Are you wanting to create a new garden bed this weekend? Here is Jules Carney's second installment in her writing about lasagna gardening:
Some books suggest that if you build a lasagna garden in the fall or early spring it can break down into workable soil by planting time, but in my experience it may take longer in this cool climate, so I either use fairly well-rotted compost or manure as a green layer, or cut right down through the cardboard and plant into the soil below.
Every method has pros and cons. It can be frustrating to try to pile on your layers on a windy fall or spring day- lately we've been experimenting with netting to keep it down. And as with mulching, you want to make sure you don't smother the crops you're actually trying to grow. With such a wide variety of organic material in your garden, you may want to clear little spaces around where you've direct-seeded or transplanted so you can see your seedlings coming up and ensure that they get enough light.
Regardless, I’m still staggered by how easy-going and productive this method can be. Weeds can't grow up through the cardboard/newspaper, but they also can't grow down into it very easily. This means that even grass slides right out! I am often able to weed the entire 30' x 30' garden in half an hour, which means a lot since we can only tend to it every few weekends. In addition, the worms love the cardboard/newspaper, and flock to the garden to help break down your compost and aerate the soil. We've also found that the garden holds moisture better in the last few dry summers, and needs less watering.
If you're a low-key gardener and love the idea of building a strong, healthy soil, here are some links to help you get started:
http://www.no-dig-gardening.org/
http://www.wildwillowdesign.com/2011/06/three-ways-to-sheet-mulch/
