Lasanga Gardening (Gardening - Mulching)greenspun.com : LUSENET : Countryside : One Thread |
A year or so ago, Organic Gardening was really pushing a book called Lasanga Gardening, supposivly a revolutionary new way to garden. I checked it out of the library (inter library loan) and it seemed to me mostly a new spin on Ruth Stout's Mulch gardening. Has Anyone tried this? The author used different layers of mulch-one of which was peat moss which I find way too expensive and not ecologically sound-if you've tried this, did you go with the peat moss or did you use something else? My garden is clay-rock and din't do so well this year because of spring neglect. (I had massive bronchitis, and some other things going on. I'd like to clean/ mulch the (raised) beds this fall and be ready to go in Spring. Any thoughts, comments, observations would be appreciated. Thanks, Kelly
-- Kelly (markelly@scrtc.com), September 25, 2001
Hi Kelly. I have been doing the lasagna gardening for 7 years now. The first time in Florida, with all that sand! and it did a marvelous job! Hardly any work involved. I dug down into my beds about a foot and a half, poured in grass trimmings and leaves (taken from the curbs in town!!) composted hay and manure from the barn, rabbit stuff, etc, all this was layered with dirt (sand) and feed sacks and wet newspapers. I had a wonderful garden! Now, here in Arizona, in the mountains of, I find we have dead soil. All volcanic rock, and ash, and no minerals etc. So, Hubby and I have dug down about 3 feet (he did this, not me!!) and are in the process of layering, sawdust, composted manure and hay, topsoil, peatmoss etc. I am looking forward to at least a partially good bed next spring, but I also know that it will get better as the seasons go by. Happy gardening!! In His Grace, Sissy
-- Sissy Sylvester-Barth (iblong2Him@ilovejesus.net), September 25, 2001.
Part of our garbage collection here is compostables deposited in a green bin and composted by the municipalty. You can buy the finished product for $15 a yard. maybe there is a composting facility, farm, or mushroom growing farn near you that would have a good composted product for garden use rather than peatmoss.
-- Alison in NS (aproteau@istar.ca), September 25, 2001.
Kelly, you don't have to use peat moss. Leaves, especially oak, will provide similar acidity to the peat moss. The real point of lasagna gardening is just to pile on a lot of organic matter that will break down and create a usable bed. Adding leaves, grass clippings, compost, or whatever you have should do the trick.
-- Katherine (KyKatherine@Yahoo.com), September 25, 2001.
Ruth Stout is the Qween of good dirt in my book! i was markedly unimpressed w/ the lasg. gardening book,she did not give a nod to ms. stout. i have been a mulch gardener for 5 yrs. now on two different farms, nothing fights pasture grass more efficiently. i won't use newspapers because of their high aluminium content, and though i would love to follow the lasg. gardn. instructions and spread several inches of soil/compost, i don't have the moolah. i use bagged leaves i liberate from the local curbs, muck out local stalls & occasional grass clippings as my layers. as long as i keep the stall muck under at least one layer of leaves i've not had a prob. w/ hay seeds spouting. my soil ph is 6-4.7 after the mulch 5- 4.3 before on my gumbo esq.clay,[already has crawfish in it!] On a raw pasture i start w/ 2 feet deep layer, by spring this has composted to about 6 ish inches and there is a wonderful new dark loamy topsoil layer ,lotsa BIG worms, and the toughest perenial weed roots, blackbry, rose,jonson grass,ect., many of which will resprout if given access to sunlight! unless you are willing to hoe i would forgo direct seeding any crops till summer /fall. also remember the weed seeds already in the ground will be viable for 2 to 10 years depending on the conditions, mulch makes for less ang easier to pull weeds but do not expect to be weed free! stick to transplants and keep a layer of mulch over the soil. this kind of garden is best started in the fall when the natural percipitation helps the grass smothering action, and an impatient gardener is less likely to open up beds prematurely, so have at it! and like ruth stout i have more volunteers in my mulch garden, weeding/transplanting catnip,shisho,basil,& tomatoes is much more pleasant than hoeing grass & bind weed!
-- bj pepper in C. MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), September 25, 2001.
bj, what about newspaper printed with soy ink? I have tons o'newspaper would like to put it to use. I have lots of grass clippings, lots o' leaves-these are free with the raking, some limited chicken manure and some kitchen compost. I don't have several inches of soil and you can not dig this stuff up-you'd need a jack hammer! I am doing it this fall-started clearing stuff yesterday, as matter of fact, and blackberry brambles will rip your hands apart! I had thought I would have to do transplants. Thanks, everybody!
-- Kelly (markelly@scrtc.com), September 26, 2001.
Way to go kelly,dig right in, or pick-hammer as your case might be! I don't have a prob. w/ the inks most are soy based now, it is the alum used in the manufacturing of the paper i want no truck, w/. After caring for a sufferer of alzhiemers' & so far the only links have been alumininum deposits in the brain and lack of mental challenges. I tossed my alum. pans, baking soda, & underarm deoderant, [cornstarch works almost as well & is truly unscented!] when one day when the 72 year old came out of her usual agitated confusion to the 'here & now' and was mentally an abjectly terrified 5 year old that I had no way to comfort.
-- bj pepper in C. MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), September 26, 2001.
bj- I had no idea they used aluminum in paper manufacture. I also tossed alum.pans, baking powder years ago-just in case. And all this time I thought we only had to worry about dioxin in paper! Best of luck caring for your patient-I'm caring for a Lou Gehrig's victim- mind is perfectly sound, body is about gone. Noone knows why or how- Enviromental factors lead the usual suspects.
-- Kelly (markelly@scrtc.com), September 26, 2001.