This afternoon I got into a bit of an argument with the local lasagna gardening "guru". She's been doing it for years and upon hearing my plans to use straw for mulch on the garden she informed me I'd have to rake it all off before putting down the cardboard.
I disagree. Straw breaks down quickly and with our repeated cycles of freezing/thawing along with wet springs I fail to see why I couldn't just leave the straw under the cardboard and other layers.
In the past (confession time) I've been lazy and left plants without pulling or cutting them and they've always been pretty well broken down come spring.
Am I missing something here? I don't think I'm wrong, but I've only done the lasagna thing a few years so maybe there's something I don't know about how the process works and the straw would mess it up.....?
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applestar
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Well, you would want something on top of the cardboard so it doesn't dry out and to help break that down because otherwise, the cardboard might dry up, but aside from that, I don't see why there shouldn't be straw under the cardboard as long as you have sufficient GREEN (same def as compost) as well.
Only other point I can think of is that straw is considered more-or-less weed free so people tend to use it more as the top layer. But again, no reason not to use it underneath if you have lots of it.
Only other point I can think of is that straw is considered more-or-less weed free so people tend to use it more as the top layer. But again, no reason not to use it underneath if you have lots of it.
She meant at the end of the growing season, before I lay down the cardboard then the subsequent layers, that I'd have to rake up the straw. I just fail to see the reasoning in this.
I only do the lasagna layers in the winter (which is also what she does) so at the end of the season I put down layers of newspaper and cardboard over the dirt then cover it with grass, leaves, food scraps, etc.
Since we'll be living right on a dairy farm I have full intentions of dumping a load of manure both under and over the
cardboard as well.
Next spring I should have one heck of a fertile garden
Her attitude toward the straw mulch and the leaving of it just really rubbed me the wrong way....but hey maybe it's the pregnancy hormones making me take things the wrong way..
I only do the lasagna layers in the winter (which is also what she does) so at the end of the season I put down layers of newspaper and cardboard over the dirt then cover it with grass, leaves, food scraps, etc.
Since we'll be living right on a dairy farm I have full intentions of dumping a load of manure both under and over the
cardboard as well.
Next spring I should have one heck of a fertile garden
Her attitude toward the straw mulch and the leaving of it just really rubbed me the wrong way....but hey maybe it's the pregnancy hormones making me take things the wrong way..
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lifegrower
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