This leads to less watering during the growing season. It’s not a fertilizer and is very poor in nutrients. especially fruit (Gooseberries, Red Currants...) … Before adding leaves to your pile or bag, run over them a couple of times with your lawn mower. It helps to develop clay soil, sandy soil or rocky soil to turn into good quality soil. 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. Despite its ugly appearance and potentially hazardous effects, mold can offer some great benefits. Two main factors necessary to create leaf mold are sufficient moisture and the presence of oxygen from the air. Learn how to compost leaves quickly to make a nutrient-rich leaf compost that will benefit your garden. Leaf mould improves soil drainage and aeration and reduces soil compaction. It is gradually disintegrated. So, what does this mean? The Benefits of Leaf Mold. Leaf mold is said to have very good water retaining capacities and can be used for potting mixes, or used for enriching soil. “It also creates the perfect conditions for the community of beneficial organisms that dwell in your soil” (Galloway, par.1). If you are using the pile or bin method, cover your pile with a plastic tarp. 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. She holds an Associate’s in Horticulture, a Bachelor’s in Business, and currently earning a Master’s in Business Administration. Your email address will not be published. Hugelkultur: Permaculture’s Ultimate Raised Bed, 3 Ways to Make Your Own Seed Starting Pots. The Hearty Garden.  All Rights Reserved. Leaf mold is considered to be a 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. Use it as mulch or incorporate it into the soil, or both. The table below shows the nutrient concentration extracted from the leaves. Leaf mold is more of a soil amendment. A simple wire or mesh container will do the job nicely. Leaf mold brings many benefits to your garden soil, such as: Adding organic matter to the soil which increases water-holding capacity Feeding the soil food web by increasing biological and worm activity Keeping your plant’s roots cool by regulating soil temperature moisture and retention Add the mold on the soil’s surface, and the worms and microorganisms will do the rest. This post may contain affiliate links. Once the leaves are decomposed, the amendment can be mixed into your garden soil or container. Rutgers University conducted a study about plant nutrients found in municipal leaves. Leaf mold is very versatile and can be used all throughout the garden. Over time, annual applications of leaf mold mulch can significantly improve the quality of your soil and increase in beneficial soil life. You can find a spot in your yard and wait a year or so for the leaves to break down. Spread a three-inch (7.5 cm.) 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. It helps speed up the leaf mold process to be ready in about a year. The energy increases the development of bacteria and fungi in the soil and uses up the nitrogen. By improving soil structure, it also encourages beneficial bacteria and home to earthworms. Don’t want to make leaf mold? Rake your leaves or collect leaves from a neighbor into a pile. If you are using the plastic bag method, just turn it over or give it a firm shake. Small thin leaves such as birch break down fairly quickly, while large leathery ones such as chestnut benefit from being shredded first. 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. Well draining soil prevents plant roots from sitting in excess water. Since the leaf mold is a cold process, it won’t kill the fungal spores, and it can re-infect your trees. Leaf mold is an organic matter and a soil amendment that is simply a result of composted tree leaves. Leaf mold is nothing more than well-composted tree leaves and it’s miraculous for building soil. Leaf Mold – Natures Soil Conditioner. In this form it will absorb rainwater and during the hotter summer months, it will help to keep the root system of your plants cooler. Now, who wouldn’t want that? Using leaf mold as a soil amendment is a common and productive practice. Smaller pieces will decompose more quickly. Leaf mold is a soil amendment. By definition leaf mold if simply decomposed leaves, with it being a natural substance beneath deciduous trees. 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. You can apply a layer of shredded leaves (3-6 inches) around the base of trees, shrubs, and flower beds. There are two main factors need for making a leaf mold: – The presence of adequate moisture and oxygen in the air. Planting beds conditioned with leaf mold may become slightly acid. 1. Some studies have shown soils have retained 50% more water after the addition of leaf mold. In fact, leaf mold doesn't really offer very many nutrients but conditions the soil. How to Test for Seed Viability, Grow Herbs and Flowers Together In Your Landscape, Adding organic matter to the soil which increases, Feeding the soil food web by increasing biological and worm activity, Keeping your plant’s roots cool by regulating soil temperature moisture and retention, Slowly releasing nutrients and fertilizing your plants and increase yield, Building healthier plants to boost disease resistance, Improves soil structure that helps with drainage issues. It contains a natural herbicide called juglones and can harm your plants. A few wooden posts and … Up to 80% of all nutrients that trees extract from the ground end up in its leaves. Use a shovel or garden fork to turn your leaf pile every few weeks. Affiliate Disclosure - Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy, Anti-inflammatory Foods You Can Grow In Your Garden. Leaf mould creators, listen up! Leaf mold provides a number of fantastic benefits for your garden: Increases the water holding capacity of the soil. The benefits of leaf mould cannot be overstated. With expertise in horticulture, garden design, and maintenance, she has her sights on coaching others so they too can begin their gardening journey. 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. It’s best to shred them using your mower so they’ll break down faster. It’s not just the lawn that should be cleared of leaves, either. However, you decide to use your leaves, your garden, and the environment will reap the benefits. Leaf mold brings many benefits to your garden soil, such as: Do you want to get started making leaf mold? Water retention – mixed into your garden soil, leaf mold will increase water retention in your garden soil making it easily available for plants. Nonetheless, please don’t throw them out to the curbside and fill valuable landfill space. 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. Tree leaves have high carbon, low nitrogen ratio (60:1), depending on leaf species, compared to an ideal organic material (24:1). This means that the soil retains water better, often over 50 percent better water retention than soil without leaf mold. The best leaves for leaf mould Making a leaf mould bin Read our privacy policy. Mix it into the top layer or use 3-4 inches as a mulch. Leaf mold is a soil amendment that can be used in containers, potting soil mixes, seed starting, raised beds and in ground gardens. In addition to mowing over the leaves to speed up the process, you can turn the pile or give the plastic bag a firm shake. Over time, annual applications of leaf mold – Natures soil conditioner are placed in a wire! 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