Fun and Learning: Lasagna Gardening

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Fall is a great time to get out and garden with your kids and grandkids even if there is a little snow. It is not too late to make new successful garden plot with good soil. Children will hardly be able to wait until spring to start planting.

  Patricia Lanza has an easy way to make new garden beds and start the process for growing beautiful, healthy plants: Lasagna Gardening! Families can start late into the fall even though there is snow since there is no tilling, digging or weeding involved. Children will be layering newspaper, cardboard and other biodegradables right on top of the grass patch you want to turn into your new bed. These materials breakdown and also eventually provide food for worms, essential to making healthy nutrient-rich soil.

  Start by talking and thinking with children, making a list as you go. What do you need for plants to grow besides good soil: sun, water, and warm temperatures. Where do you have all these things in your yard? How big is this space? How much do you want to plant? Will you have room? Talk about favorite vegetables and flowers. Think about their colors and plants sizes. Will these plants grow in your area?

  Now plan and gather materials for the layers. To get good soil composition, you need some dry brown materials (carbon) and some fresher green materials (nitrogen). Do you have old of newspaper or cardboard with no colored or glossy pages? What about leaves, hay, other garden waste or grass clippings, peat moss, pine needles, saw dust, wood ashes? You can also work in other kitchen compost: coffee grounds, eggshells, and tea bags. Do not use pet waste.

  When you have gathered all the materials you found, it’s time to create your layers. Wet down layers of old newspaper and lay out over the area you chose for your garden, 5 or more sheets thick. Layer one is leaves, peat moss or other dry brown organic material on top of the newspaper. Then spread a thin layer of green or compost materials. Repeat this process until you build 5” to 12” of layers. This will give enough depth to allow room for the roots of your new plants to grow.

  Finally, water until spongy. You can cover with plastic and a few rocks.

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 In the spring, the layers will have settled and be ready to plant when the ground has thawed and danger of frost has passed. In a future article we will talk about painting stones, and borders to place in your spring garden. Kids love painting and making colorful garden containers, a good wintertime activity.

  Particia Lanza has many more garden preparation tips on her web page and book called “Lasagna Gardening: A New Layering System for Bountiful Gardens: No Digging, No Tilling, No Weeding, No Kidding!” or find Patricia's How To site: http://ourgardengang.tripod.com/lasagna_gardening.htm

Photos: Fran Darling-fdarling fotos

More Ideas and Activities....See the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores and grandparentsteachtoo.org. For more help to prepare young children for success in school see the authors’ web site: www.grandparentsteachtoo.org. Also check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio 90; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest