Welcome! Many of us here are wintersowing for the first time this year. We hang out on this thread to discuss any and all questions, comments and happenings along the way. Those of you who are experienced - come help us! : )
Have fun - We came from here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/931656/
At the end of the last thread, Jonna was asking about Lasagna beds.
From what I understand it is a way to make an amended bed on top of any existing material. So instead of digging out an area of weeds or grass, you just put newspaper or cardboard down to kill what is underneath. Then layer on layers of organic material and compost. So you are growing in the top layers mostly until the newspaper or cardboard breaks down and becomes part of the soil.
Has anyone made a Lasagna bed?
OK, funny thing, I always thought that Lasagne was the correct spelling for the Italian dish that we think of here in America with layers of pasta and meats and cheese. So I spelled Lasagna beds with an "e" - Lasagne, but the spell check on my computer is telling me that is not a word. So I googled it, and here is the answer to my question.
- Wickipedia- "Lasagna (singular, pronounced [laˈzaɲa] in Italian; plural lasagne pronounced [laˈzaɲe]) is both a form of pasta in sheets (sometimes rippled, though seldom so in Northern Italy) and also a dish, sometimes named lasagne al forno (meaning "oven-cooked lasagne") made with alternate layers of pasta, cheese, and often ragù (a meat sauce) or tomato sauce. In Italy the dish is called "Lasagne" and not "Lasagna".
The word lasagna, which originally applied to a cooking pot, now simply describes the food itself.[1] Most English-speaking people follow the Italian usage and use the plural "lasagne" to refer to both the dish and the pasta, but Americans commonly use the singular "lasagna"."
So if you are a common American I guess it is Lasagna, but since this is an international community, it can be either! : )
Well I can't find the common name of the tree, but it's botanical name is Fagus sylvatica. It is a very old one. I didn't really aerated it. But other leaves do compost without any problem.
Thanks for explaining the lasagna beds. It seems a good idea to me. I'm going to try that in a part of my garden where is a lot of construction detritus in the ground.
I googled and found a thread on Dave's about lasagna beds- http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/901832/
AnitaB, what a great link! Thank you. Even though my plan yesterday was to just kill the grass under the new beds with wet newspaper and then cover with a little cheap mulch, I ran out of leaf bags when I was only 1/4 of the way through raking and doing my last grass mow of the year, so I just dumped everything on the beds and now I have a (sort of) lasagna bed! HA!
Since I had a lot of leaves and not as much grass, I'm a little worried I have way more brown than green, and since this was my last mow, I'm out of green. My next door neighbors just put their house on the market and moved out, so I am considering leafing and mowing their yard....
I am finding that I am having a lot of fun getting into composting, because (like Winter Sowing) if gives me something to DO before I can get out there in Spring and do the fun stuff. How many WSers feel the same way?
Lissad: Yes, I've made lasagna beds with teriffic results.
Here's one I made last year. Already had a short strip of planting area, and I extended it with lasagna. This was early spring 2007. Wintersown seedlings in place
Karen
June 7, growing
August. The left side, where the salvia are, is the new lasagna area. The right side is 4 o'clocks.
The problem with mulch that is not already pretty well composted in New Mexico is that it attracts a particularly unpleasant insect called an earwig. These guys eat the decaying leaf matter but like to eat seedlings as they come up. And they are good climbers. They climb apricot trees, bore a little hole then live and eat inside the apricot. They chew a scalloped edge on lilac leaves etc. etc. They also have little pinchers on their tails which don't hurt all that much but give me the creeps.
I get better results if I compost the leaves, then put the finished compost on the beds. I met a guy who did no till gardening here and had to give it up because the earwigs became so bad.
This may not be a problem elsewhere. Also they don't seem to like wood shreds and pecan shells used as mulch -- just rotting leaves and other softish organic matter.
Karen, when I read a lasagna bed must be at least 10-12 inch high, I do not understand how you made your one. Did you first dig out the ground?
The salvias: are that Yvonne's giants?
Jonna -- i'd say no on the Yvonnes.
From what i understand, those get close to 5-6 feet tall... and that is a 4 foot chain link fence.
I am getting some seeds and i am VERY excited about growing them next year.
and i'm no help on the lasagna gardening thing... as i've only minorly attempted it. [just card board, compost and soil]
Terese
Jonna: No, I didn't dig anything or use any chemicals. That area was made early spring. I started around Feb. or March, just putting down cardboard to smother grass. As the lawn started growing and my husband mowed, I added grass clippings and leaves, and added yard waste from spring clean-up. Also collected some from neighbors. Topped off the bed with 1 bag of shredded mulch.I only got it to about 8 to 10" tall. As you can see, within about 6 to 8 weeks it shrunk down to next to nothing.
And yes, that's Yvonne's salvia.
Karen
Terese, I'm trying to grow the Yvonnes also next year. If I do not succeed, I will know to find you.
Jonna
Oh, yes, I did add some half done compost, too. Forgot about that.
My Yvonne's salvia topped off at about 50" tall. They were wintersown. Most folks with the really giant ones start them indoors under lights.
Karen
Other side of yard
Karen, thanks for your contribution. It made it very clear to me.
And I will know to find you also if I do not succeed growing Yvonnes.
Jonna
Karen -- wow, i thought the Yvonnes were taller than that... sorry i jumped in so quickly trying to answer.
I have heard about those Salvia! They sound so cool. The back edge of my yard is about 85 feet out, so I am kind of drawn to some of the larger plants. I am going to have to put those on my wish list.
Keep me in mind next year .... if i get enough seeds .. I'll have some for the swap, or just remind me early enough and i'll have some for you.
Thanks Terese. I am going to collect some good stuff so that I can join in the swap next year. : ) I will make sure to keep that in mind for the Salvia. I would love to see how yours do this year.
Just getting caught up on my threads for today. Thanks Lisa for the info on the poppies, hollyhocks, etc. I'll be getting poppy seeds and hollyhock seeds in Jan from the piggy swap. Will that be too late to plant them outdoors?
Tonya
NbGard-Sorry it took me so long to get back with you I forgot this was an extension of the WSII. I can't say for sure if it is too late but if it was me I would throw the poppy seeds out into the flowerbed just don't cover them. The HH seeds need to be covered but I don't know by how much. Get back to me after Christmas if you would like information from a sane person.
LOL! You actually KNOW a sane person??????
just kidding,
and have a good holiday. ;-)
Happy Holidays, friends! Stay safe and warm.
Well, this afternoon I WS'd 9 more jugs, so here is what I have sown so far:
Delphinium `Magic Fountains'
Salvia `Blue Bedder'
Pyrethrum Robinson's mixed
Delphinium `Summer Skies'
Lavandula augustifolia
Belamcanda
The above plants were sown 12/9/08. Here is what I sowed today:
Mixed Gaillardia
Sidalcea `Pink Ladies'
Thermopsis Villosa (Carolina lupin)
Georgia Aster
Gentiana acaulis (Stemless Gentian)
Gentiana makinoi `Marsha'
Sympyotrichum oblongifolium (aromatic aster)
Aster `Oceanstar'
Baptisia
Nothing has germinated yet from the 12/9 sowing, despite the warm weather we've had, so I hope they're good to go. I'm already wondering how and where I'll set these plants if everything germinates! But I've got even more to sow and lots of beds to redo next year, so it'll work out.
I was going to post a photo of my little menagerie but my camera battery died. Oh, and while I was outside doing the WSing, noticed I have winter daphne blooming! It smells divine. Took a photo of it, too, just before the last breath of the camera. Will post later when I resuscitate it.
Merry Christmas, one and all.
This message was edited Dec 24, 2008 6:42 PM
You have been very busy! I haven't started anything yet, hopefully next week I can get to it. I can almost smell your winter daphne. yUMMMM.
I am looking forward to seeing your pictures.
Looking forward to seeing the winter daphne. Sounds lovely!
Hemophobic, we'll have to compare notes on the Lavendula angustifolia... I am trying that too. I understand it is real slow to germinate..... I grew some once from seed but it never did much at all beyond the initial sprout. Now I think I had it in soil that was too rich.
My little array is covered nicely in snow and ice......
As promised, here is the daphne blooming 12/24. What a nice present!
Geez, a few days ago we had temps of -3F, today it's supposed to hit a record 70. What season is it, anyway? Sure feels more like spring out there.
Karen
we are supposed to be near 60 today.... currently 51° ... where I think our over night low wasnt much below that... but LOTS of rain.
yesterday, where i was out trudging in the snow to fill the feeder and walk the pooch ... where there was 8-12" on the ground.... I am seeing a lot of grass.
we have flood warnings and some creeks, and 'branches' of one of the major rives that goes thru the Chicago land, is already at flood stage. I'm just glad we are not really effected by that.
Karen, that's bizarre! And tcs...... oh my, poor Chicago has really been slammed lately, I shudder to think of it and so glad I am not there!
Here we are also having something of a warming trend, snow turning to rain, temps expected to go from daytime low 30s to daytime mid 40s........ but nothing like y'all's Midwest spread.
*is that anything like middle age spread?* she wonders.........* Nah....... LOL!
Wishing everyone a Happy and Fruitful New Year!
I hope you all don't have floods. I read about that as a possibility in the newspaper today.
Here in New Mexico, our high isn't even supposed to get above freezing today.
We have local streets under water already... as of late morning -- DH tried to get to the PO.
I have a photo of the pond next door... i'll take another one [when Batman is over] and post them to see the water height difference.
this pic was taken at the end of May.... so it is pretty much the normal height of the detention pond out my window...
OH ... and sorry this is so OT and nothing to do with WS.
here was 1pm today
**edit -- ops.. noticed i put the wrong date... obviously it's only the 27th.
This message was edited Dec 27, 2008 3:19 PM
3pm today.... and still rising....
Oh, no. OT or no that is a scary series of pictures. How much higher is your house than the pond?
My response exactly! Eep!
(but a beautiful view when it's NOT being scary!)
Thanks for your concerns .... i know it looks intimidating.... we felt that way the first HUGE rain we got after we moved in... about 4" in one day. [our old house, which we still owned at the time was flooded]
Yea -- we are up quite a bit higher... plus i have never seen the pond much higher than it is now... though i was not home for the floods [9" of rain in 36 hrs] back in Sept
on the south end of the pond, there is a drainage pipe ... then the water flows east of there.... but when everything gets backed up.. nothing really goes anywhere.
but we are fine. I wanted to get another photo.. but it's too dark now.
most of the snow is gone... so if we dont get much more rain ... tomorrow is supposed to be 33 and sunny... so it should be coming to an end.... the water wont rise much more.
Hmmmmmmmm, Dh will be out tomorrow... maybe a good day to start WS'ing.
Here you all are !! I posted back three threads ago. Funny No one is there!! This is my first time wintersowing. I am excited and hopeful but my friends and relatives think I have surely lost my mind.
