One of the best amendments to your garden. It is so versatile. I make loads each year and would never be without it. Great video Scott. More people should make this
@FloridaGirl-2 жыл бұрын
Me too! It’s black gold! You can’t buy this in the store!! Been doing it for years!!
@amymorales46222 жыл бұрын
In my area, we have to maintain “defensible space” to prevent the spread of fire. I have to hire a service to do this for me. I asked the men who were doing the work what they were going to do with the branches and leaves that they were loading into a trailer. They said that they were going to take them to the dump. I asked them to put the branches and some of the leaves into a hugelkultur bed, and the rest into a container for leaf mold. They liked the idea so much that they now say that they do the same at their homes. Gardening can be wonderfully contagious. (Of course, I also told them about the Gardener Scott Channel)
@claygreen47232 жыл бұрын
I go to where the local university dumps their leaves. There is a pile of old leaves that is literally big as my house. I can fill the bed of my truck with leaf mold in 15 minutes that goes in my flower and raised beds. Incredible how much stuff goes unused by people who have no idea of what they're throwing away.
@deeproots242 ай бұрын
lucky you , which state is yours ? I wish TX would do that. I have asked local county if they store piles of leave and they responded with a NO
@scrappyquilter1022 жыл бұрын
I LOVE making dirt this way! "Black gold" indeed! I add the fluid that collects in the containers under our two "wet compost barrels"; some call it "compost tea" - I just don't want it to go to waste. I love the smell of the composted leaves. It is lovely stuff!
@shineyrocks3902 жыл бұрын
I built it Scott. Now I have got to fill it up. My neighbor said he'd trade me leaves for squash this fall. Win Win perfect timing
@noraalvarado81782 жыл бұрын
I take my fall leaves and put it in a fence just like yours in the fall here in N.Y also. What I do with mine is put it on the bottom of all my flower pots because its not fully broken down yet and put my store bought soil right on top then plant. Saves me so much money on potting mix.
@j.b.68552 жыл бұрын
In fall of 2020 I made my first batch of leaf mold. I had the two 3' bins under a tree and kept them moist. I turned it once in late July 2021 to get the top and side leaves inside the pile. It was done in late October, I got three totes full. Fantastic stuff, where I used it this spring the plants are doing great. Last fall I built two pallet bins, 4'x4'x4' and packed them with maple leaves and topped them a few times. I will turn them next month. I hope to double what I made last year. With my compost I should be able to avoid buying any bagged compost next spring.
@raczyk Жыл бұрын
Thinking of using tote storage bins myself. How many holes does the bin need for air? Like what percentage of the wall would be holes?
@j.b.6855 Жыл бұрын
@@raczyk For making leaf mold a few holes in the bottom should do if you are using storage bins. Plastic garbage cans are good as well, the plastic is treated so it doesnt break down in the sun like totes often do. You dont want the leaves to dry out so the fungus that breaks the leaves down has a good environment to keep it alive. I made my first bins from wire fence pieces I had and they were 3 feet wide, and they kept drying out. I had to water it a lot. So far love the leaf mold as a soil amendment. It helps that I live in a tree lined town, great free resource. Last year I didnt buy any bagged compost leaving money to spend on other things.
@sbffsbrarbrr2 жыл бұрын
I started making leaf mold in Fall of 2020 but didn't have your patience so used it mostly as mulch in spring of 2021 and this year. The leaves only slightly decompose after 7-8 months. I was lucky to find 2 very large pallet shipping boxes for free on Facebook Market Place. I have one box left with leaves from last year and will now force myself to leave until next spring! I want to see my leaves look like your black gold. Beautiful!
@emdorris33192 жыл бұрын
I collect as many bags as possible every Fall now. It’s such a good free resource.
@brianseybert21892 жыл бұрын
Ended up with almost 50 gallons of leaf mold last fall. I used it as a seed starter, incorporated into my potting soil and used a lot in my grow bags. When I replanted some grass where the sweet potato vines killed the grass, I used leaf mold as a mulch over the grass seed, I have never had grass grow so quickly and as full. Double shredding the leaves really speeds up the process, the leaf mold I started last fall is nearly completely broken down (I did insulate the pile with bagged leaves on the sides and top over winter, this spring I found it only froze down about 8") Another huge benefit is under the microscope, it is loaded with nematodes and beneficial fungi plus in my area loaded with earthworms, native and escapees from my worm bins. I am hooked on leaf mold
@GardenerScott2 жыл бұрын
Those are great uses for it.
@MrNoucfeanor2 жыл бұрын
I add coffee grounds to mine as well as a handful of worms from the worm bin, speeds things up considerably!
@maggiescalf53122 жыл бұрын
going to try this! if i can get a coffee shop to give me their spent grounds! our local starbucks is the only one that will separate it from the trash and people are beating me to it!
@MrNoucfeanor2 жыл бұрын
@Maggie Scalf Great stuff, gl scoring some grounds! Can get a ton from coffee shops O_O if you have any QT gas stations, might ask someone there. They are typically chill and will allow you to harvest some grounds. Grow long friend!
@shineyrocks3902 жыл бұрын
OUTSTANDING ♥️👍 I've got extra chicken wire in the loft of the barn. I know exactly what I'm making tomorrow. Pure genius Scott
@elmerkilred1592 жыл бұрын
Leaf mold is what I have been using to replace peat moss. I use an electric Worx leaf vac/mulcher that reduces the leaves into 1/4" to 1/2" size flakes, and my turnover time is reduced to about a year. Sometimes, I toss in Starbucks spent coffee grounds on the larger piles. Last year while turning my oak leaves, I uncovered a basketball sized air pocket that had what looked like big Portabella sized mushrooms in it. It was as brown as the oak leaves.
@maggiescalf53122 жыл бұрын
I love that you can use this to replace peat moss! This is one of my goals! I have been visiting coffee shops and I have 1 starbucks that is pretty good about giving away spent grounds but last week someone beat me to it!! I imagine coffee ground/leaf/kitchen scrap compost could be ready quite a bit sooner so I was hoping to score as many grounds as possible.
@mmsdcb90812 жыл бұрын
I am starting one this fall. We have neighbors with big poplar trees and every year I would take all those leaves that fall into our yard and bag it and throw some and put some into the in ground soil for the garden. I never would have thought to do this. It’s like the forest as the leaves lay untouched . We end up with about 6 or more big black bags full of leaves every year. I wish I would have started this years ago! I am so excited to start this process. What a beautiful way to use what has been given to us!
@Tregan042 жыл бұрын
Awesome advice! I use leaves in my compost mixed with grass clippings. I let them sit for a year with a few turnings. Then just use as a mulch on top of my vegetable garden… I haven’t needed fertilizer in years.
@harrellt14052 жыл бұрын
I had a bunch of woodchips as mulch in front of my house, after a few years of breaking down, some plant i put in it went crazy. So im sold. Ill try this one so its faster
@anastasiaserwaczek204 Жыл бұрын
Thank you Gardener Scott for sharing your knowledge & good will!
@eas-eautocom48712 жыл бұрын
I'm currently digging trenches through some tough clay soil in Upstate NY on 2nd year gardening. This summer baked it very hard and plants struggled. We'll see how 1 of every 3 ft works mixing a layer of leaves, some wood chipped mulch topped with dark composted soil free from Rochester give back site. That should help feed the soil and loosen it up. The leaf mold will be hastened with all the worms a sort of in ground composting. See how it goes and thanks for the advice to make more above ground in fencing.
@FrozEnbyWolf1502 жыл бұрын
For another way to greatly speed up the rate of decomposition, consider growing mushrooms in the leaves. Last year I noticed some large pinkish-brown mushrooms fruiting from the leaves I was composting. It turned out these were wood blewits, or Clitocybe nuda, which are known to grow on oak leaves, and are also a choice edible. You can actually order spawning kits for these, and other useful garden mushrooms like wine caps, which prefer to grow in wood chips. This will both release more nutrients for your plants, and leave you with some home grown gourmet mushrooms in the fall.
@GardenerScott2 жыл бұрын
That sounds like a good idea. The fungi break down the leaves and getting a harvest of mushrooms is a bonus.
@matthawkins45792 жыл бұрын
Ok...I am doing leaf mold. I have 7 Maple trees on my property that are 60 to 100 feet tall. Every autumn I have leaves an inch deep over my quarter acre. Got a cage built...half full already.
@amandachamberlain31692 жыл бұрын
Just out enjoying the garden today and listening to to videos like this one and thinking about how much of a luxury it is to be able to do what I'm doing right now. Its a beautiful day and I'm thinking about how I can improve my system while I go about tending the garden. Its a good day! Thank you as always for your calm and informative videos, I look forward to them.
@Randy_Smith2 жыл бұрын
I ordered a Geobin compost bin shortly after I saw this video and this fall I filled it to the brim with leaves that had been run over and chopped up with my mower. The Geobin holds approx 220 gallons of material and to try to speed up the process I decided to experiment. I added a light covering of fresh grass clippings to each eight or so inches of leaves and watered frequently. I was shocked to see that a couple of days after filling the Geobin the center of the pile got up to 140 degrees. I'm in Indiana and to try to keep the pile from freezing I've been adding coffee grounds and other "greens" to the center of the pile and even when the out side temp was in the mid teens the core of the pile hasn't dropped below 110. I've kept the pile watered and have the top covered with a few layers of cardboard and a tarp to try to hold in the moisture and hopefully the heat as well. I'm hoping to use the finished product as a replacement for the peat moss I've been using in my self watering container mix. Many thanks for inspiring me to try this out!
@sharonhochberg3671 Жыл бұрын
It sounds like you are making compost with the greens and high heat. Leaf mold is made at cooler temperatures and is a fungal decomposition. Are leaf mold and leaf compost interchangeable?? Hmmm, I don't know.
@LeverActionLarry2 жыл бұрын
I saved a bunch of leaves for mulch in the same way and didn't even know I was inadvertently making leaf mold. I will be harvesting this going forward! Thanks as always GS!
@ingekaivola46852 жыл бұрын
I filled a large tote with dry leaves that I raked up last fall and I add several large handfuls to my compost bin when I add coffee grounds or kitchen scraps.
@franksinatra10702 жыл бұрын
Awesome stuff gardener Scott! I'm fortunate enough to have many trees and each fall I stock pile a lot of leaves. The next summer I use many for mulch or mixing with greens in my compost piles but at the end of the summer there is rich dark leaf mold at the bottom of the pile. Although it's probably not decomposed completely, it's great for amending my beds in the fall. Composting used to be just a chore for me but I've learned to enjoy it as a fun part of gardening.
@stephencatanzaro3102 жыл бұрын
I use a chipper shredder - just keep it a pile looks like what you put in the barrel after six months.
@michellecasteleiro16102 жыл бұрын
Great video Gardener Scott, I have about one hundred oak trees in my yard, I use the leaves for many things.
@richprich6 ай бұрын
We have gotten 25 truck loads of mulch from the tree service but the leaves break down nicely. I like using both
@TalkingThreadsMedia2 жыл бұрын
Your leaf mold looks fantastic - rich, BLACK, compost! Nutrients for the plants and no weed seeds! Thanks for the tips on how to proceeds and the length of time involved. Best wishes from Kate in Olympia, WA
@anniecochrane33592 жыл бұрын
Thank you - So easy to do, and sooo beneficial to the garden. Great reminder
@brianseybert21892 жыл бұрын
Wore out many a pair of leather gloves sifting compost over hardware cloth. What I use now is a piece of 3/8" hardware cloth curved about 1/2" over a 2X4 about 10" long. It really saves on expensive leather gloves. Gotta be on the watch for worms.
@trytobetheballpeople2 жыл бұрын
Cool video. I fastened my hardware cloth to 2x4's screwed together in a square setting on edge. Keeps the material confined inside the frame.
@stevefromthegarden11352 жыл бұрын
I have a 2 year old pile going now. Great stuff.
@z4zuse Жыл бұрын
I put the leaves in a separate bay in the autumn, and after a year mix it in with the compost of that year. This way the leaves get about 18 months to decompose, first on their own, followed by 6 months combined with regular compost.
@bennaylor19882 жыл бұрын
Fantastic video Scott. Up here in Canada, zone 5b / 6a (depending on the year), I've got a big pile of leaves from last year. So was super useful to see how to harvest and the time to harvest. Thank you.
@cammycary45442 жыл бұрын
Making this for sure! We have lots of leaves 🍁 every year! Thanks!
@ZeroCarbDaddy Жыл бұрын
Leaves are free and one of the best amendments that you can make. By far the best bang for your efforts. Keep it simple. I use them as mulch for paths between plants during the spring, then at the end of the year, it gets worked into the soil for the next year. works for us I am not hauling bags of mulch from the ag co.
@Yankeesista2032 жыл бұрын
Patience is the key! I'm blessed to now be at a continuous flow of leaf mold! Best stuff ever! Thank you for affirming that my process and garden usage is on the money! Be well Gardener Scott!
@josefjorge11 ай бұрын
For me Patience came with age. Now I am not into banana and tapioca and rejuvenating spices. Just tending nutmeg, betel nut, cashew, coconut drumsticks and ancient fruit trees. I have so many piles of leaves molding lazily by itself. I do spray while irrigating. The ones that do require work in perforated sacks (lazy there too as forget to water every other week and never top up) are tamarind and drumstick leaves. Coffee grounds help here more to inoculate the accidental charcoal. I cheat with a handful of ash too twice, to rid it off those stinging ants. Not pure leaf mold but powdery in three months without need to strain. Give it to neighbors after the saplings in them have rooted.
@carladelagnomes2 жыл бұрын
I use leaf mould out here in my high-desert garden. The water retention is a big plus here!
@fredrickvoncold11 ай бұрын
I just mix the chicken manure in with it and its ready in the spring .I use leaves for catching the manure and its pretty rich . I think alot of people are doing that , have to thank yutube for that .I want to try vermi compost next , when I find time to do it .
@PrettyAliceNight2 жыл бұрын
I would love to be able to make lead mold. Unfortunately where I live we don’t have regular trees with leaves bet would work. It’s all cedar or live oak with the thick waxy leaves that don’t break down well.
@TheSamba372 жыл бұрын
Oak leaves make great leaf mold, they just take a little more prep to get anything in a timely matter. Running them through a leaf shredder or mowing and bagging them a few times will break the leaf cuticle enough to kick start the decomp.
@TonyMcCartney7 күн бұрын
Thanks for the great video! I use my Ego lawn mower to mulch the leaves once without the bag, then run the leaves again through the mower a 2nd time, this time with a bag attached. Then put the chopped up leaves in a 36” x 36” High Presto Products Geobin Compost Bin. You can get one for 35.00 at time of posting. It can expand 24” to 44”, but I prefer 36”. I believe the leaves will decompose quicker. I also added blood meal to speed things us as I can’t wait two years this time. I need some leaf mold next season. I have two other batches going, so they can take two years. I will then do one batch each year so I have one batch aged two years each season going forward. First time trying this out. I will use the leaf mild primarily for vegetable garden mulch. Fingers crossed!
@candypettus47132 жыл бұрын
Thank you from New Zealand
@wesh3882 жыл бұрын
Great video! Your videos on leaf mold are some of the most comprehensive ones that I've found on the topic. I appreciate the loads of info 👍
@tammyohlsson79662 жыл бұрын
I was so excited about this one. Just finished building my two Forever beds. Used leaf mulch on the bottom. Compost on top, then potting soil. My first go round with leaf mulch. Love it. Can’t wait until the round ones are back in stock. Hopefully July? Thank you for your wisdom. Blessings!
@timdavis60882 жыл бұрын
I never realized that "black gold" I was harvesting from the property was called Leaf Mold. I have free range chickens that roost in several trees. I rake the top leaves off the surface and harvest the rich black gold underneath.
@janicejurgensen21222 жыл бұрын
Great idea and tutorial. I love your simple uncomplicated and inexpensive style to gardening! Ty I will be starting my pile this autumn.
@heron646225 күн бұрын
I used to sieve my year-and-a-half-old leaf mold before putting it on the soil as mulch, but these days I just use it as is. Any twigs in it break down very quickly, and stones can be easily spotted and picked out after the mulch settles.
@anneperlmutter37752 жыл бұрын
Our Boulder, CO., soil has little organic material; as an experiment I collected bags of leaves (maple, mostly) around the neighborhood & scattered the leaves, as is, everywhere in the plantings - an inch or so as available. This spring the leaves hadn't fully broken down, but the plants were way better than previously. I left the leaves in place this spring and plan to add leaves again this fall!
@richprich6 ай бұрын
I rake leaves out of the 80 acres of land behind our house for the garden and the driveway base to hold in the rain. We have sandy soil here in South Carolina
@Randy_Smith2 жыл бұрын
I read somewhere that leaf mold is a great additive for comfrey/weed tea fertilizer as well. It adds some additional biology to the mixture and assists with breaking down things more quickly. I've added a handfull to the batches I have fermenting now. Not sure how much it helps but I'm sure that it can't hurt.
@josefjorge11 ай бұрын
When I had buffaloes I used to ferment dry and pruned leaves too in the dung pit. Now I have only goats (due to age) and still that pit is used without goat dung. The water logging was due to six months of monsoon. Just before the next monsoon, I have compost. Fermenting is not so bad, as such.
@jamestyrer6067 Жыл бұрын
THANKS FOR THIS INFORMATION
@kimmyseegmiller985 Жыл бұрын
Nature does this on its own! I go out and harvest some from time to time. I have made it like you have also.
@riverdalegardens5442 жыл бұрын
Great video. We use leaves a lot in our garden and always have leaf mold on hand
@alicias99282 жыл бұрын
Thanks for this video! Next summer I'm ripping out my lawn, I wondered what I would do with all my leaves since composting would be a no-go.
@nates25262 жыл бұрын
Did you shred the leaves first?
@GardenerScott2 жыл бұрын
I shredded most of them, but not all in the second and third additions.
@johnbutler3072 жыл бұрын
Thanks very much for the video.
@JimJWalker9 ай бұрын
I got a $15 metal ring on amazon that fits over a 5 gallon bucket that I use for my compost. I swear it was the best $15 I have ever spent.
@Gkrissy2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for showing this follow up video of the lead mold. I used a lot of lead mold for my tomato and purple onion bed because I didn’t have enough compost. Yup yearly piles is a game changer, thanks for the tip Gardener Scott.
@CapriciousConch1 Жыл бұрын
A really amazing video - one more thing I never imagined I'd be excited to know! 🎉
@cbak1819 Жыл бұрын
Thanks Master Gardener Scott😊
@bcrouch26262 жыл бұрын
Mix of leaf and grass clippings
@sbffsbrarbrr2 жыл бұрын
I think that would be considered compost rather than leaf mold but it's a great way to get quick compost. Tried mixing only leaves and grass for the first time this year and it worked really well. I do lazy composting and finally getting a hot pile (since the leaves and grass are so easy to turn) was pretty exciting 😄.
@teresaholland47902 жыл бұрын
I’ve been doing that for about eight years now with 25 Oak in Naples in my yard I get the biggest nicest fattest worms and the richest most wonderful soil no bag stuff for this girl I’m doing dual work where can leaves and making dirt my husband calls me the queen of making do lol great video
@tranthiduyen6152 жыл бұрын
Xin chào bạn Scott, chúc bạn cuối tuần vui vẻ và nhiều sức khỏe
@GardenerScott2 жыл бұрын
Cảm ơn bạn. Tôi hy vọng cuối tuần của bạn là tốt.
@tranthiduyen6152 жыл бұрын
@@GardenerScott yes
@heidiclark66122 жыл бұрын
Great video! Do you ever have ground nesting bees take up residence in your leaf pile? I have heard that could happen. I love leaf mold.
@GardenerScott2 жыл бұрын
Thanks. I haven't had bees but I have had a few wasps attempt it.
@speaklifegardenhomesteadpe87832 жыл бұрын
Love it! I have a bunch of leaves to process this week, I'll be using some to make fertilizer and I will make a video. I have about four in my que but I'm having some issues so it might take a few days but they'll be up soon! Not giving up! God bless 💯🌿🌼🙏😀👍🌼🌿🌱🌻🌷🌾🌿🌱🐝💮🥀
@3bouldersurban6532 жыл бұрын
What about the leaching of nutrients when the leaf mold making is sitting under the rain ?
@GardenerScott2 жыл бұрын
There is some leaching. I like to move compost bins and leaf mold bins around the garden because that leaching benefits the soil underneath.
@PacMan2572 жыл бұрын
Can you continue to add to the pile as is reduces until it stops shrinking to wind up with that much more or would that stretch the time it takes to be usable to years? I also wonder what the comparison is between this method and building a Johnson-Su Bioreactor? Do you chop up the leaves 1st?
@GardenerScott2 жыл бұрын
You can add continually, but expect the bottom to decompose earlier than the top. The key difference in a Jognson-Su bioreactor is the use of tubes to introduce oxygen to the process.
@ravish052 жыл бұрын
Thank you Gardener Scott. I know some people break the leaves down using a mower. I only have a string mower. Is there a way to break the leaves down using a string mower before starting the composting process?
@GardenerScott2 жыл бұрын
You can try putting the leaves in a trash can, tip it on its side, and slowly move the string trimmer into it.
@laurabehenna79502 жыл бұрын
You could put the leaves in a large bin (such as a medium or tall trash can) and lower the string trimmer into it, like a hand-held blender.
@ravish052 жыл бұрын
@@GardenerScott thank you Gardener Scott for the quick reply
@ravish052 жыл бұрын
@@laurabehenna7950 thank you Laura
@debbiebaker82432 жыл бұрын
Thank you for the information.
@frankthegeneralist47522 жыл бұрын
Are you able to accelerate that decomposition process by turning it like regular compost? Is there added benefit to just letting it naturally decompose?
@GardenerScott2 жыл бұрын
Turning may accelerate it slightly if it's compacted, but that can disturb the fungal growth. Shredding the leaves is one option for accelerating the decomposition..
@FarleyMan15110 ай бұрын
I live in Fl. Leaves breakdown in less than a year here.
@welschicaWA2 жыл бұрын
Can you use the cat litter that breaks down into saw dust with poop removed?
@GardenerScott2 жыл бұрын
If it is wood-based it should work.
@donnawilkinson55362 жыл бұрын
@@GardenerScott thanks
@davidsouthworth74342 жыл бұрын
Garner Scott, love learning from your videos. I'm new at this gardening procedure so I have a question. I have an in ground garden. I planted tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, green bell peppers, couple of spice plants, swiss chard. Question, now that they have finished producing, should I just till everything with the tiller for next year. Or what do I do? Appreciate your advice.
@GardenerScott2 жыл бұрын
Adding organic matter in fall is a good idea. You can till them in or use them to make compost and till the compost in later.
@davidsouthworth74342 жыл бұрын
@@GardenerScott Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate it. Happy Gardening.
@drewsenthused60792 жыл бұрын
I'm blown away by the fact you don't have a screening frame...
@GardenerScott2 жыл бұрын
I have one that fits on my wheelbarrow, but just wanted to show how easy it is without constructing something extra.
@wendy_dangelo7 ай бұрын
Thank you so much for this video! Couple questions, I have been making these enclosures for my leaves for years but don't find this much breakdown. I wet the piles initially but I don't repeat too too much. Am I stacking my leaves too high and/or not wetting enough? Am realizing they are someone sheltered so the rain doesn't get them too much. I hate to disassemble my cages because of the mess on top (the most recent fall oak leaves), but I know the lower levels are 3-years old. I think I just need to accept the mess that this will be and get it done. 😅
@GardenerScott7 ай бұрын
Moist conditions are necessary so it's probably not enough water.
@Garricher59582 жыл бұрын
Did you cover the pile with a tarp, add a source of nitrogen, or starter leaf mold and did you turn the file any during the 1 1/2 years? Thank You.
@GardenerScott2 жыл бұрын
I didn't do anything other than keep the pile moist.
@siisjwj7647 Жыл бұрын
Truly a gardener’s gold, I thank mother nature for such gift by planting wild flowers. 🪴🌹🌸💐🌷🌻🌺🌼
@kimfroman20232 жыл бұрын
I have a bin twice that size. Sat for 2 years and I started using it this year. But underneath is just masses of fine roots. Very difficult to harvest the bottom layer. Maybe I shouldn't have built it in the woods. I had no black gold.
@seattledanr53632 жыл бұрын
What is the nitrogen content? You alluded to nitrogen/carbon balance needed in compost. But is leaf mold nitrogen deficient, being all carbon input? My garden is very nitrogen deficient right now I think because I used a ton of leaves and wood chips as mulch and some of that got mixed into the soil during planting.
@gwendyrose89052 жыл бұрын
Chop and drop is your friend! Grass clippings put on your garden right after mowing, weeds pulled from the garden (you can cut roots if you want to make sure they don't accidentally regrow) and leaf and/or plant matter that you prune off of the plants you are growing. All of these will help add more nitrogen back into your soil. Good luck. :)
@GardenerScott2 жыл бұрын
The nitrogen levels are low. It is not a good source of nitrogen, but benefits the soil as an organic amendment and soil conditioner.
@raczyk Жыл бұрын
For collecting leaves is jt safe to collect next to farms or from peoples laws (which are collected in bags already)? How would i know if the leaves did not absorb any herbicides off the farm sprraying or lawn care?
@GardenerScott Жыл бұрын
I like to ask the homeowner first before I take their bags to find out about whether herbicides or pesticides were used nearby. Herbicides are rarely an issue on tree leaves, but it is possible they can hold residue.
@raczyk Жыл бұрын
@@GardenerScott I'd imiagine hermicide can be ued on lawns, would falled leaves then possibly absorb the remaining herbicide in the lawn? What about farmers spraying nearby farms? Any chance of those making it into the leaves?
@kalinystazvoruna8702 Жыл бұрын
Wouldn't the rain wash away a lot of potential nutrients into the ground? Would putting these in some type of garbage/55-gallon barrel be better so one could syphon off the "juice" and use it?
@GardenerScott Жыл бұрын
Not all nutrients leach out but some will. I like to use this method to help improve the soil underneath for a future bed in that spot. A barrel can help retain them.
@kalinystazvoruna8702 Жыл бұрын
@@GardenerScott Thanks!
@FrancisRoyCA2 жыл бұрын
If you leave it anywhere near a tree, the trees will root into it, making it impossible to tear apart.
@kimpozo35142 жыл бұрын
I was having dill pickles contest with my sister and planted 5 packs which is about 70 cucumber plants of Straight 8' s up a triangle trellis like tee pee and have 6 foot cucumber tree in July. I'm having trouble cause it turned into Jungle. Literally. It's 4 feet wide and 6 feet tall and keeps growing. So far I only have 3 female flowers,1 baby cucumber,and 1000 male flowers and I killed 8 yellow jacket nests that were killing my honey bees. I hope I get good crap but my dad which has farmed 80 plus years said he'll be surprised if I do.
@susananderson96192 жыл бұрын
My worst nightmare, I'm allergic to that leaf mold spores
@susananderson96192 жыл бұрын
I was curious if there's anything venefitial ,for others, in leaf mold , chill the fuck out I was criticizing anyone
@raczyk Жыл бұрын
Is sade to use human urine on the leaf mold to speed up the process? The leaf mold would be used in a garden for veggies.
@GardenerScott Жыл бұрын
Yes, it has nitrogen and moisture.
@TheSickNeeds2 жыл бұрын
Could have used urine but didn't? Sounds like a missed opportunity there!
@GardenerScott2 жыл бұрын
That is an option to add nitrogen and hasten the process, but I wanted to see how long it takes with nothing added.
@lavrynthos4 ай бұрын
Actually, you do NOT want to add nitrogen. You do NOT want the leaves to decompose bacterially but, rather, through a fungal process. You want your leaf mold to be fungal-dominated. Otherwise, you would just add the leaves to your compost pile.
@BillLowenburg2 жыл бұрын
I think it’s unnecessary to screen and make a big deal out of what is basically a natural and easy process. Throw the leaves on your garden or on a pile and they’ll break down just fine. This is making a lot of extra work and over complicating an easy way to improve soil.
@kaylakitty3814 Жыл бұрын
The screening was done in this video because he specifically plans to use the finer material in seed starting and potting mix. He clearly said it was not necessary to screen it if using it as a soil amendment.
@vicmurai1033 Жыл бұрын
It appears almost good enough to eat - yummers
@felixyusupov7299Ай бұрын
I run my leaves through my DR Power chipper top hopper. It breaks them down into extremely fine material. You have to wear a dusk mask because the material will get airborne while you shread it. I have a bag attachment that catches everything but the dust. I dump the material in my flower bed and it is gone in one year then I start the cycle over.