Nature Builds Soil This Way🍁 So Should You!

[@NnekaOchonogor]

You look happy 😃

[@gedhuffadine1873]

I wish I was

[@GrowVeg]

Start gardening Ged - it's good for the body and soul!

[@marklindsey2127]

Things really do go better when you work with nature instead of against it.

[@dymondwillow2]

i go curb hopping to collect bags of leaves left at the curb for garbage day. love it. free is a great price.

[@dn744]

Saves the council 👏

[@justsayin5609]

No way to know what's in the paper bags we must use however... For example, I have black walnut leaves that all get put in the bags.

[@VanderlyndenJengold]

I know a guy who gets hundreds of bags of leaves delivered, so no hard work for him. Less for me as he lets me have loads. Unfortunately, I put them in a place that had honey fungus so I had to get rid of a beautiful layer of crumbly leafmould. Later deliveries were piled up elsewhere yet Mister Rat moved in. I must have used over 2 tons of leaves in the last couple of years. Maybe more. Love 'em!

[@GrowVeg]

Free certainly is a great price, right!

[@spicylipssupportid9990]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3bKiqWwptdkbrM

[@elcarpe9186]

in fall I run my leaves through the shredder twice (nice and tiny bits) and dump on the soil, add the summer's worth of ash from my fire pit, spread around some peat moss... run the tiller and let it all sit over the winter - makes for super rich black dirt in spring-time.

[@DCA55]

After 25 years of hauling all my leaves to the woods behind me, last fall I made two compost holders (two 4 foot wide and high rings of wire fencing) and packed/stomped as many leaves as possible into both. Nothing much happened until about mid June when I finally saw the piles shrinking and by mid August all that was left was about a foot of black compost, all without touching it. No doubt packing them and not turning them over made it take longer, but for folks like me that have enough to do in their garden, rest assured, nature will eventually take its course.

[@GrowVeg]

Nature gets there in the end for sure.

[@bubo1149]

Put in some biochar and it will speed up the process so it will decompose in half a time!

[@nunyabiznes33]

Throw in some earthworms?

[@DCA55]

@@nunyabiznes33 No need as they are already abundant in my soil

[@SAFETYfull]

Do you need to add moisture too?

[@Tehstool]

6:07 I like how the dog ran away. He/She knew what was in store and didn't want anything to do with the lawnmower.

[@dberch643]

You've encouraged me to go to the park to rake up the abundance of leaves I see every time I go for a walk! I've hesitated to do it because I didn't want folks to think I was strange, but you've shown me I'm not the only one! HA!

[@christineclarke1653]

I plan on doing this later this month 😊

[@yasminah6823]

Ben, you are a great teacher. I'm a beginner and your channel is just the best. I'm glad I found you.

[@GrowVeg]

That's wonderful to hear Yasmina. A very warm welcome to you. :-)

[@JFrenchRennier]

I am a known & admitted leaf thief. My habit is to drive around the neighborhood stopping & tossing already raked bags of leaves into the back of my truck. I then spread them out in the backyard & mow over them using a grass catcher with my mulching mower. Afterwards I top up my large mulch pile, spread others 3" thick on top of all my garden raised beds & the rest rebag stacking them in the sun. End result is my harvest is triple the expected amount of my planted square feet. Best is nobody has ever complained because I hauled off their bagged leaves. They are happy I take them. Plus I always reuse the garbage bags & never have to purchase any myself since a bag of mulch cut leaves usually is filled by 4 bags of raked leaves. Will likely pick up 100 or more starting soon as Fall is just now beginning in Louisiana.

[@dn744]

You save your council money 💰

[@HeyYouSA]

Glad to hear I am not the only one.

[@ritawest2535]

Isn't it wonderful to bring such joy to so many people, lol? As for those leaf bags, I agree... Waste not, want not! 😁

[@JFrenchRennier]

@@ritawest2535 I'm also known for leaving plastic shopping bags of fresh picked veggies on the doorknobs of neighbors. I have incredible harvests of especially bell & banana peppers.

[@rnupnorthbrrrsm6123]

You are a man after my own heart !!! People think I’m nuts and some even make fun of me 😏 I’m going to find a husband one day like you 🥰 Blessings…….I’m canning today but I’ll be leaf theifing later this week 😉😉

[@LW1Tok]

Feels like I'm watching a TV show. Especially coz of the way you speak. Sounds exactly like the show hosts and narrators I hear in TV shows. 💕

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks Lyman. :-)

[@beverlymichael5830]

Fir years I have added lots of leaves to my chicken run. A good four feet high. The chickens love them and it keeps the run from being muddy. I do this every fall. Then the next fall before I add them I dig up the soil. Over the year it has become rich black soil. Composted from the leaves , poop and food scraps that did not get eaten. I then pile that soil up on my garden beds a d then in the spring I amend my garden soil and fill the grow bags and mix into the raised beds. Never need to buy soil again. I can dig up a foot of soil from the run and get hundreds of pounds of soil each year. A complete cycle.

[@GrowVeg]

That sounds like the absolutely ideal addition to any soil Beverly.

[@JOEZEP54]

I even used them in my earth floor chicken coop. Talk about great mulch! Stay well, Joe Z

[@msladyjune3285]

I Fill a planter with 1/3 full then I place soil and flowers. They grow extremely beautiful. When I repot houseplants I do the same thing.

[@GrowVeg]

Great idea and a good way to economise on filling pots.

[@utubeape]

You are so right. I recently cleaned out a car park trench drain that gets clogged with leaves, it had not been cleaned out for 2 years and was packed with rich black soil and masses of big fat worms.

[@bobbilynnmiller742]

This is such a positive, happy and practical video !! Thank you for giving us a new perspective on leaf raking! Keep up the good work!

[@GrowVeg]

And thank you for watching. :-)

[@spicylipssupportid9990]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3bKiqWwptdkbrM

[@mayaikejim]

I understand this man's passion. I've got three acres and have been battling grass in a monumentally epic and failing struggle. Ran across an old buddy in town and was complaining about the grass & how it was destroying my permaculture dreams. He chuckled and said "you ever heard of public works?" Sure, I said, puzzled. "Well, I run it." Now trucks are showing up and dumping 10 x 10 stacks of compressed leaves around 6 feet tall each. I crawled up on one yesterday and just lay there, eyes moist. Leaves are such a beautiful thing.

[@GrowVeg]

That's amazing - what a superb resource you have. They are indeed beauties!

[@chargermopar]

The mower method is what I have used here for over 30 years. Great way to get them composted fast!

[@mark1952able]

Yep! If you add green grass cliipings you're adding nitrogen to the soil The juice is worth the squeeze!

[@christopherj5780]

I always said there is nothing free in this world. Bringing the world together with one thing we all have in common.... fall leaves. Very cool.

[@radharcanna]

Ben, your enthusiasm and positive attitude are wonderful. Another great video.

[@GrowVeg]

Ah thanks, very kind of you to say. 😀

[@search4beautyhawaii]

I too rake up leaves from yards not mine, and the city park.i think it was from this that I introduced the Asian Jumping worm into my garden, not a good worm to have!! So, lesson for me is, use my own leaves only!

[@RCPrepping]

Here in central Florida, I drive throughout the neighborhood every week in February and March to collect bags of leaves people put out for collection. Some years I find as many as 100 bags of leaves!

[@mamazeeto623]

I love your enthusiasm and sense of humour and appreciate all your advice ! Thank you 🙏🏼

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks, really appreciate that. :-)

[@donnag7095]

That's a great idea of bagging up leaves. I leave some of the leaves around the edges of my yard, so that ground bee can use them for over wintering. Thanks for another helpful video.

[@GrowVeg]

That's a really great way to help the bees Donna, good on you.

[@boysrus61]

Nov 2020 I took most of the leaves from about 10 trees, mulched them and put them in a 4x10 or so pallet box. They sat there all year and this Sept I took all the mostly decomposed leaves and added them to my garden boxes which were new and had settled quite a bit after their first season of use. The thing I learned and changed for this current leaf year is 1) after mulching, water between every 12 inch layer or so; 2) add 4 pvc pipes with holes drilled into them and place vertically in the bin so in 2022 summer I can water into the tubes and help the decomposing process faster; 3) I don't think it is possible to have too many leaves in my bin. I probably have about 18 inches more this year than last year and I will probably use all of it next fall to fill my raised beds again. Ideally I would take the one year decomposed leaves and add to a smaller bin and let sit another year.

[@GrowVeg]

Hi Colleen. That's really helpful insight, thank you. Sounds like you really are making the most of this seasonal bounty!

[@TwoMarshmallows1]

I was so happy that you said it was fine to simply spread the leaves on top of the soil. I've been doing this for the past few years because it was the easiest and quickest method. What a relief to get confirmation that this will work just fine. This year, I put all my energy into sweeping up leaves in our street and piling them up on the soil. There was a very thick layer when I was done. The hedgehogs loved it in late autumn, and the blackbirds have been enjoying all the insects throughout winter. Thank you for another fantastic video!

[@GrowVeg]

I bet it's a feast of worms for the hedgehogs and blackbirds - top work!

[@pegg1258]

Hedgehogs!!!

[@TwoMarshmallows1]

@@pegg1258 I wish you had them too, they're so adorable! What kind of wildlife do you have in your area? I'm currently working on a video about the hedgehogs in my garden, hope to have it up in a couple of weeks.

[@mark1952able]

Thanks for sharing such important information. You're an activist for good soil. Good for you! Save Soil!

[@GrowVeg]

Absolutely - soil is our most precious asset.

[@debbiehenri345]

I weigh down my leafy mulches with a single layer of long green fern fronds. They last quite a long time, look natural, stop birds from kicking leaves about and making a mess every 5 minutes, and they help contribute to soil improvement.

[@GrowVeg]

Love this idea!

[@emylytle7149]

Love this video Ben! I collected my neighbors leaves as well and I’m not embarrassed cuz I am not ashamed raising my own food and their surprise when give them some of my vegetables I harvested 😊 thanks Ben, now I will punch some holes on the bags I stored my leaves 😬 👩‍🌾 👍♥️

[@GrowVeg]

That’s superb to hear Emy!

[@helenamartin977]

Love your video. Thank you for showing me that I don't necessarily have to mulch the leaves before using them to cover the vegetable gardens.

[@lucybarnard3954]

I found 5 bin bags of leaves and small twigs left by the road, they were there for ages so I brought them all to my allotment and they’re now in my compost heap. Definitely worth taking a leaf out of your book x

[@GrowVeg]

That's great stuff - what a superb find!

[@bluestar.8938]

Thank you lovely Mr Ben : )

[@Dr_Manhattan_Phd]

I wish I loved anything as much as this man loves his leaves.

[@GrowVeg]

Gotta love yer leaves!

[@chrisb6791]

Remember "Seemyplaylistofgunviolenceupdateddaily".....Guns don't kill people, PEOPLE kill people. Blaming guns is like setting a fire then blaming the match.

[@wandalong871]

I’ll never look at leaves the same way again! So informative and helpful! Thank you!

[@ievasta575]

Your dog is a super bonus to these videos☺️🌳💚

[@GrowVeg]

She's quite a character. :-)

[@michaelholland5242]

I keep mine in a 1 ton bag for two years and it comes out like chocolate gold and if you want you can add to it each year .I don’t see anybody else doing it

[@GrowVeg]

Great method Michael.

[@cherylbooth6812]

Did you have to put holes in your bag ?? I have a ton bag, I am doing it for the first time

[@JulesGardening]

Excellent tips. Free is the best price and certainly the natural way to build soil. Collecting and dispersing now myself. Both mulch and composting. And heck yeah leaf mold is where it’s at. Oh good idea on water to wet the mulch. We keep our garden hose handy. Good share mate. 👍

[@GrowVeg]

Cheers for watching Jules!

[@michaelboom7704]

I collect bags of leaves meant for garbage pickup,layer the leaves over my garden beds for the winter, also use the leaves for making hot compost during the summer months.I also have a small worm farm that I feed some of that compost to be further refined.

[@JudiintheKitchen]

I love your attitude, cheerful nature. More people should be happy like you. Thanks for the tips :)

[@GrowVeg]

You are very welcome Judi - thanks for watching.

[@michaelh.2284]

Great video! I've been making leaf mold for close to forty years now. Lots of folks miss out on a wonderful natural soil amendment.

[@davidwood62]

Brilliant video. Really well filmed and directed. Good information. Thank you.

[@GrowVeg]

Cheers for that David, it's appreciated.

[@daisygurl3601]

We bought a backpack leaf mulcher last year. I’ve been using shredded leaves in all of our beds as mulch. It really keeps the weeds down! Mother Nature is so generous! Blessings...daisy

[@GrowVeg]

She's the best Daisy!

[@spicylipssupportid9990]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3bKiqWwptdkbrM

[@benvoliothefirst]

I had no idea such a thing existed! Neat!

[@ArtByKarenEHaley]

I take the fallen maple leaves from my neighbor to do all sorts of stuff, my favorite is to put them in my chicken run. They like it because the leaves lure in the worms, and I like that the leaves keep the smell down. Plus they scratch the leaves into little bits and mix the leaves into their droppings. My chickens do a lot of work for me in the garden! When I edge the yard and there's hunks of sod, I put that in the run too. It gives the chickens some green grass to eat. Or if I want to put in a new garden bed, I'll set up a "play pen" the shape of the bed, poke holes in the area with a digging fork and bring a pair of chickens out there during the day for a week. When they've scoured the grass up I put leaves and compost in there and put my chickens in there to stir it all up. Then I cover it with a clear sheet of plastic to germinate weed seeds and put them back on the bed, and they are way better at picking weed seedlings than I am. My reasoning is that chickens are going to do their scratching anyway, it enriches their lives and it saves my back.

[@PhilipK100]

So if I put a pile of dried leaves in my chicken pen the leaves will rot over the winter, attract bugs and as a result the chickens will have something to peck at?

[@GrowVeg]

How wonderful to have such an efficient army of willing gardening volunteers like that Karen!

[@umiluv]

Thanks for the tips! That's absolutely wonderful to have all of nature helping you with your gardening.

[@chrisb6791]

My neighbor has chickens and I'm constantly digging up worms and searching for bugs to throw over the fence for them! lol

[@nunyabusiness863]

I already knew this but your enthusiasm is contagious! Happy gardening and thanks for posting!

[@GrowVeg]

Cheers for watching, it's appreciated! :-)

[@mansardmanor3869]

I moe the lawn with the leaves where they lay Perfect compost I also add small plant branches that I trimmed Grass feels like carpet sponge like feel on your feet Gotta love it

[@GrowVeg]

Absolutely!

[@katie1515katie]

I invested in a leaf blower/vacuum/mulcher and am thrilled with it. The reduced leaf volume is about 12:1 with the final mulched product. I also made friends with a commercial landscaper who had been working down the street on a large property and he dropped about 7 cubic yards of crispy, partially mulched leaves for me to use.This material became the main component of a new garden bed , and by spring the leaf mold was dark and gorgeous - full of worms. 🍁🍂🍁 Really hoping the word spreads, and property owners will stop divesting themselves of the very thing they need to replenish the soil.

[@GrowVeg]

You've made a great friend there Katie!

[@spicylipssupportid9990]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3bKiqWwptdkbrM

[@racebiketuner]

I'm only getting a 4:1 reduction running them backwards through a blower. Would you please let us know the brand and model of mulcher you're using? Any comments about its reliability would be greatly appreciated as well.

[@sergepanasenko4664]

Katie, how lucky you are! You have a lot of worms! I use 4 compost pits.There were full of worms but not for the last two years. Last year I caught 12 moles. This year I caught 0 as the mole guy is super clever. I could not outwit him. I even saw him hunting the worm. The worm was escaped out of the ground and the mole was following him on the surface. It was like the movie. Good luck!

[@katie1515katie]

@@racebiketuner Mine is the Toro ULTRA Blower/Vacuum/Mulcher and I'm pretty. happy with it. It starts to lose suction when the bag is about 3/4 full, so that's when I empty. I read a lot of online reviews about the stationary leaf mulched/shredders. They run around $300 and seemed to have some problems. They also require that you bring the leaf collection to a particular spot, so you also have to collect manually or use another tool such as a leaf blower. I have a giant Norway Maple and a mature birch clump that will soon drop all their foliage. No problem!

[@alanwann9318]

Moved to a rural area last year and started a border from scratch. Using leaves from a wood across the road .I was rewarded with rich black soil summer.

[@GrowVeg]

The best reward possible Alan! :-)

[@PassportToPimlico]

We have an allotment and asked the council to deliver leaves to us. It works for them because work teams don't need to go back to the depot to unload and they can bring a LOT of leaves onto the site. I stored them overwinter in skip bags and put them in a large bed in the spring. Even now, there have been hardly any weeds there all year.

[@GrowVeg]

What a fantastic win-win situation!

[@maxiemills6982]

I covered all my beds, raised and in ground, with shredded maple leaves this year. I still have at least ten bags left over to use with my compost next year. I whole heartedly agree, leaves are marvelous.

[@crossing3790]

Nicely color coordinated dog, sweater and leaves. 😃

[@GrowVeg]

Haha - you noticed. That'll be the videographer's artistic eye - though the dog and leaves can't help being similar in color!

[@spicylipssupportid9990]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3bKiqWwptdkbrM

[@Giridharan952]

Sir, I saw you full of energy and love of nature and at the same time, make things that can be carried out by everybody in any part of the world....that will be more useful....my small input.

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for watching - it's great to be able to work with nature wherever possible.

[@jimmydean8730]

Love it! I fill my new raised beds with leaves from 5 huge oaks in my yard. Add pulverized egg shells when I have them. Let the chickens dig through them all winter and of course let some poo go in there.🤣. Around February I cover the beds with plastic until all the seeds stop coming out of trees and then in spring start planting. Worms a plenty in every scoop and boy do the plants love it!! Left overs go to one of 3 compost areas and I use that in low spots around the yard. Natures bounty!!

[@GrowVeg]

Nature is full of bounty James, agreed.

[@spicylipssupportid9990]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3bKiqWwptdkbrM

[@jesshothersall]

Happy to see this video, as I collected my copious beech leaves for the first time last autumn. And thanks to the person who posted to use a skp bag to make a big container. We have a spare one of those, so perfect timing :)

[@GrowVeg]

Great that you'll be making use of all those leaves Jessica. :-)

[@smile30981]

Thank you for inspiring me in getting my lazy butt off the couch and getting outside to party with nature! Only you could make raking leaves seem fun :D Last year, I had 20 bags of leaves and no compost process in place - this year it is different so time for me to get to work. Thanks for the great video, ideas and motivation!

[@GrowVeg]

Great to hear you've been inspired. Raking leaves can be a joy when you realise how useful they are.

[@michaelheather8469]

Me too tried it last year but didnt go so well next time i be ready 👍

[@mark1952able]

GOOD FOR YOU!

[@p.stratrovare5912]

How clever and lovable can you get!

[@Pixieworksstudio]

Your videos always make me feel happy and positive. Thank you.

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks Jayne, appreciate that.

[@spicylipssupportid9990]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3bKiqWwptdkbrM

[@GreenpetesWorld]

Great video, thankyou. We collect several large bags of leaves every year, and they produce really good soil conditioner. This is the first video we have seen on how the process works, and how to do it.

[@cordtify]

Do you really just leave the leaves in the plastic bags? No animals, insects, worms to get in? And it turns to soil? Does this work?

[@GreenpetesWorld]

@@cordtify It works 👍 Apologies for not seeing your reply earlier. We use one tonne Bulk Bags, filled with leaves. They are left covered for over a year or two, while fungi gradually breaks them down into leafmould. Insects and larvae will get in. Keep out the rain and If the bags have no ventilation just puncture them a few times.

[@davidniemi6553]

I live in a forest in northern Virginia (where leaves are beyond plentiful), and have been composting leaves for many years. It pays to take the long view! I have a bagging electric push mower, which simultaneously sucks up and shreds leaves and lets me get them from a large area quickly, while providing pretty good exercise; I then put them in one of my 3 mulch bins along with vegetable waste, egg shells, and other decomposable amendments. Accomplishing several goals at once

[@GrowVeg]

Loving the efficiency of your system David - nice work!

[@debbiefockler9890]

My husband in the past would gather them and dump them in the compost piles in the woods around the yard. Thank would place the finished compost in my garden beds. This year I plan on placing the leaves on my spent garden beds so they will break down with the help of earthworms. Thank you for this video.

[@GrowVeg]

I think helping to feed the earthworms is a great idea Debbie.

[@carrot72]

I loved this video! I have been using a mesh cage (old chicken run) for several years and it's brilliant for making the most amazing leaf mulch to use on my own veggie beds each year. It's such an abundant material to get hold of. The kids all get involved raking and bagging up the leaves each Autumn and it's become such a fun family tradition already. Allotmenteers often scoffed at me suggesting it's a very long and slow process - why bother etc, but once you're in the swing of the seasons - and they come around so quickly - it's just a natural part of helping close the circle. Love those leaves!! Love your videos - next Sunday can't come around quickly enough sometimes as already looking forward to the garlic tips. Thank you.

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks Carrie. And I totally agree - there's such an abundance of leaves - a free resource we should be making the most of. Wonderful, lovely leaves!

[@tulipsmoran5197]

Great video Ben! I'm a lazy gardener...each fall I blow leaves into long furroughs across my lawn mulch with my lawn tractor running over it a few times. I then blow the mulch all over my lawn to build that soil for next year's lawn. Living on the edge of a forest I have much more leaves that my lawn technique can handle so I blow bunches of leaves into low piles and also mulch with my lawn tractor. But instead of blowing all over the lawn. I then erect a a leaf "corral" on the outer edges of my property with a few stakes in a round shape then wrapping weed fabric around the stakes and then chicken wire wrapped around the fabric for stability. I leave a "door" open to the round structure open and I blow the leaves into it. Fall and Spring rains work to break down the leaf mulch. The weed fabric keeps the leaves moist. The mulching and moisture helps them to break down in to leaf mold very quickly yielding compost by mid-late spring. A word of caution to folks however is to remember leaves are a "brown" ingredient to compost and rob soils of nitrogen to completely break down and it will rob your garden area of nitrogen as well. You can adjust that deficit with adding nitrogen fertilizers or poultry/cow/rabbit manure. So I always lay down a sprinkling of chicken manure over the leaf mulch when applied to my raised beds that I age in plastic 55 gal barrels. Both the leaves and chicken manure are not labor intensive as I prepare them and let both set for a year before using.

[@GrowVeg]

What a great system you have going there. Thank you for sharing it. :-)

[@tulipsmoran5197]

@@GrowVeg Thanks Ben - I forgot to note that I also spread a 2-3 inch mulched leaves over flower beds to retard weed seed germination in the spring. In spring I lay down 2" compost over the leaf mulch and plant my flower seeds. This technique is an easy 2 step process - fall/spring - and it helps to keep weeds way down in the flower beds. I'm lazy...

[@marty5661]

Hiya, love your video's and your enthusiasm, your so positive and have learnt a lot from you so a big thankyou and keep them coming. I have 6 x 6000 ltr compost bins ( home made ). I rake up all the leaves in our paddock and gardens and fill at least one of these bins( when piled high be about 7500ltrs of damp leaves lightly compacted. I then cover and the following spring/ summer when i don't have much brown but loads of green (grass from the paddock ect plus bits from my veggie patch) i add about 4/5 large buckets of leaves to every 2/ 3 wheelbarrows of green. I have a compost corkscrew so after about a month i thoroughly mix. Do the same again in about 6 weeks then leave. In the late Autumn to early winter in each bin i end up with about 3000 ltrs of great compost for my veggie patch which is a non dig one. Thanks again for the video's. 😎😎😎

[@GrowVeg]

Hi Martin. You've clearly got a great system for making lots of compost easily and quite quickly - good work! I bet it's amazing stuff. :-)

[@darkclouds27]

This answers the question I left on one of your other videos. I cleared out my raised beds yesterday and planned to buy bags of compost for the beds but now I won't have to! There are plenty of leaves to rake up in the yard to enrich the soil for next spring. Thank you!

[@GrowVeg]

Great to be able to make use of nature's abundance like that. :-)

[@Bev437Sqn]

Great video thanks

[@dw235]

✋ I too am one of those 'crackpots' who asks for neighbour's leaves.

[@fl2660]

Every year I have loads and loads of leaves in my lawn. The leaf blower took forever and raking them onto a tarp and dragging them off was a struggle. I finally found that running a mower in "mulch mode" first and then re-running over them in "bag mode" was the easiest and quickest method. This not only broke the leaves down faster for all the microbes to nosh on but a little mulch is left down among the grass roots for food as well. what ends up in the mower's bag also has a little bit of fine dirt and can be easily transported to wherever I want to add some mulch. I have a few areas in the wooded part of my yard that I use each year for this purpose. The soil there is almost black and the high microbe and fungus colonies that have moved in to these spots make short work of the new material. a meter deep pile is reduced to about 2 cm in 12 months - just in time to make space for the next years batch. I use this black gold as potting mix and everything just grows wildly in it. Everything from pineapples to mango trees just pop up from this stuff.

[@GrowVeg]

What a wonderful system you have there - sounds like you're making beautiful stuff.

[@williamcollins4270]

It is mid October here in Vermont and just about time to plant my garlic. (I look forward to your upcoming video on that topic). There are lots of maple trees around here, so lots of leaves. I compost them to leaf mold and then use that rich mulch to cover the newly planted garlic beds. I top off the beds with about a foot thick mulch blanket of spoiled hay. The garlic endures the bitter cold and winter snow and then in spring begins to sprout. I then have to rake back the mulch because it has become a thick matted mass, which the new sprouts cannot easily get through. Once the garlic is up, I replace the mulch to suppress weeds around the plants. This is part of my annual routine here in the woods, where leaves are free and become part of my food through the garlic.

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for sharing that William. Great you're putting the leaves to such good use. Here that video on garlic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJmpdINnqsqXr6M

[@creative227]

I mow with my bagger attachment. Then I dump them on the ground, spread them out and mow and collect them in the bagger again, then spread them out on my garden for the winter. The rest I put in piles for used later. I have 5 acres outside Atlanta and I have no shortage of leaves in the fall!

[@GrowVeg]

Wonderful Kathy - sounds like you have a great system going there.

[@christineclarke1653]

Watched this yesterday, went to the park today and collected a big bag of leaves. Going again at the weekend when more have dropped 😊

[@GrowVeg]

Free soil food - great stuff!

[@andyharris5054]

Hi , great video. I started collecting leaves last winter. I put them in a spare bin I had and used a garden Strummer to chop them up and then put them out the way . I started using them this year and what a different its made to all my vegetables. I'll definitely be collecting for years to come now 😁

[@GrowVeg]

That's really great to hear Andy - it's clearly worth the effort. :-)

[@marym4186]

Your leaf mold idea is genius. i never thought of it. thank you.

[@46FreddieMercury91]

I have just acquired an allotment, and I've been reading up on all this sort of stuff to refresh my memory. Your presentation is very professional. You could quite easily run a TV gardening show. With composting, would you think adding sulphate of ammonia is a good idea ?

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for the kind words. I wouldn't add any fertiliser to the compost pile. Just keep it natural. If you want to balance out lots of browns from, say, old leaves - just be sure to add some fresh greens too.

[@roboutdoors8680]

I never use a rake. Lawnmower with mulching blade is definitely the way to go. Great video. Cheers

[@GrowVeg]

I kind of like the satisfaction and exercise from using the rake - a free workout.

[@spicylipssupportid9990]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3bKiqWwptdkbrM

[@jlandry117]

Thanks for the video and encouraging people to mimic nature. Mulching leaves also helps disrupt the overwintering fungal spores waiting to inoculate your plants come spring time. If you have shrubs or trees showing signs of disease on the leaves, this is a must.

[@nickc4276]

Great video. 👍 leaves are also good in places with cold winters to help keep your garden soil from getting frozen and compacted.

[@bhiei]

This year I’m digging furrows in my garden and putting all the leaves in then covering them with soil

[@andreahorsch286]

My husband has the bagger on the mower and is composting our lawn clippings and mulched leaves right now

[@Valarium1]

Loved the video, your enthusiasm is infectious. Keep up the good work.

[@GrowVeg]

Cheers very much, will do!

[@spicylipssupportid9990]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3bKiqWwptdkbrM

[@richardhardy4243]

regenerative agriculture at its best! Great video.

[@myrustygarden]

I pick mine up with the lawnmower with the bag on, it helps cut them up to put in compost bin and stay in place on beds better. Thank you for sharing yard looks fantastic ✌️🇨🇦🐝 safe

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks Ali. Yes, collecting them with the lawnmower is a smart move.

[@spicylipssupportid9990]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3bKiqWwptdkbrM

[@MamboDogFace]

I was looking out the kitchen window at all the fallen maple leaves ... and here's you! Ben, you have energized me to go bag them up! How long does that garbage bag of leaves take to become leaf mold? 1 or 2 years, as do regular leaf compost piles? There's so much here I can use, I will have to watch it again. You are always such a joy to see, but this is the best video ever, you playing in the leaves and such, that fed my soul! Also, bonus points for the Mama's and Papa's, that tune is now my ear candy :)

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much for watching. The leaves in bags would take around one to two years also. It's gear to be able to make so much use of this wonderful free resource, it really is. :-)

[@MamboDogFace]

@@GrowVeg Oh my gosh, I haven't heard "gear" in ages! Thanks for the answer, they're all bagged up and in the barn :)

[@jamiereed5210]

Beautiful 👀😻 🌟💗

[@Watchoutforsnakez]

I put bagged steer or chicken manure over my few leaves I get. Like I spread a layer over the leaves. I keep several bags on hand.

[@gailkenworthy2071]

Great video..just used last years leaf mould and put onto my empty raised beds along with my first attempt at making my own compost. Now am ready to collect more for next year 🤗

[@JFrenchRennier]

I have been doing it for decades & my raised bed garden produces triple the expected amount for the square footage planted. I discovered that if you use the compost as a top fill around plants not only does it inhibit weed growth but provides a steady feeding.. I also mow my yard using a grass catcher & empty the grass into the compost pile also. add water & this fresh grass generates heat which breaks down the compost into black dirt much faster.

[@GrowVeg]

The nitrogen in the grass will definitely help to boost decomposition rates - nice work!

[@spicylipssupportid9990]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3bKiqWwptdkbrM

[@jameslane9537]

I cleaned my gutters for the first time since I bought my house (7 years). When I was almost done, I realized I should have been saving all the compacted muck I pulled out, as it was essentially composted leaves and other organic material.

[@dandydonslife9869]

Totally agree, been doing this for years, it works. I also use wood chips.

[@EleanorPeterson]

Excellent video! Leaves nothing to the imagination...🤭 As well as vegetables, I also grow bonsai trees. After many, many years of love and care the leaves of oak, cherry, elm, beech, maple, and birch gradually shrink but retain their distinctive shapes. My oldest oak has leaves ¾" long; my maples put out teeny-weeny leaves just ½" across when fully mature. 🍁👀 They're very cute. They make great compost, but only for other bonsai subjects - sweeping up in autumn produces just about enough to fill a shoebox...

[@GrowVeg]

I bet your bonsai trees look superb Elli.

[@michaellippmann4474]

Great video - Thank you! I use TONS of leaves every year as well. I have also used walnut leaves with no issues at all...I have used them to mulch my potatoes and had no issues...I don't think the leaves are nearly as toxic as people seem to think. I could be wrong however but so far so good after 30+ years! 😁 Thank you doing the videos I really appreciate it! Mike 🇨🇦🍁👍

[@GrowVeg]

Hi Michael. Thanks for watching. Yes, a few people have said they also use the walnut leaves to no ill effect. It seems it's specific plants that are sensitive to them, and the juglone breaks down over time anyhow.

[@marygallagher7392]

Since my black walnut is one of the first to drop leaves I just mulch them into my lawn. No issues at all.

[@dankeener3307]

I agree. I think walnut tree roots give off something toxic but not leaves.

[@wrightgregson9761]

if you run a mulching lawn mower over leaves, the wind will not blow them around so easily. (rake or mow into windrows before mowing and they are less prone to being wind-blown and they break down even faster.)

[@Beaguins]

Tip: if you collect leaves in plastic bags, don't leave the bags out in the weather. The bags will decompose quicker than the leaves! I put my leaves in big garbage cans that have holes drilled in them; and with each layer of leaves I add, I stick my weed-whacker in and chop them up.

[@GrowVeg]

That's a really good tip, thanks you @Beaguins.

[@spicylipssupportid9990]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3bKiqWwptdkbrM

[@codysmovies100]

Great video! I just bagged up a whole bunch of leaves today, with the intent to make leaf mould for the first time! I am storing those bags in my greenhouse with the hopes that the heat from the decomposition process with also help to keep my greenhouse warmer in the winter, so that I can overwinter some plants that aren't quite hardy to my zone. This should make for an interesting experiment.

[@GrowVeg]

Hope the experiment goes well! :-)

[@codysmovies100]

@@GrowVeg thanks, I hope so too! :D

[@robertaworthington6490]

We started really getting serious about composting more this past year and made a 20 foot by 4 foot by 4 foot high pallet compost bin. Last years leaves will be ready next spring. But this year we went to the neighbor and asked if we could have his leaves, he thought we were crazy to want to rake them and haul them away but he was tickled pink that he didn't have to rake. My husband got 25 55 gallon size bags of leaves from him. But we wanted more compost for our garden in spring of 2023 and we didn't have enough leaves of our own. I really got a chuckle out of you saying about taking other people's leaves.. I cringe now to think of all the leaves that are wasted by everyone each year. So much nutrients wasted and most people burn them. We certainly don't know how to take care of our earthly home, we could certainly do alot better if we all composted every single leaf in our yards. Really enjoyed your video. We are in our mid seventies. If we can do it alot more people younger than us can get started, it is easy.

[@GrowVeg]

So pleased you make the most of this annual windfall too Roberta - good on you! As you say, it's such a shame that people don't make more use of them - their nature's annual gift to us gardeners. Thanks for watching. :-)

[@lisahughesnowwilhelmi2465]

I live in an apartment which would limit my composting but I've managed to keep myself busy all year and enjoy the exercise. I am almost 60 and feel the best ever owing it to the hard work and fresh air. Recently they removed the outsides of a few townhomes across the street and covered it back up with a cement stucco that they sprayed on. What a mess it was and just got messier after a few rain storms that took the sand and cement piles with it and clogged up the drains. The beautiful leaves helped to sop it up and I went out with my rake, a tarp and my new black and yellow push broom (bought just for the occasion). It took a while to gather up and haul the wet mess but I did it in two sprints. Just before I was finished the owner or renter pulled out of his garage not saying anything, I just waved as I continued to pack up his leaves taking the sand and cement with it. I wonder expect the whole mess could only add nutrients to my compost piles and it cleared the gutters and drain so the rain doesn't puddle adding to the street and sidewalk cracks. I felt really good and tired when I got done and get a warm fuzzy feeling now looking out my window. I swiped an eight foot fallen tree branch that grew straight up then toppled over, I think, anyways, yep, I did it so i could string up and dry some Hychia persimmons. It worked out great. Since I am confessing, let me tell you about some of the palm fronds that have the neatest soft wood that it surrounded by two or three shell type casings and make for jolly wood projects. I made a tomahawk handle and engraved some really cool designs on it then colored in a bit here and there and well, my life is complete now.

[@DavidMFChapman]

I’m all over this. I have a large wire mesh bin to collect shredded leaves from friends and neighbours as well as myself. Leaf mould + kitchen scraps turbocharges my small backyard compost bin.

[@GrowVeg]

Nice work - a great setup there.

[@MS-ku7tl]

An easy way to get a jump start on a compost pile is to add a bagger to your mower in fall. This will carch both the grass and leaves. Then i just dump in a pile and instant compost pile. Green and leaves pre mixed and shredded.

[@penelopehammerton2907]

Great idea M S. Thank you for sharing.

[@GrowVeg]

That's a really great way of doing it, thanks.

[@teresagibson2974]

Thank you for the video, I put left over vedg and fruit from the house in the compost and sometimes tea bags and egg shells.

[@dotnb]

Just made leaf mold! Finely shredded in my leaf blower, dumped in an open ended bin and sprinkled with worm poo and horse manure to get the process speeding along. Hope to be able start using it next year. 🍁🍁🍂

[@jeanchristensen2520]

These leaves harbor. House and protect many many insects other small creatures. They should be

[@jeanchristensen2520]

Treated with a certain amount of are. These creatures are beneficial to all gardening enterprises!!!

[@GrowVeg]

The poo/manure should certainly get things moving!

[@patriotic_salt]

Bought a dumpster bag at the big store (6yd) used for demolition or trash Load leaves in as you get them Use 1 bag of alfalfa cubes (for horses should be only alfalfa not any other extras) and use peat moss as necessary to control smell Stir often with a shovel Turn over everyday Use Organic scraps Water from time to time Then every other day or so move part into 5 - 5 gallon buckets or other pots and compact it and add more After a few days Then return bucket material back into main pile for mixing with other parts After a while (weeks) the leaves begin breaking down Repeat process

[@GrowVeg]

Great tip, thanks for that. The leaves hopefully shouldn't ever start to smell unpleasant, so the peat moss step may be necessary.

[@mixedhairless]

I only discovered the magic of leaves this year…This video is going into my must watch for gardening folder…Well done…

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for watching. :-)

[@spicylipssupportid9990]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3bKiqWwptdkbrM

[@belleange590]

I do this every year and I call the results "Gardeners Gold" Awesome stuff.

[@GrowVeg]

It really is gardener's gold Belle, isn't it.

[@InspirationSessions]

Last autumn was our first in a garden with some proper trees. I both some of those biodegradable hemp bags and filled them with sycamore leaves but perhaps expected too much decomposition in year one. This time around I’m just using good old black bin bags and also trying the mower trick to give them a head start but I gather sycamore leaves are one of the slower broadleaf species to decompose. Really enjoying the experimentation, though, and agree about the deep feeling of connection it creates to the changing seasons.

[@GrowVeg]

It really does anchor to the seasons I reckon Tom.

[@racebiketuner]

Good point about Black Walnut. Eucalyptus is also allelopathic.