{"id":6274,"date":"2015-11-07T12:00:01","date_gmt":"2015-11-07T17:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/?p=6274"},"modified":"2015-11-05T13:14:49","modified_gmt":"2015-11-05T18:14:49","slug":"fall-leaf-raking-turns-into-black-gold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/2015\/11\/07\/fall-leaf-raking-turns-into-black-gold\/","title":{"rendered":"Fall Leaf Gathering Turns Into “Black Gold”"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Compost<\/a>

Compost on rose bed at Biltmore Estates, Asheville, NC<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Leaf<\/a>

Leaf pile ready for composting<\/p><\/div>\n

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In autumn the cool crisp air paints the land with a colorful array from\u00a0tree and shrub foliage. As\u00a0days\u00a0turn into\u00a0weeks, leaves\u00a0fall away\u00a0and pile up\u00a0on rooftops, walkways, lawns\u00a0and gardens. Instead of just raking and tossing them curbside, gather\u00a0and put them to good use.<\/p>\n

Fallen leaves (and grass clippings) can be easily composted, turned into “black gold” and spread as\u00a0leaf mulch over garden soils\u00a0or around trees and shrubs, including roses.\u00a0Leaf mold\u00a0enriches\u00a0the soil, locks in moisture, and protects plant crowns and roots\u00a0from the frigid winter temperatures. You save\u00a0money\u00a0by not buying bagged mulch or compost at garden centers.<\/p>\n

To speed the composting process, shred\u00a0leaves and small twigs and branches\u00a0with a mulching mower, shredder or leaf blower set on\u00a0vacuum setting.\u00a0Start with a\u00a0thin layer of shredded leaves\u00a0to compost. It decomposes rapidly, usually within a few months.\u00a0Small twigs and branches decompose more rapidly. Heaping up\u00a0thick\u00a0heavy layers garden debris\u00a0will block air and water from penetrating the pile.<\/p>\n

Leaf mold (sometimes spelled mould<\/em>) is essentially a soil conditioner. It improves soil water retention and soil structure, and creates a living habitat for beneficial organisms such as earthworms and bacteria that nourish the soil.<\/p>\n

Distribute only a few inches of leaf mold. Thick layers of composted mulch locks in too much moisture,\u00a0and smother\u00a0plant roots that\u00a0require well-drained soil. Roots become susceptible to rots and other fungal diseases.<\/p>\n

The decomposition process for leaves takes at least 6-12 months. It takes very little work on the gardener’s part. To speed up decomposition, mow over the piled leaves once or twice. A few handfuls of nitrogen-rich fertilizer\u00a0will speed up the rotting process.\u00a0Turn the pile with garden fork or heavy rake to aerate. Throw a plastic tarp over the pile to keep leaves warm and moist.<\/p>\n

Add\u00a0leftover\u00a0leaf mold\u00a0to\u00a0a compost bin or\u00a0store remains\u00a0in plastic bags for later use.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              In autumn the cool crisp air paints the land with a colorful array from\u00a0tree and shrub foliage. As\u00a0days\u00a0turn into\u00a0weeks, leaves\u00a0fall away\u00a0and pile up\u00a0on rooftops, walkways, lawns\u00a0and gardens. Instead of just raking and tossing them curbside, gather\u00a0and put them to good use. Fallen leaves (and grass clippings) can be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[605,1016,1158,641,716,551,597,74,843,1031,777,642],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6274"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6274"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6274\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8282,"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6274\/revisions\/8282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}