What this means is that applying leaf mold to your garden will boost soil life, will provide minerals for your plants, and will improve the structure of your garden’s soil. In addition to use for seedlings, potting on and plant containers, leaf mold is ideal for mulching around shallow rooted moisture loving plants: e.g. Using leaf mold as a soil amendment is a common and productive practice. Affiliate Disclosure - Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy, Anti-inflammatory Foods You Can Grow In Your Garden. Not only is it less labor-intensive than a traditional compost pile, it only calls for one ingredient – fallen leaves. You can use leaves from all sorts of deciduous trees to make leaf mould, but those that are thick – for example, horse chestnut, sweet chestnut and sycamore – are best shredded first. Once the leaves are decomposed, the amendment can be mixed into your garden soil or container. On the other hand, traditional compost utilizes a heat-generated process using bacteria to breakdown the organic matter. The University took a chemical analysis of 100 leaf samples across New Jersey. However, as the leaves … Leaves can be stored in a circular wire (such as chicken wire) bin or piled in an inconspicuous area in your yard. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. It will attract a wide range of beneficial microorganisms and insects. Tree leaves have high carbon, low nitrogen ratio (60:1), depending on leaf species, compared to an ideal organic material (24:1). Below is a step by step guide to get started. Leaf mold is used as a soil amendment because it provides nutrients and a moist growing medium for plants. Hugelkultur: Permaculture’s Ultimate Raised Bed, 3 Ways to Make Your Own Seed Starting Pots. Leaf mold is a a form of compost produced by the slow fungal breakdown of leaves before it finally turns into humus. 1  If that wasn’t enough, leaf mold also feeds earthworms and the beneficial … You want your microbes and worms to be happy and healthy. Leaf mold is a soil amendment. Nonetheless, please don’t throw them out to the curbside and fill valuable landfill space. If you want to … Leaf mold has a number of great benefits but first let’s mention what it’s not. It increases the water retention of soils. Your email address will not be published. You will know when the leaves are breaking down because they will turn into a black-brown spongy material and will smell like you’re walking in a forest. As a surface mulch leaf mold is effective too, insulating the soil from … They are ready when it looks like a black-brown spongy material, crumbly and smell like you’re walking in a forest. Sep 21, 2020 | Building Healthy Soil, Gardening, How-To and Tips | 0 comments. Leaves are an abundance in my backyard since trees surround my property. If you are using the plastic bag method, just turn it over or give it a firm shake. The leaves offer a significant amount of nutrients for the soil, but not all are immediately available after application. Making leaf mold is an easy way to get your children involved in learning how to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Benefits of Leaf Mold. It helps speed up the leaf mold process to be ready in about a year. Benefits of Leaf Mold. Leaf mould improves soil drainage and aeration and reduces soil compaction. Leaf mold also improves soil structure and provides a fantastic habitat for soil life, including earthworms and beneficial bacteria. Your email address will not be published. It will improve water retention, soil structure and drainage as well as improve the habitat for valuable organisms in the garden like earth worms and beneficial bacteria. Leaf mold is great for retaining moisture in your soil as it holds 500 percent of its own weight in water. If leaves are placed in a pile uncut, it can take up to two years to turn into leaf mold. It utilizes a cool-generated process using fungus to breakdown the leaves. It helps to loosen heavy soil, hold the soil moisture, confirm proper aeration and drainage system. Check out our homemade potting soil mix and substitute leaf mold for compost. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Leaf Mold is the result of leaves that have fully decomposed and now have a crumbly texture. Gardening is one of the most popular hobbies around the world and studies have shown this past time may improve mental and physical health.  Whether or not you possess gardening personality traits, we want to coach you so you too, can reap this hobbies benefits. As a surface mulch leaf mold is effective too, insulating the soil from extreme fluctuations in soil temperature, keeping the surface from compacting so water can easily enter, and helping the soil retain moisture by slowing evaporation. 1. It contains a natural herbicide called juglones and can harm your plants. When the leaves decompose, the carbon is released and helps the soil retain water, structure, and fertility. It’s best to shred them using your mower so they’ll break down faster. In a nutshell, carbon is the highest concentration element. A few wooden posts and … If you are using the pile or bin method, cover your pile with a plastic tarp. That being said, if the leaves have time to break down before you sow your next crop, it offers an excellent soil amendment. It’s good stuff! Required fields are marked *. Leaf mould creators, listen up! How to use autumn leaves to improve garden soil: Alan Titchmarsh’s top tips. It helps to develop clay soil, sandy soil or rocky soil to turn into good quality soil. The benefits of leaf mould cannot be overstated. If you are growing plants the same time you apply leaves in your garden bed, it can result in a nitrogen deficiency in the plants. A soil test will tell you if you need to add nitrogen to your planting beds; this can be done by simply adding well-rotted steer manure. At once it makes the soil spongier and helps it retain moisture and air, which benefits plant roots. Though leaves are not high in nitrogen, phosphorus … Or chop them up for quicker decomposition by mowing over the pile. This post may contain affiliate links. Water retention – mixed into your garden soil, leaf mold will increase water retention in your garden soil making it easily available for plants. It does not supply the plants with nutrients like compost does, rather, it improves soil structure. Benefits of Leaf Mold Benefits of the leaf decomposing pile is to improve garden soil’s ability of moisture retention. Leaf Mold – Natures Soil Conditioner. Don’t want to make leaf mold? Leaf mold is nothing more than well-composted tree leaves and it’s miraculous for building soil. Don’t include leaves that show any fungal disease issues. It could also mean you won’t have to worry about your plants as much when dry spells hit during the hottest parts of summer. Depending on how you prepared the leaves, decomposition can take up to two years. 2) Leaf Mold improves soil fertility which means it provides nutrients to the soil and improves soil structure so it will become nice and loose over time. Also, stay away from using walnut leaves if you plan to use the leaf mold in your garden. Two main factors necessary to create leaf mold are sufficient moisture and the presence of oxygen from the air. When you directly apply leaves into or on top of your garden soil, the microorganisms will utilize the soil’s nitrogen to break down the leaves. If you decide to use trash bags, wet down the leaves and poke holes in the bag to allow air circulation. 3) The layer of leaves protect and feed organisms including earthworms. Plus leaves contain twice the mineral content of manure. A simple wire or mesh container will do the job nicely. Leaf mold is an organic matter and a soil amendment that is simply a result of composted tree leaves. Mix it into the top layer or use 3-4 inches as a mulch. 4) By using leaves as a mulch, you are helping the environment. Luckily, I get out of constant raking during the fall months since my husband owns a mulcher mower. Instead, create a large pile, wet them down to make leaf mold! Conifer needles will eventually break down, but may take two to three years to decay. Most leaves are slightly acidic when they fall, with a pH below 6. Along with giving nutrients gradually to plants, it … Once you’ve collected into a pile, mow over the leaves to shred them. Some studies have shown soils have retained 50% more water after the addition of leaf mold. Rutgers University conducted a study about plant nutrients found in municipal leaves. Leaf mold has several great attributes. Log in, The Best Way to Get Rid of Pill Bugs in the Garden. Leaf mold from deciduous trees will be richer in potassium and phosphorous than nitrogen. It holds more water by weight than peat moss. Most leaves can be turned into leaf mould, but some take longer to compost than others. As the leaves continue to decay, carbon levels decrease, and nitrogen levels increase, it eventually brings more nitrogen availability to the plants. Leaf mold will slow soil moisture evaporation during hot summers and will slow soil cooling in autumn. Leaf mold can hold up to 500 times its own weight in water” … Leaf mold provides a number of fantastic benefits for your garden: Increases the water holding capacity of the soil. Leaf mold adds organic matter and other nutrients when you add it to your garden. Leaf mold is great for adding to your garden because it helps the soil retain moisture. Remember leaf mold retains water at rate of 500% of its own weight so it makes a great alternative to peat moss. When applied to your garden and decompose, they increase the soil’s organic matter and it’s capacity to hold water and improve soil tilth. This will keep the leaves more consistently moist and warm. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Given the copious amounts of dry leaves available in the fall you may want to consider making leaf mold. Leaf mold is a powerful soil conditioner. Besides helping retain moisture in the soil by reducing evaporation, leaf mold also absorbs rainwater to reduce runoff, and in hot weather, it helps cool roots and foliage. Your email address will not be published. The Benefits of Leaf Mold. Leaf mold is excellent at retaining moisture in the soil. According to some university studies, the addition of leaf mold increased water retention in soils by over 50 percent. Despite its ugly appearance and potentially hazardous effects, mold can offer some great benefits. This will introduce air into the process, which speeds decomposition. This means that the soil retains water better, often over 50 percent better water retention than soil without leaf mold. The majority of the nutrients listed above need a little help. Watch your soil reap the benefits! Leaf mold also has high … It absorbs rainwater to reduce runoff, and in hot weather, it helps cool roots and foliage. The table below shows the nutrient concentration extracted from the leaves. Leaf mold adds valuable organic matter to the soil. This leads to less watering during the growing season. You can find a spot in your yard and wait a year or so for the leaves to break down. Is Your Seed Alive? Moreover, its low nutrient content benefits the early development of healthy seedling roots. It is gradually disintegrated. So, what does this mean? Leaf mold is essentially a soil conditioner. Remove them from patios, decks and paths to stop them becoming slippery as well as reap the benefits of making your own soil improver. © 2020. The first is that it can hold up to 500 percent of its own weight in water. This natural soil conditioner improves water-holding capacity, enhances soil structure (and therefore water and air movement within the soil), and provide habitat for the soil’s micro–and macro– Smaller pieces will decompose more quickly. The best leaves for leaf mould Making a leaf mould bin Spread a three-inch (7.5 cm.) However, you decide to use your leaves, your garden, and the environment will reap the benefits. Tree leaves are a nutrient hero. She also worked at a 276-acre horticulture research farm as a Research Technician for five years. Leaf mold really is natures compost, it needs no special treatment, makes a great natural mulch, it does not have much in the way of nutrients, however it does have a few hidden benefits. Kimberly lives in Kansas City, MO, USDA Zone 6. However, as they breakdown, they will eventually release their nutrients, and its best to think of using leaves as a long-term fertility solution. At once it makes the soil spongier and helps it retain moisture and air, which benefits plant roots. A soil pH test may … The energy increases the development of bacteria and fungi in the soil and uses up the nitrogen. 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