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Leaf Composting

January 15, 2023 by SoilGuide Leave a Comment

There are several methods for composting tree leaves, including:

Methods Of Leaf Composting

  1. Cold Composting: This method involves piling up leaves in a corner of your yard and letting nature take its course. Over time, the leaves will break down and turn into compost.
  2. Hot Composting: This method involves creating a compost pile that is at least 3 feet by 3 feet and 3 feet tall, and regularly turning it to ensure proper aeration. This will create heat, which will help speed up the decomposition process.
  3. Vermicomposting: This method involves using worms to break down the leaves. The worms will eat the leaves and their castings will add nutrients to the compost.
  4. Leaf Mold: This is a specific method of composting leaves by themselves. It is a slow process which takes about a year or two, but the end result is a rich, dark, crumbly soil amendment.

It is important to make sure that the leaves are shredded as they decompose more quickly and evenly.

Benefits of Cold Composting

Cold composting, also known as passive composting, is a method of breaking down organic materials without the use of added heat. Some benefits of cold composting include:

  1. It is easy and requires minimal effort. Cold composting typically involves layering organic materials and leaving them to decompose over time.
  2. It can be done year-round, regardless of the weather. Unlike hot composting, which requires warmer temperatures to work efficiently, cold composting can be done in any climate.
  3. It is less likely to attract pests and animals. Because cold composting does not generate as much heat as hot composting, it is less likely to attract unwanted visitors like rats or raccoons.
  4. It produces a higher quality compost. Cold composting can take longer than hot composting, but the end result is a richer, more diverse compost with a greater number of beneficial microorganisms.
  5. It can compost a wider variety of materials. Cold composting can handle a wider variety of materials including meat, dairy, and cooked food which are not suitable for hot composting.

Overall, cold composting is a great option for those who want to create high-quality compost without a lot of work or attention.

Hot Composting Advantages

Hot composting, also known as active composting, is a method of breaking down organic materials by adding heat. Some benefits of hot composting include:

  1. It is faster than cold composting. Hot composting can take as little as two weeks to produce finished compost, while cold composting can take several months.
  2. It can kill harmful pathogens and weed seeds. The high temperatures generated during hot composting can kill pathogens and weed seeds, making the final compost safer to use in the garden.
  3. It can break down tougher materials. Hot composting can break down materials such as branches and tough plant material that might not break down as easily in a cold compost pile.
  4. It can reduce the volume of compost. Hot composting can reduce the volume of materials in a compost pile by as much as 50-70%.
  5. It can generate heat that can be used. Hot composting can generate heat that can be used to heat greenhouses or other structures.

Overall, hot composting is a good option for those who want a quick return on their composting efforts and want to ensure that their compost is pathogen-free and weed-seed free. Keep in mind that Hot composting requires more maintenance and management than cold composting and also some materials such as meat, dairy, and cooked food should not be added to hot composting.

Leaf Mold vs Composting

Leaf mold and composting are both methods of breaking down organic materials, but they produce different end products with different uses.

Leaf mold is made exclusively from leaves, typically from deciduous trees such as oak, maple, and beech. The leaves are shredded and left to decompose for one to two years, producing a dark, crumbly, soil-like material that is high in organic matter and beneficial microorganisms. Leaf mold is an excellent amendment for gardens and can be used to improve soil structure, increase water retention and provide a slow-release source of nutrients.

Composting, on the other hand, involves a wider variety of organic materials such as yard waste, food scraps, and manure. The materials are mixed together and left to decompose for several weeks to several months, producing a dark, crumbly, soil-like material that is high in organic matter and beneficial microorganisms. Compost can be used as a soil amendment, to improve soil structure, as a mulch, and to fertilize plants.

In summary, leaf mold is a specific type of compost that is made only from leaves and takes a longer time to decompose than regular compost, but it’s ideal for amending soil and can be used as a soil conditioner. While compost can be made from a wide variety of materials and can be used in many ways in gardening and farming. Both leaf mold and compost are beneficial for plants and soil, but the choice depends on the specific use and the materials available.

Equipment Needed To Compost Leaves

A common tool used for leaf composting is a leaf shredder. A leaf shredder is a machine that grinds up leaves into small pieces, making them easier to decompose. This can be done manually with a rake or a lawn mower, but a leaf shredder can be more efficient and effective.

There are different types of leaf shredders available on the market, including:

  1. Electric leaf shredders: These shredders use electricity to power the blades and are typically less loud than gas-powered shredders.
  2. Gas-powered leaf shredders: These shredders use gas to power the blades and are typically more powerful than electric shredders.
  3. Hand-cranked leaf shredders: These shredders are manually operated and are typically smaller and less expensive than electric or gas-powered shredders.

It’s important to consider the size and volume of leaves that you need to shred and your budget when choosing a leaf shredder. Also, check for the safety features, like overload protection, and the warranty of the product.

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Filed Under: Compost, leaves

Mike McGrath Explains Why You Should Be Leaf Composting

April 5, 2015 by SoilGuide Leave a Comment

We’ve written about it many times that composting your leaves each fall will do more for your garden than any store bought fertilizer ever will.

Mike McGrath, hosts a weekly radio program on WHYY in Philidelphia called “You Bet Your Garden.” In this Ted Talk, Mike explains why you should be compost your fall leaves and not put them out for the trash collection.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Compost, Featured, leaves, Video

Shredding Leaves

February 6, 2012 by SoilGuide Leave a Comment

As I mentioned in a previous post, I use a leaf blower/vacuum to collect the leaves in my yard and then add the shredded leaves from the bag to my compost bins. This works out nicely as the vacuum does break down the leaves to smaller pieces that will compost faster than the whole leaf. But I watched my neighbor use her chipper/shredder on the leaves and I was a bit envious since the leaves were shredded to almost dirt particles. The chipper/shredded makes twice as much noise as my leaf vacuum but at least she was not wearing the vacuum bag on her shoulders like I was doing. Perhaps, there was something to it. But then my neighbor got a branch stuck in the feeder and she had to turn off the machine and unclog things. It did take some time to unclog the feeder and restart the machine.

I decided to try using my string trimmer rather than the vacuum. I must say – I was happy to take the collection bag off my shoulders.

Leaves in container ready to shred with string trimmer.


I found a 45 gallon storage container in the shed. Brought it outside and using a rake put some of the leaves into it. I started the string trimmer and proceeded to shred up the leaves in the container. It took only a few minutes to grind the leaves into pieces less than the size of a quarter. It sure did make quick work. I was able to add some of the shredded leaves to the compost bin and to top off my garden beds.

My leaf blower/vacuum has a metal impeller that does shred the leaves before entering the bag but I did find that the string trimmer shredded them to a finer degree. Both methods, leaf vacuum or string trimmer, require lifting, bending and hauling the leaves or shredded leaves. But it might be possible the the string trimmer does the better job.

Shredded leaves ready to put in compost bin

Oh, BTW, I did try shredding the leaves in an empty garbage can but I found that using a container that tall prevented some of the leaves on the bottom from getting touched at all by the string trimmer. The storage container was wider and shallower which permitted the trimmer to hit all of the leaves.

Filed Under: Compost, Featured, leaves

Autumn Leaves – Compost or Mulch?

January 16, 2012 by SoilGuide Leave a Comment

Yeah, I know it is the middle of January and I am still tending to autumn leaves. I have so many trees on and around my property that it seems like I rake leaves for months. In my defense I did take care of all the leaves in the front yard, side yard and immediately behind the house in the back yard before Thanksgiving. But there are many more leaves behind the main paths of the backyard that still need to be raked.

During the fall, I do see bags and bags of leaves piled up by my neighbors for the trash. But I haven’t given the trash men one leaf since moving into this house. In the front yard, I vacuum all the leaves up using a leaf blower/vacuum. I collect the leaves in the attached bag and then spread them as mulch around the trees and in garden beds. In areas that have gotten a little weedy, I spread newspaper and then layer the shredded leaves on top of the paper. It makes a great weed barrier.

Once I’ve gotten all the beds covered, trees surrounded and weedy areas covered in shredded leaves, I then start adding them to the compost pile. I have a few of these wire bins that work perfectly to collect my excess leaves –

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I take the shredded leaves from the vacuum bag and dump them into the wire compost bins. I keep a hose or watering can nearby because as I add more leaves to the bin I water each layer. It is important that the shredded leaves are damp before add the next layer of leaves.

On mild days throughout the winter, I will go out to the leaf piles and turn them. The fourth side of the bin slides off and I can easily set it up next to the pile to accept the turned leaves. I make sure I have the watering can nearby during this task too. Because as I add the leaves to the reestablished bin, I add water to dampen the leaves. Turning the pile, fluffs up the leaves provided much needed oxygen to the decomposing process.

Granted, turning a few piles of leaves is a tedious and labor-intensive process but it is a great way to get some fresh air and exercise on a mild winter day.

I don’t have much grass on the property – grass does not grow well under all these trees. So, I rely on my neighbors who don’t compost to add their grass clippings each week. During the spring and summer, I collect the grass clippings from my neighbors or they deliver them. Then I turn the piles and incorporate the grass clippings as layers into the shredded leaves. By the end of the summer, I have fresh compost to add the the beds before then next season of leaves begin to fall.

Filed Under: Compost, Featured, leaves

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