@wdcgardener Our asparagus patch at the community garden plot was getting a bit wild and weedy, so we used the lasagna/layer method to revamp it. #gardendc #layermethod #weeding #lasagnamethod #asparagusbed #asparagus #layergarden #layergardening #lasagnagardening #lasagnagarden ♬ love ya - Shoffy
Our asparagus patch at the community garden plot was getting a bit wild and weedy, so we used the lasagna/layer method to revamp it. (See our TikTok video above.)
The lasagna method (also known as the layer method) is a way to recover a section of your garden that has been overtaken by weeds. First, rip out and cut back as much as possible. Weed whack the rest of it down to the ground and let it lay there. That bottom green layer is a great amendment for the soil. Next, add a thick layer of newspaper or cardboard*. Wet it or weigh it down so it doesn't fly away.
The next layer is a thick covering of compost. That can be chopped-up leaves, wood chips, or any organic mulch. Finally, you can add an optional layer of straw (not hay!) on top.
Note that we kept a few of the old asparagus plants still up and we will come back in a few weeks and plant new asparagus starts also.
*And yes, we SHOULD have removed the tape off the cardboard boxes first. We were rushing in the rain to get this done - I'll dig the tape out once the cardboard starts breaking down in a few months.
Elsewhere in the plot, we pulled a Daikon radish to check on its size - it is long, but still very thin and needs to bulk up a bit before harvesting. The lettuces and other crops are humming along with the potato plants growing several inches a day!
The big surprise is the Arugula is already starting to bolt! We have it under a shade cloth and the weather has been seesawing from highs in the 50s/60s to the mid-80s. Now we are back into a cool and rainy stretch, bur I guess those high temps had already impacted the plants.
What are you growing in your edible garden this season?
About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 12th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above (at the top, left on this blog).
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