the plant in there. Cover everything with oak leaves and wet it down really well. The feed bags absorb and release moisture slowly and the oak leaves make great mulch. After all the plants are done, release the chickens to have a blast. After the chickens have had their fun eating the bugs and turning everything over, it's great compost and ready for the next year. I wish they would put chicken feed in paper bags like that.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

We had some very poor soil in our last place. This one is a mixture of sand, clay and some really black dirt. We live just outside of the area they call the black belt for it's rich dark soil. No rocks, than goodness. I wouldn't have the energy to deal with those.

I wonder if I could get away without the frame since I'm not dealing with what you are.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

I bet you can! Jim only put a short one around ours because of the wash from any heavy rain. Our property slants down towards the creek so there's alot of water that can go through .


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I remember you talking about that now. It's probably why you don't have a good layer of top soil, it all gets washed in to the creek. They call it rich bottom land for a reason, all the good stuff ends up at the lowest point.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

Yep! I can look down into the creek bottom and see it! Jim dug a diversion ditch around it but sometimes it rains so hard that doesn't even help.


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## rosco47 (Jul 6, 2015)

this is cool!
i go buy starbucks and other coffee houses and get their used ground about 5 gallons at a time. coffee ground work great in this process too...


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

I've heard that about coffee grounds. I wonder if I could do that? We have Starbucks and onother one.


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## zamora (May 26, 2015)

rosco47 said:


> this is cool!
> i go buy starbucks and other coffee houses and get their used ground about 5 gallons at a time. coffee ground work great in this process too...


Oooooo....great idea! Off to bug the coffeehouses...


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

I envy you all talking about your gardens and planting already.It's going up to 60 today and rain.Tonight the temp drops,rain changes to snow and tomorrows high is low 30's.We can't plant until May but am thinking of starting some plants-well,have hubby start plants,I don't have a green thumb but he does.All we are doing this year are tomatoes,green peppers and Brussels sprouts.Have fun with your gardening.Hope the weather changes for the better.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

My Grandfather used to start plants early early. So my dad started them early early, like tomatoes. I started my tomatoes normal one year probably a good 2-3 weeks after my dad did but we still got ripe tomatoes at the same time. 

Maybe I should do peas this year. If I haul some manure home from the barn.


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## rosco47 (Jul 6, 2015)

i have an endless supply of oak leaves, chicken scat and coffee grounds so thats how i make my own rich compost/soil


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

We have several varieties of oak, pecan, elm, you name it, chicken scat. I think I'll check to see if I can get the coffee grds.


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