About 5 years ago I built a leaf mould/mold compost bin out of chicken wire however it soon got forgotten about. Today I was making space for a new composting area, where I will be experimenting with all kinds of composting methods. I soon uncovered the ‘abandoned’ leaf mould pile from 5 years ago and was really impressed with what I discovered!
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I've read that human urine is an excellent source of nitrogen. As gross as it sounds.. piss in your compost pile. Apparently it works wonders lol
Thanks Huw, you are a super gardener and your advice is excellent.
"we as humans are mostly soil…." Haha brilliant!
Hue, you can get good leaf mould in 16-18 months just by stuffing them into 35 litre buckets with air holes in them, combining buckets as the process progresses. 10 full buckets in autumn gives two buckets of functional leaf mould two springs later. I have used that to germinate carrots in bags (three strains sown from March to early July), parsnips, shallots, onions and leeks.
No need to shred them, so unless you get leaf mould in 5-6 months through shredding, I am not sure how advantageous the shredding is.
Shredding is definitely advantageous for general composting, particularly if composting space is limited.
My experience is that you just need a thin layer of leaf mould below and above seeds. No need to fill whole tray/tub/modules with it, so it lasts a lot longer. That works with MPC below, I have not yet tested with garden soil below…
I wonder how your seedlings did, sprouting in this medium. It resembles peat moss. Do you have any ideas how I can effectively chop small, finger sized leaves? We have an abundance of water oaks on our property. I was going to buy a chopper, but was told that they're really made for bigger leaves, and just blow the thin "fingerling" leaves right through.
I get composted leaves from the city by the truckload! Also composted wood mulch. The only problem is it is so biologically active I cover my entire garden with a foot deep of mulch and it’s gone completely within a few months. I have a small Garden but I must bring in probably 10 loads of mulch and leaf compost per month and I’m still left with no Mulch.
It’s the fungus in the microbes in the composted wood chips that break down everything so fast I could take everything you have in your garden and it would be 100% soil in probably three months. The wood chip mulch contains summer branches mainly with leaves that have been shredded by the city when you lay it down within a few days you can pull it back and it’s covered in mycorrhizal fungus.
What you use or recommend for a shredder /chipper – a versatile one that will do leaves but also woody material and green material?
I realize this video is a few years old, but if you don't know… Shreded leaves kept slightly damp and introduce composting worms and you will have 60% by weight light fluffy worm castings in a year or less.
I just shred them, wet them, dump them in a 2 foot diameter by 2 foot deep plastic planter pot and cover loosely with a plastic mulch bag. Check on them every week or so for moisture content or other problems, but really it is a super low maintenance way to get fantastic organic worm castings from leaves in less than a year. Hope this helps someone.
forums.rimcountrygarden.com for some details and pics.
I would put any soil through a sieve and I bet it would look like this.
Panning for black gold
Lovely, but it will be full of nettle seeds etc.
Great video and thank you for sharing
Leaf mold does not take long. One year should be the maximum if you try out the lactobacillus method. It forms of itself, branches out like dark matter (except it's white) throughout the pile and reaches in to every cranny further accelerating rot into rich black compost. It merely needs a covering, a little air from turning over the very first time and watering weekly. This process may happen after the first year or two but you can coax it easily
Here's the ingredients and recipe:
Bucket. Water. Cooked rice, 2 cups. Molasses.
Blend the cooked rice into a knee to waist high pile of leaves. Discarding its water elsewhere. Mix in until the rice until it appears to disappear.
Using a 5 gallon bucket which is nearly full of water, mix in just 1/2 cup cooking molasses borrowed from the kitchen. Distribute the liquid on the pile via z watering can or jug.
It doesnt matter if initially the leaves are in a bag or on the ground. You will get the same results which will be well rotted compost full of the most beneficial bacteria to benefit your garden. Turn it just once at start up and assure it's well mixed. Then water it well not disturbing the pile. Keep the pile covered with a tarp to retain moisture. Don't let it dry out using only a watering can or jug of water. After 6 months you can turn it over to check progress. The secret is in the bacterial branching which reaches through the whole pile. It is very hungry when damp.
Good luck.
BTW, I'd like to mention that letting leaves dry out afterward allows beneficial bacteria to die. Think of this as similar to vermicompost with bacteria better in the ground seeking plas nt roots to nourish.
"I kinda forgot about it for 5 years" could be a meme
This can cause leaf anxiety, the fear of not getting enough leaves for the amount of compost desired; or leaf addiction can cause you to scour the neighbors' yards for leaves they abandon. . . . just kidding.
I like what your doing but I think I make a area of concrete or common brick flooring get a kemp.shredder it has screens to get the soil.broken down faster
Beautiful mould!
Huw was such a youngster here. Adorable!
This is amazing
Looks like something you could start seeds in. Very cool. Thanks for showing!
That's really amazing
Huw – You have probably accidentally produced a form of fungal dominant compost which may have a 1:1 fungal:bacterial ratio. . This YouTube by Dr. David Johnson about the fungal dominant compost describes a more ambitious approach to leaf mold. @ Using it as 10% of your medium for starting your seedlings may provide early access to mycorrhizal fungi to the young roots,
hang on, what? you were 12, 5 years ago?
Amazing
Leaf mould is a,soil conditioner not a compost. Ask Huw about the difference. Matt, Padstow , Sydney, Australia. Love his channel and am subscribed
happy 21st