Leaf Mold Composting

By Lisa Dubey

Leaf Mold is a form of compost that is a natural soil enhancer made from the fallen leaves of deciduous trees and shrubs that have decayed through fungal breakdown. The leaves have a high carbon content but are low in nutrients. By keeping the leaves wet, sheltered from the wind and occasionally turning them, you will be re- warded with a rich woodsy smelling humus that will cost you nothing. The only down side is this process takes anywhere from 1-2 years depending on the type and quality of humus you want to produce.

The easiest way to produce leaf mold is to take the bag off the lawn mower and let it shred the leaves and then leave them on your lawn. Worms will eat the leaves and take the nutrients down into the soil.

The best method, which offers the gardener more control in the application process, as well as a greater amount of compost material, is to rake up a pile of leaves and place them in a sheltered corner of your garden.

This is often done by creating a leaf mold bin with wooden stakes and chicken wire. You can create a size that fits your space and the amount of leaves that accumulate. Create your bin by placing 4 wooden stakes in the ground and wrap with chicken wire to create an enclosure. Staple the chicken wire to the posts and whala! You have your leaf composting bin. No lid or solid walls are required, although some experts recommend lining the walls with cardboard or some other wind break material to keep the leaves from drying out. If your yard is small and you don’t have room for an enclosure but still want to avoid picking up leaves after every wind storm, place the wet leaves in black plastic bags, tie the top loosely and make a few air holes with your rake. It’s a good idea to use some tape and write the date on them.

The best time to collect and place the leaves in your bin, pile or plastic bag is after a rain so they are completely saturated with moisture. It is especially helpful to the rotting process to collect the leaves with a lawn mower thereby mixing in grass clippings.

The process of creating useable leaf mold can take 9 months to 2 years depending on the type of leaves in the batch. It usually takes 9 months to 1 year to create a rough batch of leaf mold that makes an excellent moisture retaining mulch for your spring garden. It also makes a great cover for bare soil in the winter months.

Two year old leaf mold is finer and is used as a soil enhancer, topdressing for lawns and in the potting mix for container plants. Leaf mold can be applied any time of the year and is usually applied up to 4 inches thick.

Your plants will love you!