Amazing Reasons To Use Leaf Mould And How To Make It At Home.

Leaf-mold, also often referred to as leaf mulch, is a form of compost composed entirely of shade tree leaves. When moist leaves are left to decompose over time, it results in a dark brown to black humus with a crumbly texture and earthy aroma.
Here are 4 REASONS TO CREATE YOUR OWN LEAF MOLD

1.LEAF MOLD IS A SUPERIOR SOIL CONDITIONER
A garden is only as good as its soil. The ideal soil type is loam, which is composed of equal parts sand and silt with lesser amounts of clay.
Loam soil has a loose and crumbly texture that allows water and air to flow through it. Because it’s porous, loamy-soil won’t become compacted, allowing water to drain so your plants won’t become waterlogged.
Leaf-mold is a wonderful soil-fixer. No matter whether your existing soil leans toward clay or sand, leaf mold will help improve soil structure all around. When added to dense clay soils, it loosens it up and prevents it from compacting after a hard rainfall.

2.LEAF MOLD INCREASES WATER RETENTION BY MORE THAN 50%.
During periods of high heat and little rainfall, keeping your garden beds well watered can be a Sisyphean task. But when leaf-mold is tilled into the soil or set on top of the soil surface as a mulch, it significantly improves the soil’s water holding capacity.

3.LEAF MOLD CONTAINS 15 ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR PLANT GROWTH
Analysis of the chemical composition of leaf litter reveals that it supplies small amounts of several important elements.
Leaf samples from red maple, red-oak, sugar maple, sweet-gum, sycamore, pin oak, and Norway maple-trees contained a varying range of carbon, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, boron, iron, copper, zinc, sulfur, sodium, manganese, nickel, and chlorine.

4.TURNING YARD WASTE INTO LEAF MOLD IS EARTH FRIENDLY
Aside from the practical reasons to make leaf mold, it is also an environmentally friendly way to recycle yard-waste.
When tree leaves, grass clippings, tree branches, and other outdoor debris are sent to a landfill, they are entombed in an airless environment. Instead of generating compost, these otherwise clean and biodegradable materials emit carbon-dioxide and methane gas – both of which are major contributors to global-warming.

HOW TO MAKE LEAF MOLD?
Collect fallen leaves that are bountiful in autumn and pile them in a shaded corner of your backyard or keep it contained using wire fencing. The pile should be at least three cubic feet large. Once the leaves are piled, dampen it thoroughly. Check moisture levels every so often and water again if it begins to dry-out.
If you don’t have the space for a large leaf-pile, another option is to place leaves into a garbage bag. Moisten well, seal the bag, and poke holes along the sides to allow airflow. Check moisture-levels every couple months.
It usually takes between six months to one year for leaves to decompose into leaf-mold. If you create a leaf-pile in autumn, you can have your hands on finished leaf mold in time for the following spring.