Different Intensive Gardening Methods: Pros and Cons

Why is sustainable gardening important? Learn how to best use these intensive gardening methods for sustainability, including aquaculture, straw bale gardening and hugelkultur.

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by AdobeStock/Naya Na

Why is sustainable gardening important? Learn how to best use these intensive gardening methods for sustainability, including aquaculture, straw bale gardening and hugelkultur.

Novel gardening methods go through phases of prominence on the gardening scene. Perhaps made popular by a new book or a reinvigoration of an old method, there’s always some “hot” technique, product, or way to garden. But what’s just hype, and what really works? Which gardening methods have noted advantages? And which methods make sense for small-scale backyard gardeners versus serious homesteaders or market gardeners? Let’s dig into the benefits and potential hang-ups of six gardening styles you’ve likely heard about lately.

About Lasagna Gardening

This method cleverly transfers the layering concept of lasagna to gardening — but instead of cheese and marinara, we’re talking about plant debris and all things compostable. The idea is to create thick, diverse layers of organic materials that will act as a mulch and break down into rich layers of humus over time. Your layers might include straw, compost (including kitchen scraps), manure, fallen leaves, plant debris, wood chips, bark dust, coir, newspaper, cardboard, and grass clippings. Ideally, you’ll have a good mix of materials, both nitrogen-rich (“greens”) and carbon-rich (“browns”).

Pros. Lasagna gardening is a particularly great no-till method for creating a new garden bed where you currently have sod; you can layer materials right in that spot to kill the sod and start building fertility. This method makes effective use of “waste” around your home and yard and helps suppress weeds, thus saving you time in the garden. This is a practical, low-tech, and effective method for small to medium plots and also builds rich, active soil.

  • Updated on Jan 29, 2024
  • Originally Published on Feb 8, 2017
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