What Is Lasagna Gardening and How Does It Save Time?

You may have heard of lasagna gardening and been intrigued by its premise of being a no-dig, no-till gardening method that saves time and effort. Allison Vallin Kostovick, a longtime organic gardener, creator of the gardening resource website Finch + Folly and author of The Garden Maker's Book of Wonder provides more intel on lasagna gardening.

Understanding Lasagna Gardening

Lasagna gardening is a no-dig, organic gardening method where garden beds are built by layering various organic materials, such as cardboard, newspaper and compost, that slowly break down over time and produce a nutrient-rich soil.

“[Renowned gardener] Patricia Lanza is credited with the creation of lasagna gardening,” Vallin Kostovick says. “Around two decades ago, Patricia was looking for an easier, less labor-intensive way to garden, so she began creating garden beds based off the sheet compost method, but with her special spin on it.” She authored a book in 1999 called Lasagna Gardening: A New Layering System for Bountiful Gardens: No Digging, No Tilling, No Weeding, No Kidding!.

Compared to traditional gardening methods, lasagna gardening, also known as no-dig or no-till gardening, is an easy, economical way to create new garden beds. It utilizes things you likely have on hand, such as cardboard, leaves and food waste and does not require any tools. Lasagna gardening is also less physically taxing since there is no digging, shoveling or tilling. “Not only do you get great growing space, but the soil is so rich, healthy and chock-full of nutrients that all my plants I grow in it seem to thrive more than those in traditionally-made beds,” Vallin Kostovick says.

Lasagna gardening is beneficial for soil health and plant growth too. “As the layers of green and brown organic materials slowly decompose over time, they release carbon, nitrogen and moisture into the soil creating a nutrient-rich garden bed,” Vallin Kostovick explains.

How to Create a Lasagna Garden

Lasagna gardens are built primarily from two kinds of organic materials: browns and greens. “Brown organic materials, like twigs, branches, wood ash, straw, dried leaves and even shredded newspaper create carbon,” Vallin Kostovick says. “And the green organic materials, like grass clippings, compostable kitchen scraps and healthy plant/garden waste create nitrogen. This combination creates a thriving garden bed to grow in.”

Here, Vallin Kostovick shares a step-by-step guide to building a lasagna garden.

1. Select your garden bed site.

Start by selecting a sunny area of your yard.

2. Lay out the base of your bed.

Decide on the bed size you’d like and using either newspaper or cardboard, lay out the base of your bed, ensuring that you slightly overlap the materials to cover any open spaces.

3. Soak the base layer with water.

Give your base material a good soaking with water before building the next layer. Vallin Kostovick notes that this first layer will help minimize weeds and smooth grass.

4. Build a second layer to promote air flow.

Vallin Kostovick likes to build a second layer using twigs and small branches because it provides good air flow for the garden bed. Arrange the twigs and branches loosely to create an 8-inch tall layer. If you don’t have access to twigs or branches, you can skip this layer.

5. Add a 3- to 5-inch layer of brown organic materials.

Brown organic materials include dried leaves, shredded newspaper, wood ash, hay, straw, sawdust, pieces of rotting logs and non-treated wood chips.

6. Add a 3- to 5-inch layer of green organic materials.

Green organic materials can include grass clippings, chopped up kitchen scraps (only compostable items), and weed- and disease-free garden waste. Vallin Kostovick also raises chickens, so she likes to add in a helping of aged manure.

7. Repeat brown and green organic material layers.

For the next three layers, repeat with another 3- to 5-inch layer of brown organic materials, then another 3- to 5-inch layer of green organic materials and top with one final layer of brown organic materials. “At first your bed will look quite tall in height, but as the beds begin to settle, the organic materials start to break down, shrinking down the beds by quite a bit,” Vallin Kostovick says.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

Easy and Economical

Lasagna gardening is an economical and easy way to grow a garden, is less labor-intensive and helps to improve garden soil. “Not only do you save money by not needing to buy any materials, soil or tools to create new garden beds, but you’re also using garden/yard waste you already have on hand (and were looking for a way to get rid of),” Vallin Kostovick says.

Helps Conserve Water

Lasagna gardening is also easy to maintain from a watering perspective and is a great option for anyone looking to conserve water. “The organic materials within the layers hold onto moisture longer, slowly releasing into the beds,” Vallin Kostovick says. “We went through a 5-year period of drought here a few years back and all of my lasagna beds really did make a difference, especially with water-loving crops like tomatoes.”

Works In Most Climates and Soils

Lasagna gardening is a versatile method for a variety of climates and is ideal for areas with poor soil since the beds are built above the surface. “As a Northern grower, I can only attest best to how they’ve worked for me here in Maine, but I’ve found them a perfect fit for our climate and weather,” Vallin Kostovick says. “They’ve provided good growing during both droughts, as well as rainy seasons.”

Is Temperature-Controlled

Vallin Kostovick says that she’s never had to worry about maintaining temperature for lasagna garden beds. “The decomposing of materials does create some level of warmth, but nowhere near as hot as a compost pile can get.”

And the freeze-thaw cycle in colder climates can help break down the lasagna garden beds during winter. “Our long, freezing winters, along with all the moisture they produce, helps expedite the breaking down of the organic materials used to create the beds,” she says.

Disadvantages

There is one potential drawback to lasagna gardening. “This is not a given, but any kind of gardening like lasagna or hugelkultur can create an ecosystem attractive to rats because it not only provides food, but shelter as well,” Vallin Kostovick says. “I’m thankful that I have not experienced that in my almost 30 years of gardening, but if you live in an area where they may be more active, erect some kind of barrier around your bed.”

Common FAQs about Lasagna Gardening

When is the best time to build a lasagna garden bed?

Fall is the ideal time to build a new lasagna bed. “This is the perfect time for having plenty of materials to work with (garden clean-up time!),” Vallin Kostovick says. “Creating these beds in the fall also lets the layers rest for several months, allowing everything to settle and begin to break down prior to spring sowing time.”

How do you know when your lasagna garden bed is ready for growing?

Use visual cues to determine if your lasagna bed is ready. “A good way to know if your bed is ready for growing is when the ingredients used to make the bed are no longer identifiable, i.e. those leaves and kitchen scraps now look more like black soil,” Vallin Kostovick says.

How long does it take to see results?

It can take six to twelve months for the lasagna garden bed to be ready for planting. “A bed created in fall that can sleep over a chillier winter will be more ready to plant in after six months than one started in spring or summer,” she says.

Can I plant directly into a lasagna garden?

You can plant directly into a lasagna garden after six to twelve months. If you get impatient at the six month mark, Vallin Kostovick says you can top your beds with a 10- to 14-inch layer of compost and begin to plant right away. “Since the beds are still settling and breaking down, I recommend focusing on shallow-rooted veggies like broccoli, kale, lettuce, onions, cabbage, spinach, herbs and annual flowers,” she says. “Once your beds are established, you’re good to plant deeper-rooted plants.”

What types of plants thrive in lasagna gardens?

“I plant anything and everything in mine, from perennials to vegetables to bushes of herbs,” Vallin Kostovick says. If you’re new to gardening, she recommends starting with herbs, which are forgiving and can adapt to a variety of climates, or growing a salad garden bed with lettuce, radishes, carrots, scallions and basil.

Wait until your beds are established before you plant deep-rooted plants including vegetables like artichokes, beets, carrots, onions and tomatoes and culinary herbs such as chives, dill, lavender, parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme. Flowers that have deep roots include perennials like Black-eyed Susans, echinacea, milkweed and salvia.