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Leaf Mould: A simple question

Dawn13Dawn13 Posts: 37
edited November 2021 in Fruit & veg
Edit: I've accidentally put this discussion in the wrong category but don't know how to change it.

So I'm going to try and make leaf mould this year (and compost).

I'm just going to collect the leaves (plenty after this weekend) is a black sack due to space constraints.

I've been reading a lot about it and trying to get the best of all the advice that's out there.

However, there is one simple question which I never seem able to find a straight answer to...

I know leaf mould provides a variety of benefits, but my question is does leaf mould also actually provide any goodness to the soil it's added to?

Maybe it's not that simple - I know the science of soil is a very complex one.

However, any guidance from the experts here would be gratefully received.
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  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's organic matter, so it simply helps condition the soil [ the same as home made compost] rather than being 'food' in the way we normally think of it. 
    However, for many plants - especially trees and shrubs - that's exactly the type of food they need. Decent soil.  :)

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • AthelasAthelas Posts: 946
    edited November 2021
    It improves soil structure and water-holding capacity, and adds to the soil food web so definitely worthwhile. 

    This site has a table with a list of the nutrients in leaves:

    https://theheartygarden.com/leaf-mold-benefits-and-how-to-use/

    “The leaves offer a significant amount of nutrients for the soil, but not all are immediately available after application.  However, as they breakdown, they will eventually release their nutrients, and its best to think of using leaves as a long-term fertility solution.”

    It’s suggested to run the leaves over with a lawnmower to shred them and to add a small amount of water to the bag if the leaves aren’t already wet to help the process of decomposition, as well as poking holes in the bag for aeration and turning them over every so often as they mature.
    Cambridgeshire, UK
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    "My question is does leaf mould also actually provide any goodness to the soil it's added to?"

    No, not really. It's more about soil structure.
  • Dawn13Dawn13 Posts: 37
    Athelas said:
    It improves soil structure and water-holding capacity, and adds to the soil food web so definitely worthwhile. 

    This site has a table with a list of the nutrients in leaves:

    https://theheartygarden.com/leaf-mold-benefits-and-how-to-use/

    “The leaves offer a significant amount of nutrients for the soil, but not all are immediately available after application.  However, as they breakdown, they will eventually release their nutrients, and its best to think of using leaves as a long-term fertility solution.”

    It’s suggested to run the leaves over with a lawnmower to shred them and to add a small amount of water to the bag if the leaves aren’t already wet to help the process of decomposition, as well as poking holes in the bag for aeration and turning them over every so often as they mature.

    Incredibly helpful, thank you!
  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 970
    A good soil structure helps ensure that any nutrients in the soil are more readily available to the plant roots. It’s all to do with having a balanced mix of soil particle sizes This means that water can drain through but some will be absorbed by the soil particles (hence the phrase “well drained moisture retentive”) plus nutrients can be better retained/released by the soil.
     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
  • Dawn13Dawn13 Posts: 37
    Fairygirl said:
    It's organic matter, so it simply helps condition the soil [ the same as home made compost] rather than being 'food' in the way we normally think of it. 
    However, for many plants - especially trees and shrubs - that's exactly the type of food they need. Decent soil.  :)


    Gosh, I thought homemade compost was full of nutrients as it rotted down.

    It's certainly not a simple subject is it!

    Thank you.
  • Dawn13Dawn13 Posts: 37
    Butterfly66 said:
    A good soil structure helps ensure that any nutrients in the soil are more readily available to the plant roots. It’s all to do with having a balanced mix of soil particle sizes This means that water can drain through but some will be absorbed by the soil particles (hence the phrase “well drained moisture retentive”) plus nutrients can be better retained/released by the soil.

    Thank you, this is really helpful!
  • SporophyteBoySporophyteBoy Posts: 118
    An average teaspoonful of good garden soil contains 40 billion lifeforms - most of them are bacteria and moulds that immediately get their teeth into anything that lands on them. Falling leaves will already be covered in yeasts,fungi and anything that doesn't mind hanging in mid air. Once on the ground and compressed with moisture, they begin to breakdown the leaves in a process we call rotting - inside a bag, if you're lucky, they may start to heat up which makes for a better process though in my experience you will need big bags and as others have said - run a lawnmower over them first to break them up and expose more edges.  
    The reason most responders here discount the feed value of leaf compost is because it's traditionally regarded as mere "humus" ( that's plural latin - more than one hums!) which is fair enough when compare to a handful of, say Growmore or other chemical fertiliser and the fact that most leaf mould is rotted down in heaps where over time much of the nutrients that were in the leaves leeches away into the soil; however; if you make your compost in a bag more will be retained. You can also become acquainted with some truly ghastly stinking messes inside waterproof bags. 
  • shane.farrellshane.farrell Posts: 207
    Bear in mind that a relatively dense and wet pile of leaves now will rot down to about 25% of its volume by next Autumn. It's worth doing but you need quite a lot of material. I found 1 cubic metre of wet compressed leaves last year equated to enough mulch for half of one of my flower beds this year.
  • Dawn13Dawn13 Posts: 37
    So many interesting and helpful replies (as expected from the community here).

    I really struggle to get my head around soil as a science - I've watched a million of Monty's videos.

    I guess that's the fun of gardening... you keep trying and you keep learning.

    x
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