It seems we're being programmed not to do anything without some form of instruction? As Kili says, if the leaves are simply dug into the soil, they disappear before the plot is dug again and Nature has done the job without all the faff.
The question was about leaf mould, if I remember correctly. Digging leaves into the soil will not produce leaf mould. Faff has nothing to do with it. Good advice is not instruction, it's just advice. We are all free to do as we wish but if we don't know how to do something, we are able to ask the experienced gardeners who contribute to this forum.
It seems we're being programmed not to do anything without some form of instruction? As Kili says, if the leaves are simply dug into the soil, they disappear before the plot is dug again and Nature has done the job without all the faff.
I have a huge oak and beech on my boundary. So far I have 4 giant builders bags full of leaves and still have more to collect.
I no longer have have any empty ground to dig leaves in. I have to go through the faff by storing them until they form leaf mould, then I can use that to top dress the beds.
I am always willing to learn of methods that will speed this up.
A very old friend who has been a gardener for 60 years says she just adds them to her compost...fine when she has no huge trees. She did not realise that leaves are broken down by fungus. Every day is a school day....we can learn. With or without faff
Excellent, and that's not sarcasm. The initial enquirer now has a typical blend of advice with which to proceed. In another 'Compost' post, the value of leaves in their dead form was multi facetted, but mainly as soil conditioners and nutritional additives. Maybe in ignorance, I've always assumed there'd be little difference between 'Mould' and 'Compost' in providing those two benefits - a genuine assumption.
I suspect there's a lot we don't know about the structure, nutrients, fungi etc in leaf mould and the effect this has on different plants. It makes sense to me to mulch with leaf mould rather than garden compost, those plants which are natural inhabitants of woodland, since that's what they are "used to" - if you know what I mean... I've always mulched my hardy cyclamen with leaf mould, and they seem to do OK as a result. I don't know what effect a mulch with garden compost would have. Perhaps we need a controlled experiment?
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
I’ve been making leaf mould for about 25 years using double black bags. I always put plenty of small holes in the bags after tying them. I always add water and compress the contents before tying and then leave them behind a hedge in a shady part of the garden. It has always worked a treat for me - lovely stuff with lots of worms when I need it 😁
As well as making leaf mould I've also put it directly onto beds, though I don't dig it in as I prefer no dig. I still shred it , as apart from breaking down quicker and looking better , it stops it floating off, allows water to penetrate and is less inviting as slug shelter.
Another good reason for making leaf mould in isolation rather than just adding/digging the leaves it into beds is it can be used with potting and seed starting mixes.
We made a second leaf bin last year (right under the biggest tree!) as we usually have such a lot of leaves to collect, including the ones in the cul de sac outside which has 6 trees in it. Now we can leave the first bin to rot down for a whole year and so on. They are made from chicken wire supported by strong 5 ft high fencing pins in each corner with a 'gate' on the front which I can just untie to access the leaf mould. I water them both if we have a drought. I find it much easier than heaving plastic sacks full around which tend to split at the wrong moment but you do need the room to have bins.
Posts
I have a huge oak and beech on my boundary.
So far I have 4 giant builders bags full of leaves and still have more to collect.
I no longer have have any empty ground to dig leaves in.
I have to go through the faff by storing them until they form leaf mould, then I can use that to top dress the beds.
I am always willing to learn of methods that will speed this up.
A very old friend who has been a gardener for 60 years says she just adds them to her compost...fine when she has no huge trees.
She did not realise that leaves are broken down by fungus.
Every day is a school day....we can learn.
With or without faff
Another good reason for making leaf mould in isolation rather than just adding/digging the leaves it into beds is it can be used with potting and seed starting mixes.