Lasagna Bed for seedlings

I will be doing some winter sowing this year. Hope to get lots of new plants. Does any know if I can plant the new seedlings directly into a lasagna bed?

I would think it depends on how decomposed it is.

Always a good idea to stick a shovel in, before a plant.Make sure its not too heavy with paper.Mike

I plan on making the bed with layers of coffee grinds, peat moss, chopped leaves, and garden soil. The first layer will be cardboard or newspaper to serve as a weed block. Apparently, you can immediately plant in a lasagna bed, just not sure if it's good for seedlings.

Hey, Michaeljo, hadn't seen you for a while. Glad doccat didn't scare you off ... >grin< ....

My hesitation with planting directly in the lasagna bed would be a) you don't know how much the 'dirt' level is going to sink - and it *will* sink as things break down and compact. b) The items in the bed might not be broken down to the point where your plants can actually utilize the material, kinda leaving them in a bad spot when they want to grow. c) If you want to stir things up later, add more dirt, etc. - the plants already in there are going to make it tough for you.

Are you just anxious to use the new beds (something we all could understand!) or are you pretty short on space? If space is an issue (or even if it isn't) I'd like to direct you to a thread about (yet another) way of wintersowing that takes up little to no space - http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/566356/ - also rids your yard of all of those milk jugs, just in case you can't convince your neighbors that they're really luminarias, lol...

I heard that, Pagancat!

Just making sure you're awake... heh...

Er right! Mike you can also throw some top soil on the bed and sew in there, the lasagna will keep on a working. Read the directions for direct sowing very carefully. I need to wait awhile to direct sow and you're north of me. I can do somethings but not much. I use the flats, milk jugs and what ever else I can scrounge for most of my stuff. The place is beginning to resemble a potting shed, big time. I would like to get thru the holidays before I have to restrain my 1 year old DGS from eating my houseplant soil...........LOL

I will be winter sowing in containers (milk jugs, pop bottles, etc.) on the back deck away from my neighbors' view. This will be my first attempt at sowing seeds. I may even try the paper towel and baggie method (thanks for the link Pagancat). I think Pagancat addressed my concern with moving the plants (in the spring) from their winter sowing containers directly into the lasagna bed ... soil sinking, compost not complete or "bad soil" and stirring things up will be difficult. I don't have a space issue, I'm planning to make the beds bigger and get rid of lawn space. I guess I can wait, impatiently, for the beds to be ready.

I thought I read that you could plant in the lasagna beds as soon as you make them ... I'll do some more homework.

Thanks for your input!

I think you're right about being able to plant them immediately being part of the instructions.... but reasonably - I see more pain than pleasure in that one, for the above mentioned reasons.

I've seen advice about putting the plants in "good soil directly around the plant", in a lasagna bed.


http://www.mainecottagegarden.com/Sod_Top.html

I have planted in lasagna which was only a few weeks old. I just made a little pocket of potting mix around the roots.

That looks wonderful, kqcrna!

End result, August

Now that's a sight for sore eyes!
I, too have planted directly into Lasagna beds with the results being better than expected. Sometimes it's hard to be patient - yes, I want my summer right now! - but an alternative is to sow into large fiber pots & dig these into the L. beds. Of course, in this area we don't get much, if any, snow, & it's pretty rare to have frozen soil.
How this would play out in colder zones is something you all would be more knowledgable about.

Great photos, healthy plants!

Great ideas about adding potting soil and using fiber pots ... Thanks! I can only hope my plants will look that good kqcrna. Thanks for the link claypa, that should work well. Question: What is horse dressing?

Horse dressing = horse manure?

Karen, Salvia coccinea? Gorgeous.

Now see, I never think of a new lasagna bed as being that broken down. Yours looks like mine does completely finished!

wrightie, that's what I thought, but the site also mentioned manure:

"On top of the paper put a layer of old horse dressing, manure of any stripe, municipal compost, or any of the commercial potting or planting mixes four to six inches in depth."

Oh, they were probably referring to used bedding from the stalls (wood shavings, straw, etc.). I didn't see the website; was it British by any chance? That sounds like British English to me.

i just threw a bunch of seeds down in my lasagna beds and then added more composst on top--if nothing sprouts i will just try again in spring--i am trying that a lot right now--put down some seeds-save some for spring--figure i have my self covered! and i put down lots of seeds---with the hope that some will sprout and if too many well then i will have to thin out i guess--not the most scientific method!

PL, I like your style. It's always good to have a contingency plan in place! :) I tend to do X-treme Gardening myself at times...

I have garlic growing in my experimental lasanga bed with my roses, went ahead and tucked the dianthus bulbs in the back of the bed and figure I can move em if that doesn't work. The bed is breaking down nicely and I want to add some additional newspapers and coarse compost. I have a feeling those roses are gonna just JUMP come spring. They really do look more perky. I know that probably sounds a little strange, but I've had them for so long I'm kinda tuned in to them when they aren't looking quite right. The Thomas Lipton is going to be lovely also. It's in it's own bed and I want to add to that one also.

The site looks like it's from Maine ... yankees.

That's my favorite part of learning how to garden ... experimenting. If plan A doesn't work move on to plan B.

In that case, I'm going to venture to guess that they are not "horse people" ... cuz We don't talk like that. lol.

i think i heard that garlic keeps bugs away--is that right? so it might be good for the roses? i think marigolds do too-----

Yes indeed, that's why I decide to plant the garlic in that bed, I use marigolds, nasturtiums, castor beans going in this year..I only use organic methods even for the roses. Trap crops for Japanese beetles, etc...........

wild local evening primrose seemed to be an excellent trap crop for Jap beetles, for me. (apologies for off topic comment)

Love your soil Kqcrna, and that stool.Sure puts my bucket to shame.My DW came from that Ohio soil, and I have spent thirty two years trying to build this red clay in Ga. like that.Mike

LOL, Michaeljo, your comment about 'yankees' looks pretty funny from here!

Yeah, I never realised what I had growing up in Michigan. Never watered anything, either.

sallyg - I think every topic is relevant when talking about gardening (seedlings, lasagna beds, compost, trap crops, whatever). By the way, what is a trap crop?

Mike, a trap crop is like decoy for your other crops, ie, I happen to use four oclocks to draw Japanese beetles away from roses. Pick of the pests and drop them in soapy water. The 4 oc's look a little rough, but the roses are doing fine. Another is Radishes interplanted with squash and cukes will draw cuke and flea beetles. I just pull up the diseased radishes and destroy them. You sacrifice those "trap crops" to protect the more valuable ones.

Sorry, I haven't checked the forum much lately. Been busy getting ready for Christmas.

As for the lasagna looking finished, it had been sitting for a few weeks. The recipe was cardboard over the lawn, mixed grass clippings and leaves, some unfinished compost, and topped with wood mulch before planting. It's the compost and mulch that make it look finished, but there was very green grass clippings underneath. It was built slowly, over weeks, as I got materials. When the weather started to warm, I put down cardboard as it became available. When my husband started cutting grass, I added that and the leaves, etc.


That salvia is what has become known as Yvonne's Salvia. There is a yahoo group dedicated to propagating the plant. Some time ago gardeners on that forum decided that it was just a huge form of S. Splendens, and I built that lasagna area just for it. See link:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Yvonnes-salvia/

Karen

Wow, kqcrna, thanks for sharing that site. How appropriate to the season :)

Another thing I like about this forum- no complaints for off-topic. (now that was OT, too)

yeah, yeah, but we don't care! LOL We worm lovers are a pretty laid back group.......LOL