---

Sheet mulching is also known as lasagna gardening and no-till gardening. It is a great way to get rid of grass and weeds without using chemicals and adds nutrients to the soil. It also attracts beneficial critters such as worms.



It is a method of building the soil from the ground up, on top of what you've already got. The beauty of sheet mulching is that it allows you to create a place for plants anywhere, without having to do a lot of difficult work like digging.

If you have some lawn you'd prefer to use to grow food, for example, you can convert it into a little plot without digging up the sod. I have even read that you can use the sheet mulching technique on top of concrete! I have never tried this so I can't vouch for it, but apparently if you build up enough depth with enough organic matter, it is possible.

So here is what you do:

1. Flatten down any grass or weeds

that you have (mow or "weed whack" or just trample them with your feet); remember that you don't have to remove everything- you only have to flatten then down (do remove large woody plants you don't want to keep, though). This layer will eventually decompose and add nutrients to the ground...don't worry that the weeds will make your future garden weedy- they will break down completely. Wet the ground thoroughly to start the decomposition process.

2. (optional, but recommended.) Using a pitchfork, poke the ground to provide some aerating holes

If you know your soil might need an amendment, such as lime, now is the time to add it.

3. Add a grass and weed barrier

A layer of recycled cardboard or newspaper (at least 3 sheets thick) is commonly used. Work around any plants you want to keep. Depending on the size of the area you are sheet mulching, if you are using cardboard, it may require a lot of cardboard. If you or someone you know recently moved and they are interested in recycling their boxes, then you've hit the jackpot. Really big boxes, like those that appliances come in, are particularly useful. Or try getting some from a liquor store or anywhere else that frequently discards boxes.

If you are using boxes, make sure to remove any tape. If you don't have access to enough boxes, you may want to purchase recycled cardboard in rolls from a paper supply company, or use newspaper instead (or try ripped up old phone books or old wool carpet- these will all break down eventually). Lay down your newspaper or cardboard and overlap it at the edges so there is no place weeds can poke through. Wet this layer thoroughly with a hose or sprinkler (or schedule your sheet mulching project for a day when there is heavy rain in the forecast) so it does not blow away, and the decomposition of this layer is encouraged.

4. Lay down a thick layer of mulch

You can use wood chips, straw (not hay- hay contains seeds), pine needles, shredded paper, food scraps, an unfinished compost pile, tree pruning, leaves, or any combination of the above, for the mulch. Make this layer as deep as possible, at least 8 inches and as deep as 12-24 inches. Mixing some compost, manure, peat moss, or another soil amendment in with the mulch is optional, or you can do it in layers (hence the name lasagna gardening).

If you do want to use the layer method, you might want to alternate adding a thick layer of compost, then a layer of mulch, etc. Once your sheet mulch is in place, water it frequently and give it some time to decompose before using it, if possible. If you can wait (if you do this in the fall and don't plan to plant until spring), you will find it nicely decomposed when you are ready for it, with a rich wonderful soil as the result.

If you want to plant sooner, though, that is fine. Try to wait a few weeks, if possible, and then you can either cover it with a layer of soil and plant seeds or transplants right there, or dig down and make a hole in the sheet mulch where you want to put in larger plants, such as trees.

For more information, see Gardening without Work: For the Aging, Busy and Indolent by Ruth Stout and Lasagna Gardening: A New Layering System for Bountiful Gardens: No Digging, No Tilling, No Weeding, No Kidding! by Patricia Lanza. Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway also discusses this technique.