Lasagna gardening on a slope

Is it possible to create a lasagna garden bed on a sloped area? I have been watching the torrential rains coming down today here in RI and I realize more and more that I need to amend the living daylights out of my soil. I have pools of water everywhere. The rain has let up and some of the pools have drained in the soil. I'm undecided whether I should dig up the area and pour in tons of organic matter and try to build it up that way (perhaps with rock as a rock garden) or just start from scratch with a lasagan bed. I haven't officially measured the degree of slope but it's not too bad. I can push a lawnmower up the area with no problem but I'm looking to decrease that chore as much as possible.

Any ideas for me? I look out the window and just feel so overwhelmed by the project. I don't mind doing the bull work, in fact I enjoy it. I just don't want to go through all that work just to watch everything wash away!

Help please!
Carol

Carol: I started two lasagna beds last fall, and they are also on a slight slope. Below one of the beds there are deep tractor ruts. Whenever it rains, there is water standing there. Today, after a huge rain last night, I saw that the water is brown!!!! Must be run-off from the manure and coffee grounds and all the other good stuff in the bed. Couldn't go out today, but hope to salvage some of the water tomorrow, into a bucket. It could be as much as 2 quarts.

Below that we have started another semi-lasagna bed for a fig that we are planning on transplanting.

Does anyone think that I am losing too much good stuff from the lasagne bed (and if so how can i remedy that?)? OR is it ok, because it goes to the "fig bed"?

Good luck, Carol, I hope you get an answer that will be good for you.

On a slope, I always use cuts from dead pines, as a (stone) barrier, and try to terrace it as much as possible.I only wish that I had a "before" pic, of the two large gullies, that flanked my property, and what "useing" the problem, to your benifit can do.What water can take, water can bring, and what a place to plant annuals.Mike

Mike, you sound a little better now, I hope you are recovering well. I did not think about a possible problem with the sloping lasagna bed, now it is too late, I think to remedy it. We filled in the ruts below that were collecting water, and - you are right - I could put some nice annuals there. And, as I said above, there will be a fig transplanted just below it, so that should benefit too. I'll see if I can find a picture in DH's collection of hwo it was when I first started it so you can see the angle of the slope.

All the best, Mike.

Clementine

Thanks, Climentine, I am still dizzy, but on the road to recovery.On of the ways I do borders, for lasagna,depending on the drope, is to take the mesurement, from ground level, where you start the bed, and, lets say you want to go out 5', then lay a stright edge on the "high" side, and measure out the 5', hold a level there, and measure from bottom of stright edge to ground on low side.Lets say its about 12", then look for some old wood that is 11"-13", and place on the "low" side, and cut the wood to follow the contour.I have had a lot of practice at this, and it gets easier with experiance.I believe the first time I tried this, I used a old water hose to mark the "stincil".Good luck, and I hope I haven't confused you.I may take a pic, myself, and there is no such thing as wast humas.
Mike

Hey Mike, thanks, I have to figure this out, I am a little confused, but it is late, so I'll work on it tomorrow.