Lasagna GardeningAnother practical and natural short cut to digging and tilling, lasagna gardening follows similar guidelines as other no dig methods. Just toss down layer upon layer - that's what a lasagna garden is - layers. Start with old leaves, then 5-10 layers of newspaper, or some thick cardboard, then some grass clippings, next some compost, then straw. Soak it well with water. OR... start with cardboard, then old grass, straw, compost, then coffee grounds, more grass, prunings, fruit peelings, veggie scraps, wood chips, seaweed... just keep piling it on. Honestly you can do any topsy-turvy way you like with whatever material is at hand. It will eventually all rot and provide a great home for your plants. Obviously there are tried and true materials and the order they are layered, that speed up the process, but lasagna gardening is just like other no-dig methods, whether done by gardeners, or in the wild... layers of whatever nature happens to whirl around in the environment then drop on the ground, covered with something from a passing animal, then some leaves fluttering down, a dead branch or two, and soon the worms and crawlies find a home there. Then a few seeds decided to set up home and grow, and so the cycle continues. With lasagna gardening - as with all no-dig methods - using newspaper or cardboard, or your old school reports if you want to, suppresses any greenery underneath and decomposes well. Equally important, earthworms love paper and stampede towards it, nicely aerating the soil. To plant small plants or seeds in your layer garden, use some compost or potting mix. For shrubs, or any plants that need some soil around their roots, you will need to dig a hole and put some compost in first. The various raised bed gardening methods are all described here: No Till Gardening
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