No-Dig Container Gardening
After leaving the hustle and bustle of the city behind to enjoy the country lifestyle, I soon found myself thinking about owning a garden. I started exploring my gardening options and decided that the no-dig method of gardening was definitely the one for me.
I learned that raised beds, lasagna gardening, and straw gardening were no-dig gardening projects that could work for me. Although I may not have the opportunity to grow tall stalks of corn like Mr. Farmer down the road, I’ve decided that I can still grow lots of delicious fresh vegetables with a no-dig garden project.
A big factor in the decision to design the no-dig garden was the local soil: red clay soil. They are low in important nutrients such as calcium and potassium, and are difficult to dig and cultivate. Lime and other fertilizers must be added to grow vegetables. The other factor was that I didn’t have a plow or tractor and didn’t really care.
Raised beds—along with lasagna gardening, sometimes called leaf composting—are a way to grow vegetables, flowers and herbs without laborious digging. This guide will explain how to benefit from this method.
Benefits of a Raised Bed Garden
Here is a list of the main benefits of creating a raised bed garden:
- Weed control is very easy.
- The garden plot can be placed in the best position for sunlight.
- The soil will become hotter.
- Provides better drainage.
- Requires less bending and bending to plant and cut.
- Path weeds are avoided.
- Cool air descends around the base of the box, making delicate plants less likely to freeze.
- Plants are easy to cover for late frosts.
- Children and pets are unlikely to pass through the park.
Build a raised bed garden
A good first solution for gardening where the soil is rocky or of poor quality is a garden plot. A raised bed is a type of basement that makes it different from a container garden. The most common material used is plywood sheets that are glued together. However, there are other options.
Avoid expensive wood and hardware with everything you have. Bricks, concrete blocks, old tree trunks, large rocks or stones, and railroad ties are some suggestions. Raised bed gardening kits are available to order if building your own is not possible for you.
Ingredients for Lasagna Gardening
Whatever you decide to use for your raised bed, there should be room for about 2 feet of soil or growing medium.
Lasagne gardening, also known as foliar composting, is an inexpensive way to provide a rich, nutrient-rich environment for growing a vegetable garden. They involve layers of carbon-rich (brown) and nitrogen-rich (green) materials. Just as there are different recipes for making lasagna, the ingredients for a lasagna garden can vary as well. When combining green and brown for your lasagna garden, use what you already have.
Putting your lasagna garden together
Just as long, slow dishes are delicious, your lasagna garden will do better if you start the “cooking ingredients” in the fall before the next planting season. Lasagna components can be used to create a garden bed without a board or border, but I like to think of the raised box as a “pan” to hold the lasagna garden.
When you have a raised bed edge (built in a good, sunny spot for “baking”), it’s time to layer. Start by lining the bottom with a sheet of newspaper or cardboard, moistening it well. No drilling required. Remember: This is a no-dig garden. Newspaper or cardboard will suffocate any grass or weeds growing in the garden. A dark, damp environment will encourage insects to enter the garden. They will eat their way through decomposing paper to become “little tillers” in a hole-free lasagna garden.
Start by layering the green and brown ingredients for your lasagna garden. Make the brown layers a little thicker than the green layers. Decorate your lasagna garden by sprinkling wood ash from a fire or fireplace. Wood ash will help improve the soil and act as an organic pesticide. Finally, a layer of mulch — such as pine bark or pine straw — will seal everything inside the “dish” and lock in moisture.
Planting the Lasagna Garden
To save money and enjoy the garden experience more, it’s a good idea to start your seeds in your seed starter three to four weeks before planting time. Peas, lettuce, green beans, beets, squash, peppers, carrots, radishes, etc. will grow well.
Tomato seeds are so small that it is best to purchase seeds. Plant root vegetables, such as carrots and radishes, directly in the garden after all danger of frost has passed. Scattering a few marigolds among the vegetables adds color and beauty, and as a result, wild animals tend to avoid the garden. They don’t like the smell.
Quick Method for Lasagna Gardening
Let’s say it’s almost spring planting time and you’ve just learned the method. Some dishes are quick to cook, as is garden lasagna. Composting is an important process for introducing a variety of microbes to create rich, fertile soil. Gather green ingredients and start a compost pile. If you add up all your green kitchen waste, it will add up quickly. Add dead winter leaves, pine straw, or other brown material from last winter. Within a month you will have good compost.
Layer the composted material with a few thin layers of good black topsoil you purchase. I also added some local red clay. I thought it must have at least some nutritional value. After all, it is iron that gives it its red color.
To make your lasagna garden more nutritious, add a few layers of animal manure (from animals that only eat grains). If you live near a farm, it will be free, or the pet store will gladly provide you with all the rabbit droppings you want.
These quick cooking methods will help get your lasagna garden started. Another option for early summer planting is to start in early spring. Either way, you’ll be rewarded with fresh vegetables and herbs without any hard work.
