Lasagna Gardening book?

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Does anybody have the Lasagna Gardening book? Have you tried this gardening method and if so how did it turn out? Got an offer for the book in the mail and I was wondering if it is worth the price or not.

-- Les (lvaughn@suntransformer.com), October 09, 2000

Answers

Mother Earth News had an excerpt in their magazine from that book several months ago. I looked at the book and decided that the main information (the lasagna part) was interesting, but not a whole lot different from other things that I had been told about in other ways.

Conclusion - borrow it from a library or someone who has it or read the MEN article. I ended up not buying the book.

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), October 09, 2000.


I would imagine that you could do just as well by reading the old MEN article; it is very good, and has lots of diagrams. Check it out!

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), October 09, 2000.

I agree its not worth owning, but then I just looked at the book at a bookstore. Edward Hamilton, Booksellers had it discounted a while back. You might check them out on-line.

The book called "Designing and Maintaining Your Edible Landscape-- Naturally" is one that we refer to very often. It can be technical, however it has a great many treasures. Sometimes it is referred to as "Your Edible Landscape" by R. Kourik. I have carried that around outside in regards to planning, and it covers the layered garden process well.

We use the layered garden process and have been very pleased. There is little effort and great results. I'm sure the layer of chicken manure compost is helpful! Everyone layers differently according to what you have. We start with old sheets (all cotton) then thick old hay, then wet newspapers, more hay, more newspapers (no colored pages). Finishing with composted manure and soil, grass clippings and leaves. We start right on top of sod. No double-digging anymore! The entire bed is probably 18 inches deep when we are through.

Hope this helps.

-- Anne (HT@HM.com), October 09, 2000.


If you use Bookfinder service at www.bookfinder.com, they currently have two available, one for $10 and one for $12, plus shipping of course!

-- Joy Froelich (dragnfly@chorus.net), October 09, 2000.

Les, I bought the book at a garage sale for 25 cents. I have enjoyed it very much but you have to remember I'm over 50 & I forget things very easy & I enjoy looking at it over & over again! I love to plan when it is winter & still cold & want to think about gardening!!! I have tried this type of gardening----as far as it being worth the price of the book--at regular price that is only a choice you could make! Like I said, I really like to look & read & reread!!!! I probably would pay full price for the book---but God blessed me with another garage sale find. I hope you can find one very reasonably priced also!! Sonda in Ks.

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), October 09, 2000.


Thanks all for the kind replies. Would anybody happen to know which issue of TMEN carried the artical on the book? I have scanned through the past year's backissues I can find, but a few are missing and so I haven't found it yet. Thanks again.

-- Les (lvaughn@suntransformer.com), October 10, 2000.

I don't know why I can't resist these detective missions . . . .

I found this for you, on the Mother Earth News Online website: L ASAGNA GARDENING

The main website for TMEN is: MOTHER EARTH NEWS ONLINE



-- Joy Froelich (dragnfly@chorus.net), October 11, 2000.


Dumb question, but nevertheless....do you just run over leaves with a lawnmower to shred them? I have a pretty crappy mower but I'd like to try this.

-- Cathy Horn (hrnofplnty@webtv.net), October 11, 2000.

You could do that, but the re-raking would be a chore. Why is it you are shredding them? I add them whole to my layers or as mulch in the Fall.

-- Anne (HT@HM.com), October 11, 2000.

Cindy, our mower has a special attachment that hubby puts on our mower that we mow over our leaves (what it is I'm sorry I have no clue/ I think it is called a thatcher)---yes it makes a wonderful mulch for your yard!! Mow them & leave it!!!! Where the leaves are REALLY deep I rake & put those leaves in our compose pile. Leaves make a wonderful start to another compost pile. I start another one each year with leaves, & all winter I add scraps from the house(of coarse no meat or meat products go in it). In the spring I dig down & have the best soil for my potted plants. Of caorse they have compost barrels & where you can add additives to make mulch FASTER. I have a square wire shape out by the barn that is my compost pile/ I have a neighbor who works really hard at her compose --but I don't/ just keep adding layers & let it do it's own job! Hubby, just came in/ he said, he adds a mulch blade to the mower in his telling it cuts up the leaves & instead of blowing them out the side it puts it right back down on the grass or lawn(now he told me this with his hands explaining this--have no clue how to give you the hand signals to how this is done & type--but maybe you get the picture!)Sonda in Ks.

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), October 11, 2000.


I think it was sometime in summer 1999 that Mother Earth News featured the Lasagna Gardening book.

For picking up leaves for composting I use a "lawn sweeper". I found this nifty tool at my local farm store last year when I was considering a lawn vacuumn. Luckily I found this much less expensive alternative instead. It is an attachment to the back of your lawn mowre and costs around $100 depending on the size you get. You should get one about the same width as the mower deck on your mower. It is simply an axle with sweepers on it that rotate as it moves and sweeps lawn clippings or leaves into the attached bag. You can then take those to your compost pile.

I use my sweeper almost everytime I mow because I can use the lawn clippings as mulch or on the compost pile. Beats raking any day. And it works great. Better than I ever expected.

However you can not mow and sweep at the same time, because the mower chute blows the clippings and leaves away from the sweeper. You have to ride directly over the clippings with the mower off after you have mowed. And you can not pile a bunch of clippings and then get the sweeper to pick them all up. It can only take in a certain amount at a time, much like you can not put a whole lot of food in your mouth at one time and chew.

I have used the sweeper to pick up not only clippings, but leaves (mowed or unmowed) and walnuts.

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), October 11, 2000.


Thanks to the link to the TMEN site. That's just what I needed!

-- Les (lvaughn@suntransformer.com), October 11, 2000.

I looked at that online MEN article and it doesn't have the pictures that the actual article in the magazine has. I thought the illustrations in the magazine were very good.

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), October 12, 2000.

I am new to this type of correspondence When I mow my yard , Ilet the clippings dry a day or two, then I vacuum them up with a hi vacuum mower ,and put them in the chicken house for litter. The chickens love to scratchin it Each day I throw some scratch feed on top of the litter, and the chickens turn it over for me, Every once in a while I clean out the litter and put it on my garden.. I dont do too much of this any more I am 81 years 0ld ( young) George W.

-- George Wilson (cwwhtw@aol.com), October 14, 2000.

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