Make Your Own Amazing Leaf Mold/Compost Soil Conditioner in a Trashcan: So Many Garden Benefits!

Here is the outcome of my leaf compost videos from 1 year ago. An amazing free amendment to improve your garden bed in so many ways.

Playlist Compost & Manures

How to Easily Make Leaf Mold: Collect, Shred & Moisten Them - A Fungal Process with Worm Castings!

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[GreenLove]

You know you are the real deal (gardener) when you are as excited about making and harvesting compost as you are about harvesting vegetables and Love Love Love Fall Leaves!!!

[ceecee-thetransplantedgardener]

I did this last fall - right in step with your video. I put cardboard at the bottom of a 5'x5'x4' fence cage, filled it with leaves and pretty much let it go. Occasionally I'd throw in some alfalfa pellets, wood ash from the fire pit ... left it open for rain, snow ... I'd turn it ervy so often too. it's now this rich, luscious pile of goodness - with the fattest worms I've ever seen. Going to transfer to my garden so I can start it all again this year. :)

[RCPrepping]

I collect leaves and put them directly on the garden beds. I cover the leaves with soil and let nature take its course.

[DriftmanX]

Who else is plotting to find a way to obtain large amounts of leaves after watching this?!? I am

[johnniekuykendall]

I have two huge plastic flower pots that will be perfect for this! My neighbors' trees bless me with lots of leaves!

[shepatown]

Very encouraging! My excess composting worms would speed up that process - I think.

[emilybh]

I covered two of my raised beds with leaves while growing garlic last winter and then after I harvested the garlic in the spring a volunteer watermelon poked up through the top of the leaves which was a huge pleasant surprise. ! !... My Pomegranate tree guild likes the leaves too and I think, the leaves provide so many benefits, the plants can get by with less water as the soil seems to do a better job of retaining moisture than the ones where I used other mulches ie straw and grass clippings and cardboard.

[melissasocal]

Thank you for sharing. I will definitely try this, can hardly wait.

[MANPREETKAUR-qkwj]

Hi Gary.. love your leaf compost, I am working on to collect but everybody make fun of me. Can you tell me when what tree leaves not good for compost?

[debbyparker]

I can almost smell that beautiful compost 💕

[joj]

I love an experiment 🥰 very interesting Gary. You save us so much time. Love following your methods- thank you 🙏🏻

[THERUSTEDGARDEN]

My Book and Podcasts

My New Book: The Modern Homestead Garden: Growing Self-Sufficiency in Any Size Backyard.
You can find it at these different locations... Thanks 4 the Support!


You can find my new Gardening Podcast here. I am doing 45 minute podcasts now with CaliKim called 'Gardening Coast2Coast Podcasts'

[Spiritof]

Looks like you are going to have a great yield next season, Gary . That is just beautiful
Compost👌🏻

[brianseybert]

I am a complete believer in leaf mold. Used 2 year old leaf mold as a seed starter this year and it worked fantastic.
I did find out, the more you mulch the leaves and able to keep moisture at around 50% the quicker the leaf mold will become usable.
I made a large pile last fall ~ 6' diameter and 4' high insulated with bagged leaves around the perimeter and the top. In early March I dug down less than a foot deep and found unfrozen material, so most of the pile continued to decompose over our WI winter.

[ronndapagan]

Thank you for great tips on leaves and compost.

[tiadrumgold]

That's good stuff! Save money, natural process. Happy garden.

[jbonkerz]

I have a couple piles going out back. I used leaves, grass clippings, and various fruit/veggie scraps.

[norxgirl]

Leaves I have....lots of deciduous trees....good

[detroitcityslicker]

Just add fresh grass clippings in rotating layers and this process will happen in about two months as opposed to 1 year. Still rich looking finished product that is going to be an excellent addition to tue garden beds.

[desertflower]

Alright I have my answer about the holes, thanks 😊.