So after 5 years of leaf mulch......

This is my 2024 update (5 years!) for how leaf mulch has improved my garden soil! Yes, 5 years later here we are......lots of black soil, lots of fertility, no more compaction, lots of soil life!

SOIL TESTING
Here is a link to the soil test company I used. If you want to test your own, you will get a 10% discount if you use the code GROWITBUILDIT at checkout.
Note, the code is an affiliate code

I was very happy with the process, the info provided, and the service.

If you want to see my tabulated data, you can view that here at my website:

For past years Leaf Mulch Videos, here you go:
2024 - well, that is the video you are supposed to be watching now!

[yyanri]

i am unashamed to say that your leaf mulch and composting videos live rent free in my head.

[rangerswife]

@8:07 i’ve gotten so used to not weeding my garden. I really don’t wanna start.

Ok Im in!!!

[deepost]

My garden (7bVA) began as hard compacted clay 12 years ago. I also use oak leaves to mulch. In the winter usually cover the garden with a layer of straw. This year, I planted cover crop of crimson clover, barley and oats in late Aug. I will chop and drop this n April. The idea is to leave the different layers root to decompose in place. This aerates as well as providing nutrients. My soil is rich and black like yours and my plot is highly productive. I have not done the measurements, but the leaf mulch was quick to rehab clay.

[theacguy]

Leaf mould is a major discovery for me. It's benefits are amazing. Everyone should be talking about it. Your c9ntent is exactly what I like. Descriptive and logical

[brettwhiteMusicFan]

This is the first video of yours I have seen. It was a YouTube suggestion. I'm impressed with the content! I haven't seen a follow-up video like this before. It's very encouraging. Thank you for all your effort and time putting this information together and sharing it.

[HomeSweetHomewithKaren]

I really enjoy seeing the progress of your experiment! I did leaf mulch for the first time last year because of your videos and tell everyone in my gardening circle to watch the videos. Instead of being a chore, leaf collecting is sooo satisfying now. Maybe one thing you can look into is finding heavier feeder plants to help use up those extra nutrients. I am no veggie expert but just as an example, dahlias are heavy feeders and can probably live well interplanted with your veggies here and there?

[Herculesbiggercousin]

I just watched the last yesterday since I’m getting a lot of leaves falling in my yard and I wanted a refresher. Thanks Joe!

[psychonot]

Regen farmer of 10+ years and I 100% agree with stopping the imported compost and continuing leaf mulch. As you mentioned mulch had far reaching benefits, frankly just keeping the worms around is worth it. Keep up the good work, love the detailed quantification of results.

[TeeRust]

Loved this video. This year, for the first time, I mulched all five of my raised beds with shredded hardwood leaves. Definitely noticed more earthworm activity, weeds were minuscule (almost non-existent) the mulch was FREE, etc. Also, water requirements were significantly less.

No brainer to continue this going forward.

[TheWhale]

I used to grind the leaves up with the mower spread them on top of the garden and cover them with black plastic December through March. First year I did that I had 2 feet of black soil and an earthworm convention.

[C-Hirsuta]

I've been following this series since the beginning and it is SUCH a treat when I see this update every year. I can't wait to see how your soil develops as you refine your approach based on data.

[stevegill]

Thanks for the update Joe, I have great success using your info/wisdom for a few years now in an expanded version. We are in the temperate northwest and my wife has something growing year round so I do your leaf process in my composting area, then move it to the garden after it breaks down to a degree. I make 7 to 10 or so yards of compost every year using your methods. Only difference is I turn the piles with a tractor front end loader. All piles are on the ground. I mow and catch from 4 to 7 acres of grass here a year (mow every 2 weeks), add coffee grounds, and in the fall more leaves than I can even pick up. I have a coffee ground circuit we go on when we go out shopping, each time we gather 100 to 200 pounds. I leave one pile of leaves with no greens, I use it to add browns to piles if I need to latter. I am an old codger, I started out by turning by hand, but opted for the tractor by default. Thanks for your assistance. You are the best! By the way way my wife and I just got 2 Blue Heeler puppies a month ago. There favorite is frolicking in the piles, both leaves and green piles. When the piles go wormy the bears come in and dig through them for worms. My wife and I do not bring anything in from outside our place other than coffee grounds and our place has never been sprayed. So we have no need to worry about any of the sprays or other chemicals. I can send you a photo of our piles, green house and garden if you would like to see an expanded version of your awesome practical wisdom. Again, we have much appreciation for your no nonsense, practical advice!
Kind Regards,
Steve

[redplumesails]

I always look forward to these videos, you have great looking soil!

[flowerpixel]

I definitely want to hear an update next year! Leaf mulch has been amazing for me. It's so easy and free

[aronmerchen]

I love using leaf mulch in the garden. Impressive results. One thing we do is plant winter annual like rye or wheat then smash it down in early June ( we’re in zone 5) and plant tomatoes into the thick mulch. Then during the season can add more mulch with leaves. The living roots in the soil will put organic matter feet down into your soil.

[whiny-topical-beehive]

Thank you for documenting your journey Joe! It’s so exciting to see how far simply collecting leaves and spreading them on your garden will take you. I’m excited to do this in my own garden now.

[HoboGardenerBen]

I've loved using wood chips on paths and leaves for the beds for many years, works great. Did a cover crop experiment for a client and was super impressed by how quickly it opened up the soil and made it dark. I didn't do comparitive tests, but I spent a lot of time with my hands in soil made both ways and I gotta say the cover crop did better imo. But now we went back to mulching it because we removed the clover for plantings, it was the survivor after a couple years of letting the initial seed mix compete. Cover cropping is definitely a worthy part of the soil-building tool kit. Which goes first depends on whether your soil will grow any cover crop or not. I've heard daikons are great at opening hard soil. Purslane is a nice companion groundcover that helps open up the soil and gentles the force of the rain and provides habitat for all sorts of tiny critters. If a cover crop can grow, seems like the best first step. A thin layer of compost, seeds, cover with light layer of mulch. Chop\drop\mulch\regrowth annual cycle for a year or two and bam, amazing soil. Maybe start with a layer or three of cardboard if starting with intense weeds. I usually just control for light with chop\drop, only strong allies in my garden anyways, not looking to baby weak varieties so I'm not bothered by most weeds. There's an annoying thistle around here that drops pokey seeds I uproot on sight and poison ivy is scary, but most of them are not hard to supresswith chop\drop and mulch. Leaves are the easiest to move around and give great coverage, worms love them. Gardening is the best, I could ramble on for 20 pages, drifting through all sorts of topics within the world of gardening :)

[BotanicAlley]

Leaf mulch is the best garden hack! It's so underutilized in the US, even though there are so many forested regions. Thank you so much for sharing your journey

[lllovesalll]

I get happy just hearing your voice in your intro, no matter what youre talking about!! Today'svideo is super informative though. We're looking at switching our veggie and pollinator garden locations and ive been wondering how the respective plants will do as we treat each very differently. Thank you for this - will look at soil testing👍🏼

[waterdog]

I live in Southern Ontario. I have been collecting leaves for several decades. I collect more than I need. This results in me dumping a long row of leaves mixed with some grass clippings along the back and side edges of our property. Over time plants have grown on that deepening soil. I have to water the grass clippings so they do not combust. I have one area which I turn once and rake. That is what goes into the three gardens I have. My rhubarb is so much better when I conditioned the sandy loam soil with the combined mulch. Love your videos.