That was great information! I have both Leaf Mold & Compost Piles. I know Leaf Mold can take two to three years to finish. I did shred my leaves through my Ego lawn mower twice. I. Also added blood meal to kick start it. It will therefore first be broken down by a bacterial process, then when the nitrogen runs out it will be broken down by fungal decomposition process. I’m hoping that this will enable me to get my g\first batch of leaf mold in less than two years. I want to use as mulch primarily, but have garden straw for this season as a fail safe. The compost should be ready in the spring!
Just joined your journey and I am definitely looking forward to seeing your progress. I’m trying to make more leaf mould and compost for my garden. Have a fab week Kate, Ali 🌧️🌧️🇨🇦
Good video and great looking compost. I'd like to see an experiment showing plant growth using the three different compost you have . Did run your leaves through a lawn mower or strimmer.
Some leaves have more tannins than others. Here in the UK Beech and oak leaves take a long time to break down. Others like sycamore, birch and willow break down quicker.
Forget about YOU trying to tell whether it’s ready by what you think it looks like. All those roots growing in it tell you that it’s ready. Get that stuff in the garden!!! :)
Hi Kate, I got some huge mattress bags from a local mattress company (they were going to throw them out). We filled them with leaves, threw in a couple shovelfuls of manure to give a nitrogen boost (this year we used pumpkins), and filled the bags with water. Of course, most of the water drains out through the various holes, but it keeps humidity level high in the bag as the leaf mold does its thing. They're not as natural looking as your lovely pile of leaves, but if you want to speed things up, you might want to give it a try! I'm Zone 9 in Victoria, BC. ~ Sandra
Seems like it would work pretty well and keep some moisture in. I remember you mentioned the mattress bags before sound like you’ve had some success with them. Thanks! 👍
If you go see Charles Dowding his compost is much coarser, but he uses it every autumn or spring and his gardens are all 'no till' so nothing is dug into the beds. I have decided to use a large packing cardboard box as my storage for leaves over winter. Both should decompose fairly well.
My compost structure is actually based on Charles’s design but scaled down of course 😋 When I was doing the math, I realized the garden compost was older than I expected so it’s getting more broken down. There will also be pockets of lumpier material. I find soil is hard to capture on camera to show it accurately but I’ll keep trying so you guys can see it 🧐 That’s a good idea with the cardboard box. Should help hold moisture, stop the wind and breakdown too. 👍🍁 Thanks!
Two different composting processes, leaf mould breaks down as a fungus, no worms, and no heat. Both look great, you can add coffee ground to the leafmould to speed things up.
To me, they all look the same texture...for the most part, just different colors. I just started a brown leaf and a little greens bin. I have no desire to turn anything...ever. Lawd, this will take 2 yrs. 🫣🤦🏽♀😭
That was great information! I have both Leaf Mold & Compost Piles. I know Leaf Mold can take two to three years to finish. I did shred my leaves through my Ego lawn mower twice. I. Also added blood meal to kick start it. It will therefore first be broken down by a bacterial process, then when the nitrogen runs out it will be broken down by fungal decomposition process. I’m hoping that this will enable me to get my g\first batch of leaf mold in less than two years. I want to use as mulch primarily, but have garden straw for this season as a fail safe. The compost should be ready in the spring!
Just joined your journey and I am definitely looking forward to seeing your progress. I’m trying to make more leaf mould and compost for my garden. Have a fab week Kate, Ali 🌧️🌧️🇨🇦
Thanks so much! I’m looking forward to using my compost in the garden. I hope your leaf mould and compost turn out well 👍🇨🇦
Hey, that was great! Good camera work, and good job telling us what we were looking at.
(I subscribed)
Thanks so much!
Great explanation and great presenter. Hoping to upgrade my compost bin to a three bay system soon. Thank you.
Thanks so much, I hope the compost upgrade goes well!
Great update and video!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it
Good video and great looking compost. I'd like to see an experiment showing plant growth using the three different compost you have . Did run your leaves through a lawn mower or strimmer.
Kia Ora & Good Evening from NZ ...
Thanks! 😊
Some leaves have more tannins than others. Here in the UK Beech and oak leaves take a long time to break down. Others like sycamore, birch and willow break down quicker.
Do you shred the leaves before starting, or adding to the piles?
Generally, yes the leaves have been shredded but there’s some that just get tossed on too. Thanks
Did you shred your leaves first?
I didn’t shred them myself, but some of them might have been partially torn or crunched before I got them
Forget about YOU trying to tell whether it’s ready by what you think it looks like. All those roots growing in it tell you that it’s ready. Get that stuff in the garden!!! :)
You have a point! 😆
Hi Kate, I got some huge mattress bags from a local mattress company (they were going to throw them out). We filled them with leaves, threw in a couple shovelfuls of manure to give a nitrogen boost (this year we used pumpkins), and filled the bags with water. Of course, most of the water drains out through the various holes, but it keeps humidity level high in the bag as the leaf mold does its thing. They're not as natural looking as your lovely pile of leaves, but if you want to speed things up, you might want to give it a try! I'm Zone 9 in Victoria, BC.
~ Sandra
Seems like it would work pretty well and keep some moisture in. I remember you mentioned the mattress bags before sound like you’ve had some success with them.
Thanks! 👍
Woww
Thanks so much 👍
If you go see Charles Dowding his compost is much coarser, but he uses it every autumn or spring and his gardens are all 'no till' so nothing is dug into the beds.
I have decided to use a large packing cardboard box as my storage for leaves over winter. Both should decompose fairly well.
My compost structure is actually based on Charles’s design but scaled down of course 😋 When I was doing the math, I realized the garden compost was older than I expected so it’s getting more broken down. There will also be pockets of lumpier material. I find soil is hard to capture on camera to show it accurately but I’ll keep trying so you guys can see it 🧐
That’s a good idea with the cardboard box. Should help hold moisture, stop the wind and breakdown too. 👍🍁
Thanks!
Two different composting processes, leaf mould breaks down as a fungus, no worms, and no heat. Both look great, you can add coffee ground to the leafmould to speed things up.
Yup! Coffee grounds are a great resource for coffee drinkers
I want to experiment by adding JADAM microbe solution to leaves to see if it speeds up the process. I think it will.
You might be right! It certainly won’t hurt, it’s worth a try 👍
I think you mean Leafmould.
Yes, absolutely!
My leaves take FOREVER to break down. Uugh!
Some mushrooms are psychedelic
I dried and tried one from my school garden and I can confirm it 😅😅(I Have no tolerance to psychedelics)
To me, they all look the same texture...for the most part, just different colors. I just started a brown leaf and a little greens bin. I have no desire to turn anything...ever. Lawd, this will take 2 yrs. 🫣🤦🏽♀😭