The Clever Way Smart Gardeners Turn Fall Leaves Into Amazing Soil, by Easy Gardening for Seniors on YouTube. 18 min 1 s.
- Video length
- 18 min 1 s
- Time to do it
- 1 hour plus 12 months to cure
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Check which trees drop the leaves. Keep black walnut leaves and green husks out of vegetable beds, since they carry juglone that harms other plants.
Set your mower deck to 3.5 to 4 inches and run over the leaves. This shreds them into quarter-sized pieces that will not mat into a suffocating layer.
Spread the shredded leaves as mulch around raised beds and perennials, keeping a 2-inch open ring around each stem and crown so air reaches the plant.
Water the mulch and press it down lightly so it locks together. This keeps it from blowing away in autumn wind.
For leaf mold, pile whole or shredded leaves into a wire cylinder about 3 feet across. Leave it open to rain and let cold-weather fungi break it down over winter.
If bending is hard, sit on a chair or stool and stuff leaves into contractor bags. Pack them, add a little water, tie the top and store them out of the sun.
Leave both the cylinder and bags alone for about 12 months. Do not turn them. The leaves rot into crumbly dark leaf mold on their own.
Use the finished leaf mold as a soil conditioner in beds and pots. Mix it into the top few inches or use it as a seed-starting amendment.
Tips and common mistakes
Do not pile leaves more than a few inches deep on a lawn or bed, or they smother grass and plants.
Oak leaves are not as acidic as people claim, so do not avoid them for that reason.
Keep the pile damp like a wrung-out sponge. Bone-dry leaves break down very slowly.
Lift with your legs and hinge at the hips when filling bags to protect your back.
Questions
How long does it take to make leaf mold?
About 12 months for cold fungal breakdown, and longer for whole leaves. Shredded leaves rot faster than whole ones.
Can I put black walnut leaves in my compost?
Keep them out of vegetable beds and compost you plan to use on vegetables. The juglone in walnut leaves and husks can harm sensitive plants.
Do I need to turn the leaf pile?
No. Leaf mold is made by fungi that work without turning. Just keep the pile moist and let it sit.
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.
