On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 07:42:34 -0700, Janice
opined:

(...)

My dad read Ruth Stouts book years ago something like the no dig or
lazy person's garden (look up ruth stout and gardening in google
you'll find it) which is basically what they're calling lasagna
gardening now. It's sheet composting. Lay down your organic matter,
whatever it may be in sheets, toss a bunch of red worms night crawlers
or whatever the best worm varieties you have there in your area, and
they will go to work on it all. Night crawlers here come up and get
organic matter and try to pull it down into the ground and succeeds
most of the time. I've seen them trying to pull dandelion leaves,
which are still attached to the plant into the ground. LOL

(...)

Ruth Stout's books a

No-Work Garden Book
Gardening Without Work

I own them both. She says to lay a thick layer of hay on the soil, make way for
the seeds, plant seeds in soil, let plants grow up through the hay mulch. It's
not the same as sheet composting. It is sort of the idea, not the same. The
hay shades the soil keeping weeds from germinating, it cools the soil, and
provides a very slow nutrient base for plants. I recommend the use of alfalfa
hay. I use it all the time and I've yet to see an alfalfa plant.

Ruth's books are long gone, but she was brilliant. I'm glad you brought her up.