Homestead Education Channel is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no additional cost to you.
We all know that compost is a great amendment for your soil, it enriches the soil and makes
growing your plants and flowers easier. We are here to tell you about a way that you can DIY your own nutrient-rich compost with materials you have on hand. That’s right! There is a way for you to clear your yard of leaves and benefit your garden at the same time. This article will discuss the benefits of leaf composting.
Deciduous trees lose their leaves at the end of the growing season. They make a huge mess in the yard and blow all over the place. Raking these leaves is probably one of your least favorite chores. What do you do with them after you pile them up? Burn them? Put them in garbage bags into the trash? Not anymore. Composting those leaves is the best way to use them.
These leaves (most of them, at least), are a renewable resource that you can turn into black gold! With the proper composting process, you can both clean up and beautify your property and put that former trash waste to good use in your garden beds.
What is Leaf Composting ?
Leaf composting takes and decomposes leaves, other brown material and green materials and places them in a container with other compostable materials, adding water and oxygenating the contents of the container until everything is decomposed into black compost matter. The process can take from a few weeks up to several months to accomplish depending upon the size of the container and the components within.
What are the benefits of using leaf compost ?
Leaf compost is full of nutrients that are essential for plants to have. When you amend your garden soil with this nutrient-rich blend, the organic matter it contains amends the soil, making it healthier for growing plants.
Leaf compost also helps fight weed growth by inhibiting germination, making a natural barrier on the surface of the soil.
The decomposition process of composting leaf and other plant matter also helps to fight pests and reduce the instances of disease that can hinder growth of or kill your plants. The heat generated by the composting process kills pathogens that live in the soil, making your growth environment healthier overall.
Where can you use leaf compost?
You can use leaf compost in your flower beds, vegetable garden, containers and raised beds. Anywhere you want to amend the soil to help repel pests and add nutrients to your soil. Using leaf compost can dramatically increase the quality of your soil and consequently, improve the health and vitality of your flowers and vegetables. The best news is that you can create this important soil amendment all on your own!
Compost vs. Mulch
Compost is not the same as mulch. Use of both materials is common in gardening, but there are some important differences
Leaf compost is made from composting leaves and other organic materials into black compost, which is used to amend the soil, while mulch is used on top of the ground to help retain moisture and shield plants from drastic temperature variations.
When you’re growing crops and gardens seasonally on your homestead, it’s very likely that you’ll use both.
What kinds of leaves are best for composting?
The best leaves to use are those that will decompose easily. You will want to start with leaves that have fallen naturally from the trees and have had time to dry out some. The ones that work best are Ash,Maple, fruit trees, Poplar and Willow.
You can rake them into a pile or into a bin. Use a lawn mower or weed eater to chop up the leaves as the base for your compost.
Whether you use a bin or a pile, the principles are the same. Mix your ingredients and add water, turn regularly and keep moist, and within a couple of months to a year, you will have your compost!
Once your leaves are shredded, you add your other ingredients. These include other brown materials and green materials. The leaves are considered brown, and you can add other items such as shredded cardboard, newspapers, straw, coffee grounds or manure to add nitrogen.
Your green materials will consist of kitchen scraps, lawn clippings and other plant cuttings.
Keep your ratio about 4:1 on the brown vs. green materials for maximum effect.
Add water and cover the bin tightly, or, if you’re using a compost pile, cover with plastic. This will trap heat and help accelerate the process.
Keep the process active by checking frequently and keeping it moist, adding additional material and turning to add oxygen to the mix. Monitor it regularly to make sure it doesn’t dry out. If you find it’s overly moist, you can add more dry materials; leaves, shredded paper, or sawdust.
Is there anything you shouldn’t try to compost?
Yes. Here’s what to leave out:
- Anything acidic like pine needles will change the balance of Ph in the mix and cause issues with the process.
- Weeds and thistles for obvious reasons.
- Meat or grease will not quickly decompose and will slow the process of composting. Using these items will also attract pests and varmints, develop maggots and cause an unpleasant smell.
- Veggie seed cores will develop weeds in your compost, which you certainly don’t want in your garden. You can use cuttings and scraps, but be sure to remove the seed cores before you add them to the compost bin.
- Tomato plant leaves. These plants develop disease quite easily and put your soil at risk for pathogens.
- Nothing treated with pesticides or herbicides such as lawn clippings or flower plants.
- Do not use BlackWalnut or Eucalyptus leaves which don’t easily break down, using these will retard the process of composting.
You can compost slowly or quickly:
To speed the process along, mix it all at once and turn it regularly, making sure you maintain the proper level of moisture in a covered bin. Layer up your ingredients to about three feet in height. This is the optimal quantity for proper aeration to oxygenate your compost and break it down the quickest way possible. Using manure and other nitrogen rich materials also helps to accelerate the process
Here’s a DIY Compost Bin using a shower door courtesy of Pinterest.
A slower process would be to use a compost pile rather than a bin, and to layer up your materials over time. This is still going to create beautiful leaf compost, only it will take a great deal longer. If you have the luxury of time, you can gather your kitchen scraps and other compostable materials and add them regularly to the pile. Keep the pile covered under plastic sheeting to trap the heat and aid the decomposition process. As with the bin method, you still need to monitor the process and keep sprinkling and turning the pile regularly.
You really can do this as frugally or as fancy as you want to. You can make a simple bin, use a pile with a sheet of plastic, or you can build or purchase designated compost bins out of treated wood that are sturdy and can withstand continuous use and the elements over time.
A quick Internet search yielded everything from the DIY bin above to bins that you crank to turn and mix your compost materials. These can range in price from around $100 to close to $1000.
Whatever your budget can bear and what works best for you is the one that you should choose.
It’s a great idea to continuously compost your waste materials. It helps to avoid accumulations of garbage, which is great for sanitation and aesthetics. The end product is beautiful compost that will be a wonderful amendment when it comes time to plant, replant or revive depleted garden spaces on your homestead. You can rotate your bins as you empty them and collect the compost into its own location where you can keep it covered and dry. That way, it’s available to use whenever you need some.
This bin sells on Amazon for about $250.00.
It may take a little while for you to get into the habit of composting your kitchen waste but there are some products that can help you with this such as a countertop compost bucket. You can purchase one from $20 to $50. Many of them have a charcoal filter to cut down on odors.
Any receptacle will serve as long as it has a lid. Add your kitchen scraps, egg shells, veggie scraps and everything but meat, grease and vegetable seeds. When it’s full, you simply dump it into your active compost bin. It’s as simple as that.
Commercial garden compost can cost from $25 to $50 a yard at your garden store. Making it yourself will have an initial start up cost for the bins and the plastic, but beyond that, all of your materials are free and have the added benefit of beautifying your property and using materials you already have at hand as well as processing yard and kitchen waste. We see that as a win-win for your homestead.
Here at http://homesteadeducationchannel.com/ , we are dedicated to helping you find resources, education and information regarding all aspects of the homesteading lifestyle.
