Check the bag every month or two for moisture, and add water if the leaves are dry. It should be at least 12 inches or 1 foot in diameter. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board. They draw in the nutrients and trace minerals which have leached out of the upper soil layers. Leaf mold (Leaf mould outside of the United States) is the compost produced by decomposition of deciduous shrub and tree leaves, primarily by fungal breakdown. Leaf mold (or “mould”) is the light, fluffy, rich, and crumbly result of decomposed leaves. Year-old leaf mould is pretty good, too – add it to shop-bought compost for new pots, up to 25% of the overall volume. This is because leaves are basically all carbon, they contain almost no nitrogen. Leaf mold doesn’t feed the soil as much as compost does, so you will still need to provide compost and other organic fertilizers to your plants. Leaf Compost. Instead of leaf mold, you will have compost. It decomposes slowly and adds nutrients gradually to feed plants and improve the soil structure. Leave the bag for up to two years to break down into leaf mould. It’s best to mix leaves of a similar type together, so that they rot down at the same speed. Leaf mold is excellent at retaining moisture in the soil. The Leafgro 40 lb. Making Leaf Mold Compost In Compost Bins My dream compost bin arrangement for composting leaves is a 3 bin-system: one for building, one for turning, one for finished compost. If you are using the plastic bag method, turn it over or give it a good shake. Just make sure to remember that some leaves are acidic (pine needles, maple, and oak leaves for example), so test your soil and add lime if needed. A bag of shredded leaves, ready for composting. Leaf mold is a soil amendment that can be used in containers, potting soil mixes, seed starting, raised beds and in ground gardens. Most leaves can be turned into leaf mould, but some take longer to compost than others. Here everything is done above the ground. Where leaf mold really shines is in adding organic matter to your soil. If you plan on adding fallen leaves to your compost, or even simply focusing on creating leaf mould compost you can make the job of collecting them much easier with this set of leaf grabs. When I retrieve two year old leaf mold from the bottom of the leaf bin in fall, I often use it to add fertility to the polytunnel and vegetable beds after the summer crops have been removed. It can take 1 to 2 years for a leaf pile to totally break down into fine organic matter this way. Unlike making regular compost, making leaf mold is a "cold" composting process. It’s also handy to use for screening garden soil to remove rocks! 25 Vegetables to Plant in Autumn. What Is Organic Matter and What Does It Do for My Garden Soil? Most trees have long roots extending deep into the subsoil. Subscribe to my newsletter and receive your Christmas printable as a free welcome gift! Note that not all leaves are created equally. How To Make Leaf Mold Compost – The Lazy Gardeners Way – Pile a bunch of leaves in a big pile, wait 2 years, turning the pile when you can. Where compost is hot and breaks down quickly, leaf mold is cool, slow to breakdown and well worth the wait. Leafgro 40 lb. Can Leafgro be distributed using a tow behind broadcast spreader? Compost. Leaf Mold . About leaf mould. From Leaf to Leaf Mold. Compost is a wonderful addition to your soil and as a gardener, you might be wondering why should I make leaf mold and not just use compost? Or, use it as mulch in perennial beds or vegetable gardens. In fact, my potting mix recipe require more compost than it does leaf mold (as an alternative to peat). When you make compost you layer together sources of carbon and nitrogen, keep it moist and turn the pile often to aerate it. First is the type of leaves in your pile. 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