How To make Compost: Leaf Mold

Facilitator Helena uses the fallen leaves to make one kind of compost

Autumn is the perfect time of year to start thinking about compost. You might be surprised to hear it, but some compost does grow on trees (you just have to wait a while before you can use it).

There is a lot to be said for leaving fallen leaves on the growing beds in a garden, and even on the grass! Many creatures rely on the fallen leaves for places to hibernate over winter or as a food source. And as the leaves break down they will feed your soil, improving it and storing carbon in the ground.

If you have to clear leaves from your paths, don’t throw them out! By saving the fallen leaves you can save yourself some cost and effort buying compost. At Ninewells garden, there are lots of trees and we need to keep the paths clear for access, this means we are able to collect lots of useful leaves and make a giant pile which breaks down over winter as the naturally occurring fungi break the leaves back down into soil. It may take a year or longer for your leaves to break down, depending on the conditions.

Smaller scale leaf mold making

If you do not have space for a giant pile of leaves, or don’t have quite so many to collect, you can also make a smaller collections, reusing old compost bags or using black bin bags.

• Use a rake to collect the leaves into a pile, if you have a someone who can jump on the pile this adds to the fun.
• Gather as many leaves as you can fit into the bag, squashing them down as you fill it
• The leaves should be wet but not waterlogged, if they are dry, add some water to the bag of leaves
• A couple of drainage holes towards the bottom of the bags is useful to ensure the leaves do not become waterlogged- you can spike the bags with a garden fork.
• pile the bags in an out of the way spot, you can check them through the year if you want, the important thing is that the leaves stay damp, ignoring them till next year is also fine.

In the smaller bags the leaves seem to take a bit longer to break down, so your leaf mold may still look quite leafy this time next year, don’t worry, just check if they are damp enough and leave them a bit longer, once they are almost completely broken down, you will have lovely free compost for very little effort, and the plants seem to love growing in it. A few bits of leaf here and there in your final compost is fine, they will continue to break down and feed the soil.

Text and photos by Helena Simmons