Expert Advice for your Lawn & Garden TV Host of Today's Homeowner^® and home expert for The Weather Channel

Landscape Lasagna

Video, Lawn and Garden, Gardening Basics, Soil & Fertilizer Published 03/20/2007 by Danny Lipford

Creating great soil is like making good lasagna according to Florida landscaper Rachel DeToro. It’s all about layers. Not pasta and cheese. Organic material on top of organic material. Rachel’s recipe starts with mushroom compost on the bottom, followed by a layer of pine bark mulch (finely grounded). For the next layer, Rachel uses seaweed (rinsed to remove salt) though she says leaves or clippings work equally well if seaweed isn’t available to you. Finally, another layer of compost and the soil is ready to cultivate and plant. To protect the soil and retain moisture, top the bed off with a layer of pine straw or leaf mulch.