lasagne layering /no dig gardening
hutchiuk
Posts: 2
Hi. I'm a first time ever gardener and am making raised beds to grow veg in. I have reslised that im probably starting late in the year but im looking for advice regards no dig for my new veg patch in a raised bed. I have read lots about lasagna layering and I (well my amazing husband) dug out my first bed at weekend. He dug to 1 spade depth. I've read lots of different advice regards what to layer the bed with but not sure how to proceed. ..am I too late to be making bed up with manure and straw layers. ..can u plant my veg straight into manure or does it have to be left to do what ever it's supposed to do before I plant in it??? Any advice on how and what to layer with and when to plant would be appreciated. I'm thinking of planting potatoes, onions, carrots, squash maybe chilli and peppers...probably being very optimistic! ! Thanks
Posts
I mix any well rotted manure in. If you are making the bed for the first time, mix it all up well to plant in, so that you have a good base. Carrots will fork in recently manured soil. Potatoes will take as much well rotted manure as you can give it. Squash will also like a lot.
After you have a good mix, you can just spread a layer of compost on top each year and plant through that.
Thanks fidgetbones. This is such a silly question but where would I get "well rotted manure " . I live near some fields that have piles of manure waiting to be spread I assume but don't know the farmers to ask where I might get some from! I saw some packs of "farm yard " manure from local garden centre...is this what u mean or the pile of steaming stuff in the field near me??
You need to be careful that the manure does not contain aminopyralids and other weedkillers which will kill your plants. I buy rotted organic stable manure from the local garden centre.
I know nothing about lasagne gardening, but I do no dig. I just placed 4" of compost (pressed down by walking on a board on the compost) onto my soil, and then sowed seeds. I use 4" tall boards to contain the beds. Basically my heavy clay soil is fertile, but I need to put down compost to help it break up, and the boards contain the thin layer of compost.
Now is the ideal time to plant, but you must get a move on!
Oh, and net seedlings, as sparrows, pigeons, rabbits etc love to eat them.
I get mine delivered by the lorry load from a local farmer that has cows bedded on straw and lets out stables for horses bedded on wood shavings. He mixes it all up and composts it well before I get it. (£40 a tipper truck load) I just went and knocked on the door and asked it he sells it. It has no smell. If it smells it is not yet ready to mix in. Try local stables, they usually have a big pile somewhere. The stuff you want is black, crumbly and the texture of crumbled peat.
The self sufficient gardener by John Seymour is a good book for basics. (Amazon or the Book People)
Last edited: 30 March 2017 17:07:04