Turn Your LAWN into a Thriving GARDEN! How to Use the LASAGNA GARDENING METHOD

We are converting the front yard, which is all grass, into a cottage garden.
In this video, Josh will show you how to use the layering method, also known as lasagna gardening to quickly turn this sod into a space ready for planting perennials herbs and flowers. He'll also cover different ways you can do this with the time and resources you have.
For the full step-by-step tutorial on using the lasagna gardening method, visit the blog post here: homesteadingfa...
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MORE ABOUT US!
WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! Let's start growing, preserving & THRIVING! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: bit.ly/HFWelcom...
Visit our blog: www.homesteadi...
Follow us on Pinterest: / homesteadingfamily
Facebook: / homesteadingfamily
Instagram: / homesteadingfamily
A few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!
Click any of the links below for instant access to free video training resources:
Healthy Healing at Home - Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop. homesteadingfa...
Your Best Loaf - A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using. homesteadingfa...
Meals on Your Shelf - Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series. homesteadingfa...
Click any of the links below for instant access to these free downloadable PDFs:
- 5 Steps to a More Self Sufficient Life- Simple PDF download on 5 steps anyone can take wherever they are to start a more self-sufficient lifestyle.
classes.homest...
- Thrive Wellness Checklist- A simple PDF download for healthy living.
homesteadingfa...
- Permaculture for Your Homestead- PDF download that is an introduction to permaculture with some strategies for applying it to one’s homestead and garden.
homesteadingfa...
- Carolyn’s Cottage Garden herb list- PDF with Carolyn’s favorite herbs for growing at home.
bit.ly/CGherblist
- Carolyn’s Make-Ahead Breakfast Casseroles- Carolyn’s favorite make-ahead breakfast casseroles.
homesteadingfa...
- Your FREE Guide to Preserving Eggs- PDF download with multiple ways to preserve eggs.
homesteadingfa...
- 5 Steps to a Healthy Garden- PDF download with an explanation of what makes healthy soil and 5 steps you can take to improve your garden
homesteadingfa...
- Save the Crumbs- Several Recipes for using bread leftovers, a less committal entry to bread than the workshop.
homesteadingfa...
- Fearless Fermenting- A PDF on basic lacto-ferments.
homesteadingfa...
- Fermenting Tomatoes- PDF download on fermenting tomatoes
homesteadingfa...
- Preserving Culinary Herbs- Downloadable, step by step directions to drying, freezing and salting culinary herbs.
homesteadingfa...
- Render Your Own Lard- PDF with instructions on how to render your own lard.
homesteadingfa...
#lasagnamethod #lasagnagardening #gardeningmethod #gardeningmethods

[@oolum]

How is that "not" tilling the ground? Looks to me like you tilled it, just not as deep as usual.

[@LivingTheDreamHomestead.]

This was a great video, I love how well you explained the process. We won’t be able to have our garden this year, we have 40ft of sand before we get any good dirt. I’ll have to amend with compost a lot. Any suggestions on dealing with sandy soil? Thanks for the great video!

[@HomesteadingFamily]

Build up...when you till in compost to sand it works for a season if you put enough in, but the nutrient is quickly leached out. It is better in my experience to build the soil up by layering. You could bring in some topsoil as it is less expensive, then compost then mulch, the paper/cardboard weed barrier below the topsoil if needed. It seems expensive to to at once, but will pay for itself.

[@LivingTheDreamHomestead.]

Homesteading Family that’s a great idea! We had thought about hoogle cultural or however it’s spelled, or something like that. Raised bed or what not. But we’re still getting settled on our property. Thank you so much for the great advise! I can’t wait to get a garden started! I feel like I’m so far behind lol

[@tristinchristenson6349]

Perfect timing, I needed just this so I can plant in two weeks! Bravo. Thanks Friends.

[@SimpleLivingAlaska]

This was great! Thank you :) Can't wait to see the cottage garden as it grows, they are lovely.

[@PaulaJoDavis]

Nice job! We have a small front yard that we want to plant dwarf fruit trees and perennials in, so this will work great for us! Thanks and Blessings from NE Missouri!

[@FarmhouseTeas]

Looks great! We are gearing up to do something similar very soon... No BCS here though just teens and shovels 😂😂

[@deborahtofflemire7727]

This was helpful Thankyou I wish I had seen this video a few weeks ago. But God always has a plan. We did what we di. I might have done it this way. .Lessons for next time.

[@angelenerash5160]

Oh that sweet dog laying in the fresh mulch!! Great job on the new garden!!

[@lisamoseley9914]

One more question...do you not worry about cats marking territory in your gardens? What about other animals? How do you keep wildlife out? We have bunnies, deer, and neighborhood cats. I'm thinking I may have to use chicken wire near the ground and other wire fencing around the perimeter. Any suggestions about cats?

[@HomesteadingFamily]

This is against the house and fenced. Cats will do what they do which includes killing gophers so they are welcome!

[@dollyperry3020]

I am really really scared about the new pernicious herbicides I'm hearing about. I can't find organic straw anywhere and hesitate to put new hay in the garden. Any suggestions?

[@HomesteadingFamily]

I mention a tree based mulch in the video which is my favorite and way less risky than straw and my favorite material. In most areas you can find a tree company that needs to dispose of its tree trimmings and these are great because they are not only wood, but bark and leaves chipped up as well.

[@thelittlebrownranch9105]

Also, a LOT of utility companies are clearing their lines this time of year. The contract companies doing that work are working many, many long hours and producing more (I suspect) mulch than normal. It is hard to beat an unlimited supply of free mulch.

[@Th3_Gael]

Check out Charles Dowding channel. He's just released a video on this very subject. Seems like you'd be OK using it for compost if left long enough 🤷‍♂️ Compost imo is the best mulch so worth the wait especially if you get it free Hope you don't mind a link kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWjZo2B9od-okNU

[@kimberlywalders6063]

I love watching these videos. Great job done ! Thanks for such a great tutorial. Keep them coming. Just fun time watching this and so much information.

[@eileenpalumbo6578]

Very well explained and takes the fear away of trying this method. Thanks for sharing.

[@aprilgarrahan3245]

You made it look so easy thank you so much for the step-by-step process I'm really looking forward to the flowers that your wife will plant and the different types of herbs in her Cottage Garden

[@Beecozz7]

Really great, I can't wait to see the results of all the hard work!!! TY

[@mfranklin36]

Love this video, I learned so much. I did not know about this layering method. I always learn so much from your video's. keep up the great work and god bless.

[@shadowlandsfarmandcreamery5400]

Your kids are the cutest, loved seeing little glimpses of them😊

[@muttsmunchies]

Your teaching methods are the best!! I think you guys are awsome!! ❤❤

[@Th3_Gael]

Love the dancing sunbeams in the time-lapse, just brilliant

[@UghUgh1234]

Weird question, but do you have a day job outside of the home as wel?

[@nicholehillabush7211]

This my first year really setting up a garden. (I finally worked up the courage after watching your videos and other homesteaders') I have so many questions. What do you do for pest control? We have squirrels in our neighborhood that I think might be digging around, what would you do for that? I put seeds in, but now I've got sprouts coming up, and I can't tell what's a weed and what's a plant. Do you just wait until they're big enough to ID? What's a logical sequence of events for planting? Like, I put some things in that will probably permanent for the season, and now I'm thinking that I should have thought through what could be put in, harvested, then that space replanted. Anyway, this is long so I'll be done now. It's just that, now I've planted my starts and seeds and I'm like, now what? How do I not kill this stuff, and actually get food out of it! Lol

[@Freakontheway]

Thank you for this lesson! I am totally coming back to this one when we finally get our garden!! (renting a little piece of land is a challenge here) We will get something that has river clay, but it was some years ago used as farmland, so will be probably nice and heavy. So maybe we should add a little sand too, for better drainage? Or is this method you show and talk about, applicable for every type of soil? Blessings from The Netherlands

[@calliehagood]

Thank you so much for this step by step tutorial. I'm inspired to make my own cottage garden this year and this is the step by step I need.

[@theophanial9432]

Beautiful. Thank you for taking the time to make your videos!

[@robertinebuckley4245]

1:08 Baaabyyy Starch do do do do do do, baby starch do do do do do do... 😄🎶

[@lesliemelby7633]

We are taking out the grass in our back yard to put in mounded beds. There are a lot of weeds in the grass. Will the weeds come back up and compete withour veggies?

[@erikacronje8985]

Interesting way of getting soil ready, it does however seem as if the layer to plant in is quite thin? Or do you cut through the cardboard into the soil below to plant?

[@fionafiona1146]

She will cut/punch tough it, it was mentioned at the start of the video.

[@HomesteadingFamily]

Yes in this case, we will punch through. if you dont want to break the wee barrier, which does cause a risk of grasses or weeds coming through then you either need to wait 6-12 months or add a layer of topsoil beneath the compost....3-6 inches.

[@erikacronje8985]

@@HomesteadingFamily Yup that is what I was thinking about the topsoil before the compost and mulch. I mostly use raised beds but it is good to see a good method if you want to recover old compacted soil

[@Minnesota_Mama_Bear]

Good luck Carolyn! That's a huge garden bed for all your greens.

[@theresaanderson9955]

I have never seen that paper you put down. You call it construction paper?

[@EYELEVELAwakening]

thank you so much for your efforts....love your channel

[@justyna.1979]

Love you guys!!!!

[@TexasScout]

That craft paper wouldn’t stop the grass I’ve got Aaron here in South Texas, I don’t think even cardboard would

[@HomesteadingFamily]

Give it a try in a small space. Over lap your seems several inches and you may have to put in a perimeter barrier several inches into the soil to block roots.

[@mommygraham]

@@HomesteadingFamily Where do you get that paper? What am I looking for? RAMs board?

[@carolkantner1770]

I would love to do this for herbs and teas.

[@robotics4kids]

I did my first section of my grassy yard this way in the fall of 2020 and then I did a larger section of my grassy yard in the summer of 2021. I tilled the first project and it worked great,. i grew bushels of cucumbers canned 80 quarts of pickles, etc. and started selling my extras making $40 a week. The next section I could not cut down the grass and I could not till it either, but I did the rest and am planning on using this no till section for plants that are not root veggies. I am planning on converting all of my back yard grassy areas to garden. Thank you for all your excellent gardening videos. I am a new gardener, so they really help!

[@chenderson18]

Josh you are a great man. First time I have heard you use, and, ugh, you know,, and other filler words. I am sure it wasn't easy to do this type video. I love the way you and Carolyn look at each other. It is obvious you guys have a wonderful love affair and respect for each other. I love each of your videos.

[@nanaznaturalz5436]

I didn’t know it had a name. I have been doing our new property like this for two years. This video is amazing to help explain to oncoming helpers LOL.. thanks for this!!

[@mandythislovelypath3740]

Looking forward go to seeing the progression of Carolyn growing this area! Quick question, how do you deal with weeds? We are in East Idaho, and even with mulch, raised beds, etc, we have mallow, bind weed, thistle, burdock, etc coming up everywhere. Even if I spent all day wedding all the different areas it would be back the next day. Sigh.

[@ggem8125]

I am not really in a hurry but I need to mention BCS as much as possible for the free machine. Also known as rototiller. Not possible to stay clean He has workers

[@131dyana]

Thank you for showing this to us. However I cannot do this because of the sprinkler system that is in place. Phoenix, Arizona.

[@jimmylittle9393]

He's not wearing a cap 😯

[@juliemoore6957]

Your land is so beautiful. Love the trees on the edges. I am inspired to start an herbal garden myself!

[@SavorAndSleep]

Thank you for taking the time to explain the other layer options. We are brand spanking new to this and do not have a tiller. So the additional information was very helpful!

[@sandyralston5814]

Really excited to see your video but this long ad that can't be turned off is highly irritating.

[@HomesteadingFamily]

You should be able to skip. I'll will try to remove the non-skipable kind. Sorry about that!

[@HomesteadingFamily]

Our setting show all ads are skippable. Please let us know if you continue to get one that is not. We don't want you to have to sit through a long ad. Thanks

[@clippersncurls]

@@HomesteadingFamily viewing from Canada and I am not getting and have never gotten any ads until the very end promoting other videos of yours. Just so you are aware. Thanks for this video.

[@rawfoodelectric]

I'm doing this too!!

[@cherylmatthews7172]

I’ve noticed on other channels that they aren’t using cardboard anymore because of the chemicals in the glues. So I was glad to hear you used paper. Josh you an great husband. Have a Blessed Day

[@HomesteadingFamily]

Hey Cheryl, cardboard is still listed as organic by OMRI for mulch and compost fodder because the soil biology will quickly break down any non organics and make then inert...with the exception of glossy cardboards, we don't want to use those. Thanks.

[@FormalFistFight]

​@@HomesteadingFamily i love this channel because you guys do and show what works for you, you don't get caught up in the bullshit culty trappings that one can fall into with online farming communities. Cheryl, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but God is dead, may the long reign of Satan bring you the love and freedom you truly deserve on this Earth

[@HomesteadingFamily]

@@FormalFistFight please refrain from this kind of dialog. A lot of people following this channel believe in God, and Jesus Christ, ourselves included. We respect the fact that you see it differently, but this is not the place to challenge or condemn people for an opposing view point on religion. Thanks

[@FormalFistFight]

@@HomesteadingFamily you can ban me if you want, but God died with his son. Our sins were absolved, and through His divine sacrifice, God stood aside to allow the Science of Satan to guide us into the next life. Heaven has become the past, but Salvation lies ahead as we become Machine. All hail Satan and his mechanation, may we be blessed eternal as the cogs that drive eternity.

[@lindseyb1421]

That's tilling 😑

[@cherylfreier6418]

Thanks for all this information didn't know this when I was gardening great stuff

[@charlesberryhill7179]

I am a frirm believer of the gardening rule that there are no rules however the one problem I see with this here is you are creating a haven for the potential of termites by building this against your home

[@onenew3647]

Just amazing wow thank you 🙏

[@tompip7959]

What about mold and being that close to the house?

[@christinarulien645]

What is the name of your tiller?

[@homesteadincrazy7773]

where do you get your compost???

[@lorindabritton6454]

Can you do this on a weed patch ?

[@SCHUYLERDR]

Lols like a cool video!

[@patwilliamson4701]

Great information.

[@christiebetts4970]

Enjoyed the video

[@cherylmiller2272]

Good info!

[@lisamoseley9914]

I don't know much about construction paper. Will it decompose like cardboard?

[@HomesteadingFamily]

Yes, and it has less seams so better to keep grass and weeds from coming through. That space cost us maybe $5 in paper...of course we had to buy a whole role for $40 for we will use it in other spaces.

[@joyceshelby8858]

Good morning, I am a new subscriber and so glad I found your channel. Was wondering what the measurements are on the garden.