Leaf Mulch

Leaf mulch can enhance any soil. An explanation of soil types and how they can be improved by the addition of leaf mulch.  How to make leaf mulch, when to apply it to your garden and how it will benefit your plants

Become a Greaner Gardener using Leaf Mulch

Leaf mulch is the name given to the top layer of partially decayed soil in woodland and is an excellent addition to improve most soils Understanding how to use leaf mulch starts with a brief overview of what makes a good soil. A fertile soil is obviously the key factor in growing a range of plants, although there are some plant types that actually prefer a poor soil. Soil is composed of inorganic material (minute rock particles), organic matter from decayed plants and animals, bacteria and other microorganisms, water and air. The varying proportions of these basic constituents create the different soil types.
The breakdown of organic matter creates humus; this covers the rock particles and holds water and dissolved minerals which are essential plant foods.

Clay Soils

Clay soils are made up of very fine particles which clump together with only small air spaces so they tend to be wet and heavy and poorly aerated. The addition of leaf mulch to these soils improves the drainage by increasing the aeration and makes the soil less heavy and therefore easier to work.

Sandy Soils

Soils composed of larger mineral particles (sand) are the opposite of clay soils; they tend to be drier, do not retain water and may have very poor supplies of plant foods as the minerals are constantly washed out as they are very free-draining.

Loamy Soils

Loamy soils are intermediate between clay and sandy soil; it is very variable depending on the proportion of clay and sand. The best loams have a higher proportion of clay to sand and a high organic matter content.

Leaf mulch can be added to any type of soil. If your garden is surrounded by trees, collecting the fallen leaves can seem like a daunting task in autumn but the resulting leaf mulch you can make far outweighs the hard work. Making leaf mulch could not be easier; simply collect your leaves in plastic bin  liners, stab a few holes in the bags, water well and leave in a neglected corner of the garden (behind the trees is a good spot!).
In a couple of years the leaves will have become beautiful leaf mulch. It may seem like a long wait to get any usable leaf mulch, but after the first two years you will have a constant annual supply. The resulting crumbly leaf mulch can be used in the same way as peat.  Apply your leaf mulch generously in spring and your plants will thank you.

There are many sites on-line that offer a variety of accessories for helping you convert your leaf mulch into fantastic compost that will really boost your growing power.  We particularly like the products from Evengreener - they have everything you need to begin or improve your composting and storing leaf mulch and they have a brilliant sale on at the moment.  Check it out by clicking the link below or look in our Garden Shop on this site by following the link at the top of this page.


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