Grow Great Vegetables in New York by Marie Iannotti

Author:Marie Iannotti
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Timber Press
Published: 2019-05-04T16:00:00+00:00

MAKING LEAF MOLD

Leaf mold is a wonderful soil amendment—and trees give you the leaves for free. Leaf mold is simply leafy compost that’s created when leaves decompose into a rich, crumbly, earthy substance that can be added to soil to improve its water retention and texture. Adding leaf mold also entices all kinds of beneficial organisms to live in your soil.

Leaf mold pretty much makes itself. In fact, making it is so easy, you might find yourself eyeing bags of leaves on your neighbor’s curb. But it takes about a year before you can use it.

1. Build an open pile of leaves or stuff the leaves in garbage bags. If you use a plastic bag, poke some holes in it so that air can flow through, to avoid a mucky mess inside the bag. (Shredding the leaves before you pile or bag them and turning the piles or shaking the bags every few weeks will speed up the process.)

2. Add a little water occasionally to the piled leaves, and if the bagged leaves have dried out, add a little water there.

3. Leaf mold is ready to use when it is dark and crumbly like soil and smells fresh and earthy. Add it to your garden beds and work it into the first few inches of soil, or use it as mulch.

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