Leaf Mulch 2023 Update!
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
- Leaf Mulch Update - 2023
This video will serve as an update to my garden in regards to leaf mulch. Over the years I have used leaf mulch to build my soil. This video is an update for that endeavor. Namely, how deep my organic black soil goes after four years of leaf mulch, a brief summary of our garden expansion, a short tutorial on how to plant seeds in leaf mulch, and finally, does leaf mulch harbor slugs.
00:36 Intro
01:14 Fall 2022
01:52 Black soil depth after four years
03:55 Nutrients in Autumn Leaves
04:30 Garden results 2022
05:55 Expanding the garden
07:13 How to plant seeds in leaf mulch
09:52 Review
***Click link below to see the amount of nutrients that are in tree leaves before they break down in your garden: growitbuildit....
After watching your previous videos, I collected a huge amount of leaves last autumn to add to my heavy clay soil.
I laid them down prior to winter, and kept excess to mulch throughout the growing season.
I didn't need to buy any top soil all season. My yields were tremendous.
Leaves are 100% the best soil amendment I've used. Thank you so much for documenting your progress throughout the years. Extremely helpful information!
Thank you @parihav and congrats on your success! Keep it up and spread the word.
@@growitbuilditFor your cabbage try ground up egg shells make a ring around all of your cabbages about 6 or 7 in wide of ground egg shells they wont want to crawl on it
@@HOLYLAND007007007 Sorry....but that's just an old wives tale. Slugs going after my peppers this last season, didn't mind crushed up eggshells at all. Stale beer left in a cut down beer can works.
Buy a cheap electric leaf shredder. I started grinding all my leaves up and its amazing how much faster they break down. I found an old beat up electric one for 10 bucks at a yard sale. I also shred all my garden scraps in the fall as well. They don't blow around either so they stay put.
My soil is hard red clay turned to an extremely solid concrete almost. 3 to 4 inches down in the best area. I mulched with pine straw and grass clippings and mass planted mustard greens and legumes of all kinds. Red Ripper Southern runner peas grew all summer. Before that it was green beans, blackeyed peas, and purple hull peas. I just found very deep areas of rotted, moldy leaf and pine straw turned black in the woods. I`ve been loading my garden wagon and dumping it in piles in my garden and covering it with pine straw for now.
Composting autumn leaves and using as mulch is a Bacic a gardening skill that has be used for a long time. People seem to see a garden as something that needs to be neat and ordered.
I am always amused at the reaction I get when I ask if I could have their lawn clippings and leaves.
Most people just don't understand that the potting mix and the compost they buy is made with the garden waste they pay to dispose of.
It's crazy - even other gardeners in my neighborhood don't use their leaves.
As I understand it, in the millennia before lawnmows were invented, often sheep, goats and cows wandered around neighborhoods eating the grass. That's probably a better use for grass than as mulch. No need to cut it or move it around, except by using a halter!
I tried to even buy lawn clipping, but nobody in my area bags their clipping. 😢
I have 5 large maples worth of leaves I mulch for the garden. I wait until most have fallen and begin to dry. I use a riding mower to push them in rows. Running backwards over them mulches the best. Mulched and mixed with grass clippings. What doesn't stay in the lawn is raked and spread on the garden. My sandy garden soil has improved immensely over the last 8 years.
@@Wildwwill glad to hear you are getting the same results as me
My mother did something crazy! She had just been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She was a master gardener. She had never used leaves or mulch in her garden, but we did have rich loamy soil.
She went driving around and took bagged leaves left at the curb that were meant to be picked up by the municiple waste truck. She dumped all of them in her garden.
Like you, she had a great harvest, as usual, and no weeds. As the leaves were decomposing, walking in the garden was a challenge.
Years have gone by since my mother's last garden in 2018. The garden has returned to a grassy yard. No evidence of all those piles of leaves remain. Now I'm trying to have my own garden in my yard using things my mother taught me.
Keep your leaves!
Thank you for sharing - I fully agree in regards to the leaves!
Don't give up if you have a tough year or two...maybe three years. It takes a little bit of time to develop and learn a first garden but if you keep doing it year after year you will become a master yourself.
Great documentation, and it's been really helpful to share your videos with folks who don't understand the power of leaf drop as a soil amendment. I've shared your videos far and wide, and it's been an eye-opener for people every single time they see just how big the transformation can be.
That is awesome - thank you for sharing the videos. I truly like hearing that they are helpful.
It's funny that people don't believe how powerful leaves are. I actually told my parents about them several years ago, and stressed how they should be putting as many as they can on their garden....they were skeptical. This year, they became believers!
@@growitbuildit It's amazing how people can be. I appreciate you doing the legwork to document the soil change. Your channel is a fantastic resource for folks that need to be shown and not just told.
Leaves + grass is a way better mix. Much more rapid decomposition, and you’ll also get a lot of worms
I'm actually happy with the slow decomposition. My results are great, and I like not having to weed anything all season.
This is fantastic, so helpful for everyone who has clay soil and wants to grow a veggie garden.
My neighbors have a couple maples, so I've got lots of great leaves for compost.
We had a drought here in the Midwest too, and I had a hard time keeping up with watering the veggie garden. Thanks for another great video! 🍂🍁🍂
Thank you Lisa! That is awesome that you have access to so many leaves next door.
I’ve been doing the same for 5 years now here in eastern Ontario Canada and have the same results as you. Easy and costs nothing but time. ☮️🇨🇦
Exactly - nothing but time!
In my town, they get the crew to pick up leaves in which they take to our dump and burn. I wish that people would wake up and realize just how fantastic these leaves are and that we need to put back into the earth what we are given. It's litteral GOLD and people just throw it away. Fantastic video. I just dug in a few bags into my garden and will cover with compost in the Spring. Thank you 😊
You are very welcome - leaves are just about the best soil amendment, that is insanely valuable, and is wasted by so many. It's really a tragedy!
Can you not start a movement to gather the bags and use them yourself.
@@lpmoron6258 I do
The closest neighbours of mine drop the bags at my fence :) less work for them to get rid of them, and more leaves for me. Win-win
@@bsod5608 unfortunately my nearest neighbors prefer to burn theirs! It is a waste but with 5 cats and two dogs, I am not sure I would want to use those!
We had a very dry summer here on Vancouver Island, too. That caused our big leaf maple to start dropping crispy leaves in August. We collected them right away before any rain hit them -- resulting in slug free leaves. I use this for bedding in my worm bins. Now that the remaining leaves are falling and the rain has begun, we'll make leaf mold for our garden in giant mattress bags. No leaf goes unused!
~ Sandra
That is excellent - I fell the same way about leaves. The majority of my trees that surround my property are Black Locust, and they are too small to rake. So I have to gather all of mine.
@@growitbuilditf😊mm😊
I have been piling leaves on my garden for a good 30 years now! About 5 years back I had a soil test done. PH was neutral so all those leaves over the years did not make it the least bit acidic. Majority of leaves are maple varieties (silver, Norway and assorted hybrid ones) with cottonwood mixed in from one neighbor’s house. Some folks laugh when they see all the leaves I pile on in the fall, but they are all gone by the end of summer. Robins love flicking leaves around in Spring and nabbing worms.
That is awesome to hear Ozzy - glad to know you haven't had any pH issues. And very happy to hear you've been doing this so long with great results!
Love the arrival of the Robins!
Leave piles also make good shrew habitat! I leave strategic leaf litter pathways so they can safely access key areas. Little buggers will do away with a massive slug or earwig infestation in no time! Also great at keeping voles and mice away from the house!
Plus they are adorable.
I teamed up with a local landscaper this year. My county charges him $50 per load to dump leaves! He's saved over $1000 this season by dropping them behind my garden and I have a massive pile that will turn into beautiful compost. I also put a call out on FB and the Nextdoor app after Halloween for pumpkins, which people dropped off by the dozen. All of that material is breaking down now to the benefit of my soil. It's amazing what people throw away!
You struck a goldmine!
Love this update! I used leaves last fall and the results were amazing. We're fighting drought and the leaves kept the soil soft and moist for much longer than using grass mulch. I'm looking forward to the long term benefits as well.
Thank you! I'm very happy to hear you had the same results as I did. Good luck!
I look forward to these videos each year. This is one of the most balanced series out there informing us of the benefits of leaves.
Thank you Adam - I appreciate it.
Nice before and after experiment worthy of a research paper.
Thank you! That is my goal, even if I don't take standard measurements!
This is exciting! Last yearwas my first year in a home surrounded by forest, so the leaf situation was overwhelming. But we just bought a leaf vacuum/mulcher so I can actually use the leaves instead of just blowing back into the forest. So excited for the next few years of building up my garden soil!
That is awesome - good luck this season Erin. I hope the leaves do well by you!
U r gorgeous;
Heh, heh! You don't often find people getting excited over leaf mulch!
That's probably an indicator of happiness and contentment in life, I'm guessing.
I’ve been waiting for this. I was so happy to see this year’s update. I’ve been following ur lead since last year. I started but putting down rotted pumpkins, chicken manure, cardboard, tons of leaves, and topped with woodchips. My area is teeming with worms (& some slugs too). I can’t wait to repeat the leaves and pumpkins. I missed some seeds and inadvertently grew some pumpkins though. It’s looks amazing. I live the updates.
Thank you! And sounds like you've been doing great at adding free fertility too!
Cardboard can be iffy as we've pulled up 7-8 year old cardboard that was still intact (not rotted). Like leaves, if stacked in layers the layers smoosh down on each other and CAN (in the right conditions of dryness) make a very dense cellulose material that doesn't rot real well and stops the flow of water downward. FWIW
@@mikeb1039 yes. I’m very aware! Early on I had to pull back a leaf carpet of sorts and break it apart. It’s been good so far. The cardboard that I swipe from the local Wawa dumpster area has been doing super good for me. I only use brown/matte boxes.
Even dropped fall leaves into a waterway are known to increase microfauna which then feed the bigger an bigger fish… trees play an important role in the whole cycle of life. A Tree of Life I would say myself..
To see how truly amazing how this is going it is promising for many types of soil that lack nutrients and carbon. I have also have done this to my garden. I live in a state that was once covered in trees and is why many fields have a deep dark soil in the fields from which I live. Which was from the coniferous Forrest that once stood in the area, which was harvested in the early days of our expansion. You see this as well in the rain forrest as well by the abundance of life it supports. which as today we are still removing at an astonishing rate.
"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children."
-Ancient Indian Proverb
When all the trees have been cut down, when all the animals have been hunted, when all the waters are polluted, when all the air is unsafe to breathe, only then will you discover you cannot eat money. ~ Cree Prophecy
God bless and enjoying this series!
Thank you! I'm glad to hear you are having success with leaves too. Also. I like the proverbs, as they say a lot.
There is a huge difference between 6 inches of dry crinkly fluffy leaves and six inches of wet matted down leaves. Which way do you measure them?
Hi - the dry crinkly stuff. I am emptying bags of leaves that my neighbor gives me, so whatever level they are compacted at, at that stage. By Spring they will be more compressed. So in Autumn, I will pile up 6-12" of fresh fallen leaves, and in Spring it will have compressed to 4" or so.
Like I tell all new gardeners make a new garden 5x bigger then what you think you'll want because you'll want to expand down the road.
Hahaha - truth!
For the slugs, put some bowls out filled with beer. That does an incredible job
Thank you for the tip - I will probably give that a shot next year.
1st!
😃🌱🐢
You're the winner!
Great information! But I don't understand how all that beneficial leaf matter makes its way into the soil without tilling or broadforking it?
I don't either. Worms definitely transport some of it. But somehow it just finds it's way deeper each year. And yet - the level of my garden is the same....
Those leaves are going to keep the bugs, perennial weeds and seeds cozy until spring and they'll gain momentum. You can overwinter 3-4 chickens in there to pick through the leaves and crunch them up real good so you don't have to mow.
My favorite gadget/trick for commanding a pack of raptors/chickens is one of those electric seed dispensers filled with scratch grains. Wherever I want overgrown grass and weeds thatched and mauled I just spray some scratch grains at it and the chickens set upon the area. They'll generally go back to a spot (in an acre-sized yard for reference) for at least a few days after its produced a good bounty for them. If they miss a bit of corn and it starts to ferment and attract slugs, they'll get those too.
I would put some overturned pots with good worm food and space for spiders underneath so your crew can quickly spread back out after you remove the chickens in the spring. Chickens eat grass from the tip down, so they do a pretty decent job of mowing an area that doesn't need to look that great.
Look under the boards for the slide during the day. That's where they like to hide.
I may have to do that - thank you for the tip Randall.
I use Leves to grow Potatoes. My leaves are falling now and I've been gathering them. It's so simple, pile leaves up in the fall, n around March, make rows in the leaves, add your seed taters, n cover the Taters up, So easy and the taters come out so much cleaner....
That sounds awesome
Would this be beneficial to add to a native wildflower bed as well? I’m just wondering if my perennial flowers and grasses and ferns would have a hard time coming back up in the spring. And obviously my Cardinal flowers basal rosette leaves should be prevented from being covered.
Hi - this can work on any flower bed or garden. The only concern I may have is that you should leave your perennial stalks standing, at least 12" or so. That way you know where they are and can help make sure they can punch through the layer next Spring.
Saya dari Indonesia, saya sangat salut dan senang dengan channel anda, terimaksih untuk edukasi anda🙏
Terima kasih atas kata-katanya yang baik. Semoga sukses dengan taman Anda di tahun ini.
I've really enjoyed following your progress. I started using deep leaf mulch last fall in my in-ground beds and a 32" high raised bed. In my in-ground beds I had results similar to yours, about 2-3" of obvious soil improvement and I noticed a lot more worm activity. In the 32" raised bed I didn't really notice much difference in the soil because the top 10" was already homemade compost. What I did notice though was an UNREAL increase in worms. There were already a few worms in this bed but with it being so tall I didn't expect a lot. After adding the leaves last fall the worm population exploded! Between the leaf mulch and all the worm castings I had better production from that bed than ever before and I didn't have to add any fertilizer. I just put all my beds to bed for winter and topped them all off with about 8" of leaves and covered them with bird netting to keep the squirrels from trying to start a walnut farm in my backyard.
That is awesome Randy - Glad to hear your in-ground had a big improvement. And that is really interesting on the 'explosion' of worms in your raised beds.
Ha ha, I have black walnut trees I never planted too from squirrels, pull them out a lot. I've collected roadside bags 30 so far and mulched up more than half with my weed whacker and piled high to break down until done. I also mulched with freshly fallen leaves all of my beds, something I hadn't before. Worms go crazy over leaves! I added bokashi to my garlic beds and man oh man are there ever a ton of worms, it's vermicompost central whereas the non bokashi added beds just normal. Between the leaf mold and plain leaves, bokashi and compost and a cover crop of black eyed "peas", I expect that soil next Spring to be amazing. I can't get enough of leaves even though I collect a lot, they’re such a limited time to collect I simply hoard them. I always reserve some bags to mulch up when I plant new crops, easy and cheap way to mulch and you get the added benefit of soil amendment when they break down.
I do the leaves in the fall, grass clipping all summer.
Sounds like you've got a good system going.
At one time I had a bager on my riding mower and would mulch and bag. After that I had a small chipper for branches, the kind you get at the big orange store. The chute on the chipper would lay flat on the ground and I would dump the bagged leaves on the ground and just rake them into the chute, it would actually suck the leaves into the chute. The chipper had a large bag to collect the chopped up leaves and it held quite a large amount of leaves. The leaves would come out chopped to about a quarter inch and I would just take the bag full and spread them in my flower beds; the leaves were so small that they would rot down over the winter and in the spring I had nice compost soil.
That would be an awesome system
I love the amount of detail and recording, this first hand experience so much more useful than general guides.
Thank you! It takes a lot of work, but it doesn't just say what to do but shows actual results!
My entire backyard had been a Back to Eden-style yard covered in wood chips. I subsequently decided humping wood chips around the yard to spread them out was waaaay too much work, and that leaves would offer more nutrients than wood chips. So 2 years ago I began covering my backyard in leaves 4-6 inches thick. They now slowly break down over the course of the year, but there is always a soft layer to walk on. For my numerous planting beds around the yard, I use leaves as a mulch as well, but these I chop up with a lawn mower to speed up their decomposition. Now, n matter where I stick a spade or shovel, I get thick, rich, dark soil. I heartily agree leaves in the garden are the way to go!
Leaves are the absolute best. Sounds like you have a good system going.
You probably hear this from other people, but try not to shred at least some of the leaves, because helpful insects and bugs winter over in them. If you can, give them a chance to complete their life cycle, and you will be amazed at the difference.
@@lucycliburn2344 I actually haven’t heard that but it’s good to know. Still in my garden beds I’m looking for them to break down fast. Well, when it comes to leaves nothing is ever really fast. But the microbial life and other flora and fauna living within has the entirety of my backyard to do their thing :)
I love seeing the progress. I've been using leaves as compost in the fall but wondered if I was just giving bugs a place to live. So I appreciate this video, I'm taking it as confirmation what I'm doing is good for my garden.
Thank you Stephanie! Keep using leaves - you will have results like I do.
Kia Ora & Good Afternoon from Caribbean Drive, Unsworth Heights, North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand …Great Video Bro …
Thank you! Greetings from Southern Pennsylvania!
It would be extremely helpful to know in what part of the country, and growing zone you are located. Nowhere do I find that information.
Southern PA, zone 6
@@growitbuildit Thank you.
Yes! How do I chop leaves for mulch when I don’t have a powerful lawn mower ( I use a simple push reel mower ~ it doesn’t chop leaves, I tried.) I’m reluctant to buy another device. But will if it works. Thank you for your excellent videos!
Your channel has me proselytizing the virtues of leaves! I've recommended your videos to anyone having garden trouble. I'm a big believer in the K.I.S.S. method to gardening (keep it simple) and for most problems people have in the vegetable patch- compost is the answer. Especially if you can compost in place. Win win
Absolutely KEEP IT SIMPLE. And thank you for recommending my videos - I truly appreciate it.
I don't have a lot of leaves in my yard but I do bag my grass when I mow, and I fill up several Jet Sleds with dead, dry seaweed from the beach. I mulch and bag the seaweed with my lawn mower and cover my gardens with it and it adds so much to the soil.
Wow - that seaweed sounds like a great resource.
Hey man! I've been doing the exact same thing for no reason whatsoever for almost the same amount of time. The past 5 years I've just been taking the leaves and putting in my gardens and flower beds. I've always suspected that this is the smart thing to do mostly for weed control. But over the years I've noticed how nutrient-rich those garden beds have become. And anything that I plant in them grows like crazy. People should start paying more attention to things like this and I appreciate coming across you and reaffirming my suspicions that I am correct. The only thing you did that I haven't is dig it up and measure. I just keep doing it and it keeps working.
That is awesome Thomas - love hearing from people who have been having the same success I have! Keep doing it and happy gardening!
I've read oak leaves deter slugs but they also inhibit seed germination. We had historic rainfall this year... the areas with oak leaf mulch didn't get hit nearly as bad with slugs as the areas that didn't have it, but eventually, everything suffered the slugs. I also discovered slugs love marigolds more than squash plants. I replanted soo many times...
Oak leaves are just tough in general. They take much longer to break down, but break down they will in time. Apparently they've got tannins that slow decomposition and probably make it unpalatable. They also are great for helping to suppress Japanese Stilt Grass, which is probably for the same reasons you mentioned.
Great information. Do you think this would work in a perennial flower bed? Do you ever add grass clippings to balance the nitrogen and carbon?
Hi - it can work for a perennial flower bed. Just don't cut back the perennials to ground so you know where they are, and that way they can punch through the layer if necessary (with an assist from you). Leaving the stalks 12" tall is enough, and next Spring the bees may start using those dead stalks for laying eggs.
I never add grass clippings to the leaf mulch. It just isn't necessary. It isn't compost bacteria that breaks the leaves down, but fungus and mitochondria...and worms. So leaves don't rob nitrogen - my plants are proof of this!
For years, I have driven the neighborhood and stuffed as many bags of leaves in my small SUV as I could for use on the veggie beds with any excess stored in a big wire fence bin to be used during the growing season. As I am getting older, I can't keep up with an active compost pile, so I sheet compost on the beds with the leaves, plant trimmings and kitchen scraps. I grind up the kitchen scraps with water in a blender and pour it over the leaves. The worms take care of the rest. This is especially good in winter. Come spring planting time, there's a nice compost layer and tone of worms under the leaf mulch.
Sounds like you've developed a good system that gives great results
its beautiful how intelligent our universe is. The seemingly simple act of leaves falling and the impacts it has on a whole range of organic life.
I couldn't agree more Nick
I have a very small lawn and raised beds for my vegetables. I put all of my grass clippings (about 1/2“ or so) in my raised be as mulch. In fall I put about 2-3 inches for stay there over winter. In the spring I turn that into the soil. A game changer.
I'm certain it does. Organic matter, in whatever form you can get it, makes all the difference of the world.
Do the benefits of the leaf mulch expand outside of your garden fence at all? I'm wondering if the worm traffic incorporates the organic material into surrounding soil as well, which would make for easier garden expansion. I appreciate the series and I will be looking for leaf litter this fall!
Hi - when I expanded my garden this year, I did not notice any benefit to the surrounding soil (nothing significant). In regards to garden expansion, for a first year 'expansion', I would say I did pretty well with a layer of compost plus leaves. And the half that only got leaves did very well too - lots of cabbage mainly.
You have two problems, depleted nitrogen and change in PH.
Leaf mulch is incredible. Any mulch, except the dyed mulch type, is good for any garden or around trees and shrubs in general at least 3 inches. I highly recommend a triple ground premium hardwood mulch, especially for close to the home or in front of the home for a finished look but also it works itself into the soil and does the same thing. This video shows with leaf mulch. I plant all of my shrubs, especially my roses in leaf mulch. It gives them a good Headstart and roses like soft soil.
Fully agree with you Betty
Don't forget the eucalyptus leaves 😉
Nice. My com-ost pile was mainly wood chips, not it’s mostly leaf mold. It’s. Ice ly broken down, but will be even better in Spring. Thanks for the video..
You're welcome - wood chips takes longer to decompose, but it makes great organic matter for your soil
Love this video! I put a small pond and a bug hotel in my garden. They regulate the garden for me.
I've got a bee hotel, and a HUGE wildflower garden very near my garden. I wonder what my garden would be like without them.
You’re amazing!
Such an inspiration! I have just collected dry 🍁 the other day to add to my compost bin.
Thank you!
30 years ago at my first house I spent some years shredding LOTS of leaves with a Vornado Leaf Eater (Highly recommended). I'd add a solid foot of well shredded (stops that layer of undecomposed) leaves. The outer cell layer of leaves doesn't break down readily. and protects the tender tissue underneath. Chopping up the leaves with a mower or Vornado makes them rot much MUCH quicker.
When i moved from there after 8-9 years I could easily stick my hand down into my raised beds up to my elbow. As you know, the resulting garden plots were amazingly healthy and productive.
That sounds awesome Mike - I didn't know regarding the outer cell layer. I've found that mine will generally breakdown over the course of a growing season - but that is happening primarily by fungus/mitochondria. It takes longer, but I really like the natural weed barrier.
@@growitbuildit The few weeds that do germinate are easily pulled out of the loose, friable soil. Keeping the seeds from getting sunlight stops most germination.
That foot of shredded leaves would be reduced by half by spring and by the end of the summer back to "bare dirt" (actually new 1/2"-1" of new black soil). Shred the leaves on your lawn with your mower and they are gone in weeks. Once that layer (there's a name for it) is broken up it's amazing how fast they break down.
I like mine. I got one last year that is probably 20-30 years old. Filled up a 8ft diameter composting bin last fall with the shredded leaves and spread it into my beds last week. Its a dark mix, looks somewhere between mulch and compost. I also put a ~4inch layer of unshredded over the entire garden because it takes so much less time than shredding.
A gardener might want to shred and pile up fall leaves, but not add them to the garden until early Summer. That way, the mulch has 9 months to break down before Spring planting. I've been doing it like that for years. The leaves are almost gone by April, so it's simple to plant seeds, and the soil is able to dry and warm up faster. Spring tends to be cool and wet where I live, so that's what works for me.
What you describe would absolutely work and be great. I like just using mulch though though for the natural weed barrier. I barely have to spend any time weeding my garden.
Your update of last year opened my eyes to the amount of benefits of leaf mulch. Now in Fall I can finally use this knowledge. My frontyard sports a /thick/ layer of all the maple leaves my street has to offer. Blackbirds go crazy.
That is perfect - I mostly use Maple leaves, as that is what my neighbors rake up.
Just plant a few extra cabbage to off-set any losses due to the slugs, imo! Thanks for sharing all this high-quality information. Subscribed ;)
I grew waaaay to many cabbages! I was eating it for lunch for quite some time (plus sauerkraut!). But I take your point, and will likely continue to do so.
I know you’re “reporting” on this particular technique, but I’m dying to add my own spin. I live in a Mpls suburb on a 1/4 acre lot. I have 7 50’ tall pin oak trees on my property, so I have plenty of leaves in the fall. I have 2 5x5x4 compost piles next to each other that I fill with lawn clippings and oak leaves all Fall. Winter, spring and summer I got no leaves so it’s just lawn clippings, kitchen scraps, and a 5 gallon bucket of used coffee grounds from a caribou coffee 3 blocks away, twice a week. Boy do those grounds do magic! I have a hot pile all year long, even in the -20 degree Januaries up here. But I really miss my browns when I can’t get ‘em.
Sounds like you've got a good system going. I use grounds from Starbucks to keep a hot pile in winter too
Great video. Thanks for sharing. Regarding leaves blowing around and covering seedlings... I use leaves to mulch my raised beds, and find that combining them with grass prevents them blowing away. They knit together and stay in place, but don't get matted or compact.
Thank you Austin. Good tip on using the grass with leaves. I don't know if I will try that as my area is quite large, but I will keep that in mind.
I have a suggestion on how to deal with slugs in the garden. Recess bowls or cups in between plants or rows so that the top of the bowl or cup is at grade level. Fill the bowl 1/2 full with a cheep beer. The beer is more attractive than the cabbage to slugs and they will enter the bowl and drown. Refresh the beer every few days until your plants are hearty enough to survive and voila. A pesticide free solution to slugs.
Excellent - thank you for the tip!
I’ve been doing this for years. People think I’m crazy, but it’s so good for the garden!
Let them think your crazy - it's their loss!
I found a municipality that has, literally, tons of decomposed leaves. I put a 8 inch layer down, and planted clover. Yeah, clover. The stuff you can't get rid of. Well, it lasted a few months. When Summer drought hit, that clover died...every bit of it. I found that nothing would grow in this stuff because it dries out too quick in the sun. This year, I'm covering that black gold with some clay and wood chips. The clay will add some water holding capabilities, and some minerals. The mulch will hold in the moisture. The worms are munching away right now.
Gave your video a like.
Thank you! Interesting that the leaf mold would dry out that quick. Thank you for sharing.
This is so incredibly informative. Thank you for sharing your findings!
Thank you Honken! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Get these two books: (1) JADAM Organic Farming and (2) JADAM Organic Pest & Disease Control. You are already indirectly implementing some of the principles by the use of leaves. The DIY natural fertilization combined with the pesticides Youngsang Cho illustrates in these two books is the forgotten art of Korean Natural Farming. The wetting agent is easy to make and a key component in the use of the all-natural pesticides - made from canola oil, sodium or potassium hydroxide and water.
I may have to research those a bit - thank you for the suggestion
Pochodzę z Polski. Doceniam Twoją pracę nad glebą (ziemią). Liście z klonów kompostuję ale w kompostowniku z innymi składnikami. Mam za małą powierzchnię działki na której mieszkam (Warszawa) ażeby wykorzystać inną powierzchnię. Gratuluję i pozdrawiam.
Bardzo dziękuję za miłe słowa. Nauczyłem się, że używanie jak największej ilości materiału organicznego, czy to ściółki z liści, czy kompostu, jest kluczem do zdrowego ogrodu. Powodzenia w Polsce!
Thank you for this video. This summer I began thinking about using leaf mulch along with my compost for the first time. I've been waiting for the leaves from my neighbors gigantic oak tree to fall so I can get started. Your video was informative and very timely!
Hi Deon - the oak will provide lots of material for you. One thing to be aware of though, Oak leaves tend to take longer to break down. Now, this isn't something you need to worry about, but just manage your expectations. Everything turns into compost given enough time. If I had a large Oak tree I would use every single leaf in my garden.
I have been watching our videos and each year I look forward to the leaf update! I too mulch with as many leafs as time and weather allows me to gather in the winter for my garden. I began my first couple years with having some slug problems but after that my slug problems had gone. I put down wood chips as walking paths and avoid walking on the leaf areas to aleviate compaction. Chips for walking, leaves for growing. The woodchips provide homes and shelters for many kinds of ground beetles. A predator for slugs. Let them move in gradually and take care of your slug problem for you. If I worried about losing produce to slugs, I planted a couple extra just in case.
Thank you and thank you for the tip. This was really the first time I had ever seen slugs in my garden.
Wonderful video, always enjoy the experimenting and report of observations that you do. I had clay soil to start with and leaf mulch is what has given us rich organic soil too. Earthworms seem to love the leaves also, it was the leaves and earthworms that converted our hard soil to good black soil. I had wanted to grow cabbages at some point so was interested to hear that slugs like them, I'll stay tuned to see what solutions you might come up with. Also interesting to note the difference in your lawn due to the drought. That's definitely a pretty bad drought. Thanks for the informative post.
Thank you Donna - I will keep doing these updates, as it is valued by many people. Thank you for the feedback. I will try to research some solutions over the Winter and see if I can keep them away, or at least reduce their numbers.
INFO........had a slug problem until I used copper coils (electroculture). No slugs appeared this past summer.
Thank you! That is a good tip.
Thanks for the update! I've been watching your videos since 2019. I was excited when I saw this come up in my RUclips feed.
Thank you @sonicclalng! I'm glad you've been enjoying this series. You've been here since the beginning!
Thanks for the update. I did this last fall after watching your videos in all my raised beds. In the spring, my neighbors observed all the worm and insect life and how the soil looked great underneath the layer of leaf mulch. I just moved mulch aside to plant and sowed seeds with good success. In 2024 I will use your idea of using boards to help the process. I enjoyed the lack of weeds, watered less, had great yields, and by this fall the leaves were mostly decomposed and ready for a layer of compost and a new layer of leaf mulch. I shredded some leaves, but I'm experimenting with putting the leaves down on some beds without shredding. Using leaf mulch along with a no dig organic approach makes me feel like a pretty lazy gardener! My neighbors are now using the same method you've shown in your videos. Thanks again!
This is just about the best comment I could ever get on leaf mulch. Thank you!
You don't have a slug problem, you have a duck deficiency~Bill Mollison
Hahahaha - I'll have to remember that
Hi! I have a question. I have very old neglected hardwoods. Some areas have 18inch or more of old leafs. Layer by layer with no sun available. It’s like thick cardboard and nothing grows. What can I do? I can’t burn. I also have this problem on a different property. Thanks!
Sounds like you just need some water to help break them down. Are they oaks? Those leaves also tend to last for a year or more even with regular exposure to moisture.
I use Sluggo. It's organic and seems to work good. Great video. I do leaf composting and then put it in my raised beds when I put them to bed for the winter. Thanks for sharing.
I'll have to check out Sluggo - thank you for the tip. And thanks for the kind words, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Any ideas of how to break down piles of Twigs , 1-1.5cm diameter without having to use any garden Shreadder machine?
Hot compost them for a long time, or just get them in contact with the soil and wait. Removing bark can help speed it up too.
I think this year I’m going to do this. I just planted a cherry tree out back last night and since I have an over-abundance of leaves as it is, I might as well mulch the heck out of it with leaf litter.
All the best to you and yours,
Hercules from Dayton
Thank you Hercules! Use those leaves - it is amazing what they can do!
Nice video. Question, my only experience with using shredded leaves (White oak) on my raised beds was a disaster. They literally sucked all the nitrogen out of my soil and I couldn't grow anything (including weeds). I later learned that oak leaves takes 2-3 yrs to break down. I've been trying to make leaf mold and have some large black plastic bags (with holes) sitting for 3 yrs but I'm a little anxious about putting them on the beds. I gathered 3 bags worth of my neighbor's maple leaves that I shredded last fall and am wondering if I should wait until spring or can I put them on now? I've also put a lot of alfalfa pellets on them to help build up the nitrogen.
Hi - I have used primarily Maple leaves as that is what I get for free around the neighborhood. And all that I do, I show in the video. I literally just pile them up and spread around the garden. I will pull them away from the stems of newly planted seedlings, but that is all. Other than that, they just sit.
It has been my experience that my plants have been consistently larger, with better yields since the first year I began doing this. I also learned that the primary decomposers of leaves (if they aren't in a hot compost pile) is fungus & mitochondria, which don't use nitrogen. Although I cannot speak to what caused you problems with the Oak leaves. But I do know they will take substantially longer to break down.
Great video, thanks for sharing! Just curious...do you ever have issues with the leaves blowing away, or do you always do it in a fenced-in area to counter that? Cheers!
Hi - since the leaves I get have all been raked/bagged up, they tend to interlock really well. I never really have significant blowing. If there is a 'hole' so to speak in the leaf mulch, leaves will blow in to fill it, but that is all. They stay evenly distributed and don't end up at one side of the fence or anything.
I live in indonesia, and there is no mapple here so I don't use any type of leaf from tree. Long short story using leaf mulch as compost for just 6 months and is a big success, but I realized something important about leaf mulch, don't use leaves that take long to decomposed like manggo leaf, guava, citrus etc, Because their leaves take a year for real.. Crazy right?? That happens last year 2022 and from early 2023 till this exact month which is november 2023 I end up getting this important experience.
so I am using type of leaves that easy to break, for example sweet potato' leaves, it only takes month to break and after the leaves gone I add more fresh leaves to the ground and my soils getting more and more surplus and giving a good impact for my plant. God.... Back to eden method is real
I'm completely with you on hard to break down leaves. I compost some I get from my neighbors when they remove their exotic container plants in Autumn. If I don't make a really hot compost pile, they just don't seem to break down. Same with fern leaves.
But you definitely have a different challenge in the tropical region, as you don't get that 'once-a-year' bounty of Autumn leaves that we enjoy.
What part of the are you doing this? I’m in SE Pa. We have got to be concerned with Asian jumping worm castings. These worms will destroy your soil. I only make compost from leaves in my families yard.
I'm in South Central PA. We have jumping worms, and have had them for a long time before I moved here. All the leaves I get are from my neighborhood, which all has jumpers.
I have built up 15" of black soil in a 16'x45' garden by using leaves and composting yard waste.
Outstanding!
You don’t have a slug problem, you have a duck deficiency.
Lol - that is a new way to put it!
if you mow them up first, helps speed up break down and you get less matting :)
True - but I actually prefer the longer time they are present, as it just helps suppress weeds even more.
Saw your video on using leaf mulch in the garden and have noticed. That with each layer of new leaf mulch , there's a subsequently more dark layers. Thanks. What do you do with your jumping worms when you see them?
Hi Matt- I don't do anything with the jumping worms. They've been here in this region much longer than me, so even if I kill them more just move in. They do break down leaves quite well, and they really attract birds. But I make zero effort to control them since it would be a futile goal out here.
Awesome video!!
Question from a rookie gardener... I planted some natives plants this year...when they go dormant in the winter....should i cover them with leaves? Afraid they will die and freeze it we get another crazy winter storm here in east texas 😅
Hi - if they are native to your area or zone, then you don't need to cover them at all. They will die back, and come back stronger in the Spring.
I’ve found that no matter what your mulch, slugs are present. I don’t let it deter me from mulching. Where I live, slugs are ubiquitous.
Good to hear that Lauren. I will still try to battle them a bit next year.....might try copper wire around the base of plants.
Do you think this would still work in a desert environment? Would you recommend watering the leaf pile manually if your area hardly gets rain? Thanks great video
If you have leaves, and can keep them in place in the desert, then I don't see how it would hurt anything. A mulch layer will help retain water, etc, although your soil probably drains lightning quick no matter what.
I'm new to your channel. Where are you located and what zone? It seems like you normally have spring and summer rain, but winters "warm" enough for leaf mulch to continue decomposition.
Hi - I'm in Pennsylvania, zone 6. The leaves don't decompose over Winter, but rather over the course of the following growing season while they act as a natural weed barrier. By the following October, they will be mostly decomposed to composted leaves or leaf mold.
Great video, I appreciate you sharing all of the mini experiments you do as well. Maybe some straw around the cabbages can help deter slugs, it works with strawberries. Thanks again for sharing.
Hi Jacob - thank you! And I may try straw around cabbages next year.
If you remove the bottom leaves of cabbage that touch the ground it prevent the slugs.
They don't like crawling up the dry stems
Enjoy your videos. Do you ever add any fertilizers to your garden at all? Maybe some at the base of your plantings?
Hi - When I transplant seedlings to the garden (tomatoes, etc), I may mix in compost when backfilling, but that is all. This, plus compost really works.
It takes time. but works. This is my 5th year doing it . Patience and moisture gets it done. A cover crop wouldn't hurt.
100% agree and happy to hear you are having the same results.
We've been using leaves/grass clippings for as far back as I can remember. Once all the leaves have fallen and have been gathered into our gerden area, I'll run my push lawn mower with the bagger attachment into the leaves to shred them, then cover the garden with the shredded leaves. Seems to speed up the decomposition process and they're less likely to blow away. Come Spring I run the tiller over it all 2-3 times.
Sounds like you've got a great system in place!
I have to admit, I was kind of concerned about what kind of mulch to use and I had considered to leave but not so sure I like the idea of using it well, I think I may go ahead and use it since it is the easiest thing for me to get and I have a whole bunch of trees and I get it for free
My results have been nothing short of tremendous Elizabeth. I bet it would do well for you too.
What kind of leaves do you have primarily? Do you monitor your pH level in your soil? Different leaves leave different pH levels. Oak leaves are very acidic, maple leaves are sweeter (more basic). Tomatoes like a more acidic soil and many of those other crops like more neutral soils. What you're doing is great I've been doing this also (not as long or as good as you) but you should monitor your pH and put in other add-ins to maintain the pH in areas where you want to grow certain crops. Grass, hay, and straw is relatively neutral so use that in areas that already have the proper pH.
I haven't checked my pH in a couple years, but could probably stand to do so. I was always under the impression that once the leaves were decomposed any effect on pH would be finished. Thank you for the info.
I compost leaves the same way on dead soil areas water is necessary for the worms. in forested area.s with lumber mills some sell the slab wood (outside cuts of logs ) in bundles $20.00 softwood $40.00 hardwood you can use aside rows great idea from you. I've tried using tons of grass clippings but weeds win. I do have paths of growing turf in my plots which I mow. And anchor all tomato's around and to the fences no staking..slugs and cabbage escargo ha ha don't know French Once a man called me a worm I replied ah but a worm has seven hearts.
That is a good idea attaching the tomatoes to the fence. I may have to try that sometime.
Good heavens do you ever state where you garden? This is critical information if you're attempting to give out advice. I actually tried to find out where you are--I checked the description of this video and your "about" sections on your channel and your website.
I'll come back to your channel one day to see if you make it clear where you garden, otherwise your advice isn't as valuable as it could be.
Based on your comment I updated the about info on our channel. It is very rare that anyone asks. But it is zone 6 in Pennsylvania.
I think that as your expanded plot ages and cures in a sense, the slugs will not be as predominant. The soil will be teeming with beneficial, predatory insects and smaller nematodes. Before long, those "hiding places" will not be a safe haven for slugs.
I hope you are right.
How about starting and growing perennial flowers in the leaf mulch?
I wouldn't try seeds in the leaf mulch. But it would be great to use on any established garden. Just keep some holes around where you placed your perennials.
Great video! So you do not till in the spring when it is time to plant correct? You just dig a hole for each plant with a shovel? Also, would leaves be good to put on raspberry plants? Thanks!
Hi - I do not till leaves into my soil - just leave them on top! And yes, I think leaves would be good to mulch around raspberry plants. I would just put them around the old stalks, that way you would know where they are in the Spring.
This year I'm experimenting with growing several plantings of lettuce with the hope of extending my lettuce harvest into the late fall and perhaps winter.
Your leaf mulch video was interesting, and now I'm considering covering those lettuce plants with leaves, with the hope that the lettuce plants will survive the winter and start growing in the early spring, providing me with new lettuce much earlier than starting seedlings in the spring.
I also have compost piles which consume leaves and grass clippings.
My neighbor has a couple of BIG oak trees, but doesn't get much in the way of oak leaves on his property. Those mostly fall and blow into the street, sidewalk and MY property! So oak leaves plus leaves from a boundary hedge provide a pretty good amount of leaves, and perhaps this year I will be able to use all of them for useful purposes.
Anyway, it's an activity I find amusing for this retiree. I like to say that EVERYBODY needs a hobby!
That would be awesome if you could have your lettuce survive the Winter from the added insulation. And that is great that your neighbor's leaves blow on to your property. And finally, I agree 100% - everyone needs at least one hobby! With no purpose in life, you just wither away.
I look forward to hearing how it went
Gardening is my favorite hobby in retirement. Just covered plants with leaves for warmth. Will now do that compost pile and cover all of the beds. 🤞🏾
I really enjoy your channel! I just started a garden using your video about removing grass and next I’m going to cover it with leaves. Are there any leaves that should not be used.? I assume black walnut leaves should not be used?
Hi Caroline - from my experience, and from what I've read, any type of leaf should be ok, even Black Walnut. The chemical in the plant (Juglone) breaks down within a few months, so you should be fine by next Spring. Also, for reference, I've used Black Walnut sawdust in compost for years (as a primary ingredient) without any issues. And from everything I've read, what will really harm a plant is if their roots get tangled with active, live Black Walnut roots.
I see it this way: Leaves are essential energy sources within your ecosystem (garden). By getting rid of them, you are essentially discarding valuable energy from your ecosystem.
That is a good way to look at it Mark. It is food (energy) for the life that exists within your soil, and for your plants.
Can you put a thick layer of leaf mulch over native perennials after they have died back, or will that prevent them from emerging in the spring? Maybe a thinner layer? Or would composting the leaves elsewhere then applying as a top dressing be better? I have started a flower strip around the edge of my yard this year and would like to utilize as many of my leaves as possible instead of raking them to the curb.
Hi - you've got the answer - just use a thinner layer! Also, if you leave some of the stems up all winter, you will know exactly where the plants are - so you can make sure they can push through the leaves.