Lasagne Bed Technique ?

Anyone tried this ?

I'm guessing its been around for years (?) but i only just read about it in Grow your own veg magazine.

I tried this today while setting up an asparagus bed.

Would be good to hear of any success / failures with this idea, perhaps i can learn a thing or two !

 

You keeping us guessing Oktarine, Whats it all about, this Lasagne Bed Technique :cnfs:

 

Like lasagne, layering sheets of newspaper between layers of manure / compost.

Details in the blog, see the links below!

 

I can see that having some paper / cardboard at the bottom is handy. But not sure why more layers helps? Why not just put a foot of compost on top of some paper/cardboard and leave it at that?

 

Can't afford a foot of compost in a 6' x 4' bed !

 

A couple of years ago it was quite the rage in America. From what I have read I think the principle is that instead of mixing quantities of different materials in a heap to make compost. You spread out the same materials in horizontal layers to make compost in situ. You obviously have to roughly obey the same rules as for a compost heap, ie mix nitrogen (green) material with carbon (brown) material in alternate layers. The advantage is that you have the benefit of all the worms helping you and mixing the layers up, and you can be growing things at the same time as you are making the compost.

As you pointed out Kristen, the best solution is a foot of compost. But that is not always available. What this does is make that foot of compost in situ.

 

"What this does is make that foot of compost in situ."

Ah! Got it! I do remember reading a book on compost "back when I was a lad" which was written in the style of [what would now be] a blog, and the author progressed from traditional compost heap to just making the compost in-situ around the plants.

It offended my sense of smartness in the veg patch, so I never tried it ... but quite a lot of the goodness of my compost heaps must go straight inot the soil underneath them.