This is going to sound silly but what would you say are the best kitchen scraps. Is that only coffee grounds and fruit/veg scraps OR can you use things like fish skin, cheese that went bad, bread.... LOL - like I said I'm pretty new at this.

Let us know how it turns out!
Eileen

Are you trying to make compost to add to your lasagna garden? It is not recommended to use anything like meat products or cheese. Whatever you use make sure it is well turned with other materials, so I does not smell and attract bugs and others. When is well composted you can add it to your lasagna bed, good luck!

Michael, is that a new recipe? lol. Where is Bill (castorp)??? Is he "undercover"? lol I remember last time that he was talking about lasagna gardening and the history of it.

Bill, if you are available say hi sometimes, we miss you and did not get the chance to see you at the Biosphere.

Silvia

..." sure it is well turned with other materials..." "When is well composted you can add it to your lasagna bed, good luck!"

From what I read I thought that you are supposed to layer the greens & browns right in the garden and they were supposed to compost right there? I'm I doing it the wrong way???

I made my beds with layers of newspaper, hay, peat moss, well composted bag manure and bag garden soil. And I planted right on it, no need to wait for composting.

Now, if I was going to build with kitchen scraps and other materials, I would have to wait for them to break down. Like making compost.

Here is a picture of some of my beds in June

I am including a link, maybe that help you.

Silvia

I personally think "Silvia" is a professional with a staff of 10 and a greenhouse full of perfect plants that get staged with every season. What else can explain these photographs??

I am kidding Silvia. You are the queen, long live the queen (Rule Brittania playing in the background).

Denise

Thanks again so much for your input... :)

Thank you very much for such a high honor, but I don't think I deserve it.

However I do what I can. Starting for one, my yard is very small and I try to pack everything in, that is the reason after the harvest something gets planted right away.

And I always have surplus of everything that I grow, and quickly share it with friends and neighbors. I am also thrifty and try to let nothing go to waste.

And just like you, I like to save seeds...

mrs tlc

Thank you, I found out through the years of gardening that we have to adjust and use whatever we have. There are different styles for veggie gardening and they can all work well. But I am sure that you want to put your efforts and be successful, we all want that. It can be done!

Silvia

Silvia

mrs tlc -
I made a lasagna garden a year ago . I layered newspaper , cardboard , oak ashes , aged cow manure , hay , oak leaves and coffee grounds . Plants have thrived .

Here it is a year later and most of the layers are gone . Time to layer again with anything I can find . The only thing I purchase is the newspaper . To me , the idea is to repurpose and recycle and NOT spend any money - if possible . I also understand that not everyone can do this .

Look around and see if you can find organic matter from your house or trash . It can be from the store or the curb . And don't rush . This does not have to be done all at once . It's never too late . Layer as you go and as you find things .

Now is a good time to start a compost pile . THAT'S where you can use the coffee grounds and fruit/veg scraps or even the fish skin, cheese that went bad and bread . With the food chain at my place , only coffee grounds ever make it to the garden !

You can do it !

You guys are good! I am talking about the DeLand gardeners, keep me moving! :o) I missed you and Bill, last time we went to the Biosphere.

Very good and detailed explanation about the lasagna garden.

Silvia

I know that coffee grounds go into the compost, but do any of you put left over coffee in your garden rather than dumping it down the drain?? Seems like we always have a cup or two that goes down the drain....

I also want to tell you guys that after an extremely rough day at work it was nice to just sit down with a cup of coffee and read your responses to help de-stress....

here's what i'd do: fill the bed to the top with a good mix of green and brown. leaves, grass clippings, kitchen scraps, old potting soil, coffee grounds, whatever.

water it well, and then leave it alone for a couple of months. you'll be ready to plant in it right at the time that you should start planting your spring/summer (probably beginning of feb for you.) figure that you'll want to mulch it heavily with leaves, which you'll find an abundance of come early spring and the oaks start to drop. the new layer of leaves will break down by midsummer, when you'll likely want to take a break yourself. add new layers of green and brown, and then things will be ready again in september for your fall planting... lather, rinse, repeat.

if you're itching to start things, use containers and a LOOSE potting mix. you'd be amazed how much you can grow in buckets (potatoes!) and windowboxes (carrots, radishes, LETTUCE0.

Please ! Do NOT bring back bags of leaves from Tennessee !!!
I know this seems like a perfectly innocent good idea BUT this is exactly how disease , insect pests and invasive plants inadvertently enter and devastate Florida .

We will soon have plenty of leaves available through curb shopping . I only got 50 bags last time and that was not nearly enough . Must have more leaves ....

ill and silvia offer outstanding advice . You will find a ton more on the Soil & Compost Forum on GW .

The basics for planting are simple. There are cool season crops and warm season crops. Sometimes they overlap. Like I have tomatoes, lima and pole beans, peppers (warm season) ripening now when I am also harvesting greens, lettuce (cool season)

You have to look at the calendar for growing crops for your area, I am in zone 9b and it is too late for me to plant zucchini or winter squash (warm season). The pepper you can keep it in a pot and give it some protection if you get a freeze.

I have my peas planted in a raised bed, they need something to climb like a trellis.

Silvia

gatormomx2 - Thanks for that advice!! Obviously you are totally right and I never thought of it!!!