![]() ![]() Stockpile Leaves for CompostingĪ dedicated “bin” for stockpiling your leaves and dry brown matter is a huge advantage during the months when carbon materials are scarce. Leaf compost like this provides the important humus content which does so much to improve the structure of our soil. By breaking up the leaves you increase the surface area for composting bacteria to work on. This is a far more efficient way to make leaf mold. If you want to make leaf mold you’re better off starting with shredded leaves. Leaf mulch also helps retain moisture and suppresses weeds. This is why most gardeners use a shredder like this one to process their leaves (Amazon link). Shredded leaf mulch will break down quicker and in the process provide some beneficial organisms like fungi for your plants. This increases the surface area of the leaves and makes them nice and fluffy! Leaf mulch like this will insulate your plants and help protect against frost. The easiest way to prep your leaves for use as mulch is to run over them with your lawn mower! But if you want to avoid contamination by grass clippings, you can rake them up and put them through a leaf shredder. And you’ve probably noticed that when they’re wet they stick together can form a barrier to moisture. In nature whole dead leaves create a layer which smothers any competing plant life. If you want to use your stock of leaves as mulch, whatever you do don’t use whole leaves. Stockpile them for future use in your main compost.Once you have your leaf bin set up near your compost bin, you have a few choices of what to do with your leaves. It would be a huge shame to waste such a great organic source of carbon for the coming months. Using Stored Leaves for Compost & MulchingĬollecting fallen leaves should be an important part of anybody’s composting routine. If you’re looking for something more rigid, this coated steel wire bin (Amazon) provides a sturdy compact cube. You might also want to use some pegs to tie it down to the ground. I recommend you put a few long branches in the base to help it keep its form in the beginning. If DIY isn’t your thing, or if aesthetics are an issue in your garden then a ready-made bin is a probably a neater solution.įor example, this plastic mesh compost bin on Amazon is affordable and easy to build. However, try to make it a compact shape like a cylinder or a cube, especially if you’re using it to make leaf mold and you want the mass to retain some heat. And if you drive the stakes well into the ground it won’t blow away! The advantage is that you can customize the size of the bin to suit your needs. I advise leaving your leaf bin somewhere near your compost bin so that you can quickly grab some of the stored leaves to mix with other materials as needed.Ī bin like this is super easy to make and provides an effective leaf bin with plenty of aeration. Leave them to dry for a day and they’ll be easier to work with (You could even spread them on a garden tarp to make them easier to gather up). If this is the case, try to spread them out and fluff them up. They easily clump together and can be heavy because of the added moisture. If you’re collecting wet leaves you may find them difficult to handle. A weighed down sheet of plastic will do fine. Not because you need to keep them dry, but more to prevent them from blowing around. It helps if you put some kind of a lid on the pile. Leaves are inclined to be bulky at first, but don’t worry, they soon pack down and take up less volume. For example a four foot (1.2m) high circular bin with a four foot diameter will contain around two cubic yards of leaves. Because fall leaves tend to arrive in big quantities you’ll need something reasonably large. A few wooden posts and some chicken wire wrapped around them can be used to make a container. Given the copious amounts of dry leaves available in the fall you may want to consider making leaf mold.Īlternatively you can just pile up your leaves and use them later when brown materials are scarce.Ī simple wire or mesh container will do the job nicely. Leaf mold is said to have very good water retaining capacities and can be used for potting mixes, or used for enriching soil. This compost has a relatively low nutrient value, but an excellent fibrous structure close to pure humus. Leaf mold on its own is a useful gardening product and produces compost with a fine structure. ![]() Leaving leaves to rot in a dedicated bin like this creates what is known as “ leaf mold”. ![]()
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