The Lasagna Project
(From the book "Lasagna Gardening" by Patricia Lanza)
Part 3-Fruits of Our Labours
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June
11, 2001- We thought the potato planting was a distinct failure, but today
we noticed one little potato plant had finally pushed its leaves through
the blanket of hay. Upon investigation, we found that others were indeed
growing, but it was very dry under the hay. We pulled back the hay, gave
it a good watering, and reduced the cover until growth has increased.
June
12, 2001 - We have found that large transplants have done very well, small
seedlings are having a hard time getting established, and seeds do not do
very well in a lasagna bed. The weather has been varied this spring (dry
early on, then constant rain, then cold, now hot and humid), and a late
frost (June 6th), did a lot of damage.
June
12, 2001. A hops vine has doubled its height since its planting on May
16th.
August
14 - one side of the trellis is completely covered, and some tendrils have
passed the half-way mark at the top. We noticed several "hops"
in bloom during the last week of August.
June
13, 2001- A warm night was all these pea and beans seeds needed to pop their
heads up. These are Royal Burgundy beans and Little Sweetie edible podded
peas.
June
15, 2001 - The first harvest from the garden was a handful of green onions.
June
12, 2001 - since our discovery that seeds do not grow well in the leaf/peat
mix, we bought a truckload of compost at a local composting facility,
and spread it on a patch for a vegetable garden. Transplants were added
to some areas on June 5th, and seeds and onion sets to the rest. There
has been a good germination rate.
By
July 15, there were blossoms on the beans, pods on the peas, lettuce, dill,
basil, and onions large enough to use. Some tiny broccoli heads were picked
off and eaten for dinner one evening, and the side shoots have started to
develop.
We
had a very dry summer - no rain for almost two months. Any watering was
with cold well water. By August 17th, we had been eating peas, beans,
lettuce, parsley, onions, basil, beets, swiss chard, and there were blossoms
on the catchfly and marigolds.
Asters
and pansies did well in the purple and yellow bed.
July 15. The yellow zucchini was started in a Jiffy 7 peat pellet, and is
blossoming well, with some fruit setting. We are finally getting some warmer
nights.
Aug
17 - We have been eating and giving away yellow zucchini, and if we could
use it for firewood we'd be set for the winter!
August
17 - A display of gourds hangs from the barnyard fence.
August
17- Numerous varieties of gourds, pumpkins, butternut and other squash have
grown amazingly in the last month and have overtaken more than half the
garden. That sheep manure is great stuff, and held moisture even in the
drought.
Just
one of the large pumpkins growing under that mass of leaves. By August 30th,
it was beginning to ripen.
mid-September- An impressive harvest of ornamental gourds. This represents
only a small fraction of the total yield. We'll do this again next year.
May
5 - This was our original location to try out the lasagna garden technique.
It was supposed to make the area around two stumps easier to mow. It was
very difficult to get anything started in it, but when we got the right
crop...
...it
took off. The tomatoes here are well in advance of the ones in the real
vegetable garden, and kale, kohlrabi, and red cabbage are thriving.
August
17 - We have been pulling back the hay from the potatoes and enjoying them
fresh-picked one meal at a time. Castor beans we transplanted into bare
spots in the garden and they have grown lush foliage and filled in well.
You can see the contrast between the bare brown lawn in front of the house
and the green growth in the lasagna garden.
October 3, 2001
Oct 3, 2001
Our harvest display of produce.
This pumpkin grew into the fence wires. Eventually the sheep realized it was edible and started leaning against the fence to eat it.
Thanksgiving morning, Sunday Oct 6, bright and early, the first killing frost of the season.
The lasagna garden looked eerie with its coating of crystals.
