How to Mulch With Leaf Mold
A well-mulched garden bed looks better and often outperforms unmulched beds. Mulch minimizes weed growth, moderates soil temperature, and retains moisture around the plant roots. Leaf mold, a type of organic mulch, also adds nutrients to the soil as it decomposes. Leaf mold is the byproduct of partially composted leaves. The composting process creates a light mulch that doesn't stick together as whole leaves would. Save your fall leaves in a compost pile, and use the composted material to mulch your gardens in spring. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Cultivate annual beds prior to planting. Turn the top 3 to 6 inches of soil with a tiller or spade, pulling large weeds by hand. Cultivate between existing perennial plants with a hand-held cultivating fork or hoe.
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Lay the leaf mold over the bed after you plant annuals or when perennials are about 6 inches tall. Spread a 2- to 3-inch layer of leaf mold over the entire bed.
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Pull the leaf mold away from the base of the plants, leaving a 1- to 2-inch space between the leaf mold and the stems. Leaf mold holds moisture, which can cause the stems to rot if they are in direct contact with the mulch.
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Till the leaf mold into annual beds in fall after the plants die back. Leaf mold adds nutrients to the soil as it breaks down during the winter.
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Spread a 4- to 6-inch layer of leaf mold over perennial beds. The mold mulch insulates the soil during the winter dormancy period, protecting perennial roots from frost damage. Remove the leaf mold and replace it with fresh leaf mold in spring as new growth resumes.
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Tips & Warnings
Shred large leaves before composting them into leaf mold. Larger leaves break down too slowly when left whole, which causes them to mat and repel moisture in the garden bed.
