Leaf Mold = Pure Gold for your Garden!
Leaf Bin
Do you want to do your garden and your environment a huge favor this autumn? Learn how to make leaf mold with all those leaves you’d otherwise throw away!
What is Leaf Mold?
Leaf mold is a type of compost that is the result of the natural decaying process of leaves. Leaves have a high cellulose content that makes them slower to decompose than other types of lawn or garden waste. You might have noticed this yourself if you have ever walked in a woods in the middle of summer and still seen leaves on the ground from the previous autumn.
The process of making leaf mold is very different from the process of making traditional compost. In a traditional compost pile bacteria are responsible for breaking down the organic matter. These bacteria need warmth and moisture and perform their job relatively quickly. Leaves, on the other hand, can be broken down by a natural fungus in the same way it happens on the forest floor. This fungus needs moisture but little heat, and takes quite a bit longer to break down the leaves.
How to make Leaf Mold
Making leaf mold is actually easy! It will take about 2 years, but during that time there is little to zero maintenance.
Gather up leaves in the fall from your trees and shrubs. Don’t use pine or fir needles — use deciduous leaves only! If you have only a small amount of leaves, say a trash bag or two worth, simply fill the bags with leaves and add a little water to moisten them. Rip the sides a few times for air and set them aside somewhere for about a year.
If you have a large quantity of leaves it is best to build a bin out of chicken wire or some other material. Then just fill the bin with leaves, water it and wait!
A few tips:
Leaf Pile in Woods
- Shredded leaves decompose more quickly than whole leaves. An easy way to do that is to run your lawnmower over them.
- Grass clippings can be added to speed up the process a bit.
- Keep an eye on the bins to make sure they stay moist. Rain is your friend here! Wind is your enemy — try to put the bins in a location where they are protected from wind but are open to rainfall. Lining the bins with cardboard can help here.
- If you really want to make it easy on yourself just pile the leaves in an out-of-the-way spot and leave them there for a couple years. No bin, no bags, no fuss. It might take a little longer, but it will still work. Leaf mold is a tough thing to screw up!
Over the course of a year the leaf pile should get smaller and smaller, which indicates the process is working. At the end of the first year take a pitchfork or rake and mix up the leaves in the bin. Wait another year and your leaf mold will be ready!
That is all there is to it! The only trick really is to make sure the leaves don’t dry out.
Uses for Leaf Mold
Leaf mold has many uses:
- Soil Conditioner: The bulky nature of leaf mold makes it an excellent soil additive. Leaf mold has similar properties to peat moss.
- Mulch: Leaf mold can hold hundreds of times its weight in water. Use it around your plants in the summer to help retain moisture.
- Fertilizer: Brew up some Leaf mold tea and your plants will thank you! Fill a large bucket with non-chlorinated water (rainwater is best). Fill a burlap sack with leaf mold and dunk it in the bucket for 3-4 days. Remove the burlap sack and use the enriched water in your garden!
