How to Make Leaf Mold

Leaf mold compost is a compost made of leaves and is fungal based and takes six to twelve months to make. While not as good as compost, leaf mold compost provides soil structure for water retain and soil life. Last of all, leaf mold is quite cheap to make compared to composting.

[@jeffmeyers3837]

Video starts at 1:21. A few points that were missed. 1. Leaves will not break down without moisture. So wet them thoroughly. 2. Air flow helps but isn't required. If leaving in a closed trash bin like the one shown, cover it to preserve the moisture, block light, and prevent excess rain from pooling at the bottom. 3. If your pile is over 2-3 cubic feet, most leaves will heat up during an initial thermal phase. Adding worms at this time would be smart, as they will find a temperature they like and and stay there eating your leaves all winter. The result will be a combination of leaf mold and worm castings, it'll break down faster, and is great for plants. 4. If you won't be adding worms, ground contact is essential. The worms will find it and help break it down much faster.

[@tulsaurbanfarmer]

Thank you for your information. I don't add worms to the bin for a few reasons. We can have hard winters out here. Ground contact is ideal, however the leaves will still breakdown at a slower rate.

[@jeffmeyers3837]

@@tulsaurbanfarmer Worms will survive in freezing zone 4 winters since the a big enough pile (over 3-4 cubic feet) will stay about 100 degrees all winter if built in mid to late Fall.