'Lasagna Gardening' - Also known as Sheet Composting

By Ilene Rountree
Marion County Master Gardener

How many of you buy your own soil? Anyone here want to turn their dirt into garden soil? I would like to share how I start my new beds, in ground beds and add to my existing garden beds. Have any of you tried Lasagna Gardening? Sounds yummy, doesn’t it? Well it will be when you harvest all your veggies.

Let’s just see how many of you already have what you need to get started.

• Who shops on Amazon? I can assume you have cardboard.
• Who receives junk mail, newspaper or uses paper towels? You have paper.
• Who has trees? You have leaves, sticks, possible saw dust or wood chips.
• How about old potting soil or wood ash? Consider using them.
• Dirt. It can be sandy, silt or clay. I try to add a little of each to my beds.

These are all considered Browns or Carbon. Good radio would be 60% to 70

Photo of a pile of cardboard boxes.

• Who mows grass? Save your clippings.
• Anyone drink coffee or tea? Consider a small compost bin on your counter.
• Eats fruit or veggies? Save everything except the seeds. I cut into pieces.
• Eats eggs? I wash shells, dry in microwave, use bullet to make powder.
• Garden vegetation. Start cutting the old stuff.
• Who raises Chickens, Rabbits or Turkeys? Collect that manure.

These are all considered Greens or Nitrogen. Good radio would be 30% to 40%
How many of you already have most of these items ​or know someone who does? Okay, we are on a roll.

Photo of someone raking up grass clippings.

I typically start my new beds and add to my existing beds in fall.

• Mainly because that is when I have so many resources available.
• Spring garden beds are empty; the soil needs to be amended.
• Set aside these items to include when your fall beds have finished producing.
• This allows everything to compost before spring time.

Now the fun begins

• Pick your location.
• Water access is important.
• Best to pull all the weeds and grass out. Level location best you can.
• Remove as many rocks as possible.
• Stop growing rocks.
• Buy or make your beds.
• Raised beds can be: Galvanized, concert blocks, rocks or wood.
• Dig into the ground 12” to 18” for in ground beds and remove dirt.

Photo of ground prepared for planting.

Very important to remember, this is how I layer my beds. You get to choose what works best for your garden beds. If you do not have all of these items, no big deal. Use what you have. I usually alternate between brown and green. Using more browns than greens. Things that take longer to compost should be put on the bottom. This is what I usually do and it seems to work well for my gardens. This of course depends on your bed size. Most of mine are 2 feet high.


1st layer. 2”- 3” branches cut in different sizes. Add smaller sticks on top. (Brown)
2nd layer. Cut or rip up cardboard into small pieces. Spray water. (Brown)
3rd layer. Manure. I use turkey litter. Spray water. (Green)
4th layer. Leaves. Run them over with lawnmower 3 times. Spray water. (Brown)
5th layer. Food scraps, tea bags and coffee grounds. Spray water. (Green)
6th Layer. Saw dust or 1“of wood chips or shredded paper. Spray water. (Brown)
7th Layer. Grass clippings or leftover garden vegetation. Spray water. (Green)
8th Layer. Empty all your container pots. Or use peat moss. Spray water. (Brown)
9th Layer. Compost. Spray water. (Green)
10th Layer. Add any dirt you have on hand. Spray water. (Brown)
11th Layer. Sprinkle thin layer of your egg shell powder. Spray water. (Calcium)

Photo of Layers 1 thru 8 of the Lasagna Garden method

Photo of Layers 9 thru 11 of the Lasagna Garden method

• On warm fall/winter days. Spray water to help everything to compost.
• You can also add food scraps, just use shovel or rake to mix in.
• Don’t forget to get your soil tested in the early spring so you can add anything that you might need to allow it to commingle with your soil.
• Remember your beds will have settled some so you will have room to add some fresh compost. Mix in with shovel or rake. Spray water.
• Lots of veggies like to be planted with a little of that egg shell powder.

Happy gardening. Hope you are able to use a few of these tips in your gardens.

Photo of Ilene's garden filled with raised beds created by the Lasagna Garden method.