Don't Bag Your Leaves — Make Leaf Mold Instead Free, Ready in a Year, by Walt Crop House on YouTube. 14 min 56 s.
- Video length
- 14 min 56 s
- Time to do it
- 1 hour to build, 6 to 24 month
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Pick a shady, out-of-the-way spot on soil, not concrete. Fungi work better in damp shade, and the pile needs to sit where it can stay undisturbed for a year.
Drive four stakes into the ground in a square about 1 metre (3 feet) on each side. Leave the tops around 1 metre high.
Wrap chicken wire around the outside of the stakes and fix it with wire ties or staples. This open bin holds the leaves while letting air in.
Rake up your leaves and tip them into the bin. Skip walnut leaves and pine needles, and leave out any leaves that look diseased.
Water the pile as you fill it so the leaves are damp like a wrung-out sponge. Dry leaves break down very slowly.
Tamp the leaves down and keep adding until the bin is full. A full bin holds heat and moisture better than a shallow layer.
Check the pile every few months. Water it if it dries out and turn it with a fork once or twice to speed things up.
After about a year, squeeze a handful. If it holds together in a soft ball, it is ready. If it crumbles apart, it needs more time and water.
Sieve or pick out any whole leaves, then spread the finished leaf mold as a mulch or dig it into beds next spring.
Tips and common mistakes
Leaf mold is not compost: it is made by fungi, so keep the pile damp and shaded rather than hot.
Keep out walnut leaves, pine needles and diseased leaves, which can harm plants or slow the pile.
A wire bin costs little and lets air through, so you rarely need to turn the pile.
If you want it faster, shred the leaves with a mower first to cut the wait to around 6 months.
Questions
How long does leaf mold take?
Usually 6 to 24 months. Shredded leaves in a damp, shaded bin can be ready in about 6 months, while whole leaves may take a year or more.
Can I use leaf mold as compost?
No. Leaf mold is a soil conditioner and mulch, not a fertilizer. Dig it in or spread it on top to improve soil structure and hold water.
Do I need to turn the pile?
Not strictly. Turning once or twice speeds things up, but a wire bin with damp leaves will break down on its own.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
