Stop Raking and Start Mulching! – Transform Leaves into Lawn Food for a Healthy Yard

SUMMARY

When offering a large range of practical benefits to your garden, leaf mulching is a promising option. It offers environmental, economic, and practical benefits to your lawn or garden yard. In this article, we will explain why leaf mulching can be a game changer for your garden, how to create leaf mulch, and other helpful tips to remember before you mulch your leaves. Say goodbye to trash bags full of leaves and say hello to a new resource that will give your plants a huge energy boost through organic means!

The Benefits of Leaf Mulching

Nutrient-rich organic Matter

One of the main benefits that leaf mulching has to offer is nutrients. This additional nutrient will help enrich your soil. How does this work? First, your mulched leaves will decompose. This decomposition process will release essential nutrients into the soil like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. These organic nutrients will improve soil fertility and structure and make it more moisture-retentive. It will also promote the growth of beneficial microbes and worms in your soil.

Natural Plant Protector

Leaf mulch will also help provide organic, natural protection for your plants in many ways. For example, the layer of mulch will be able to block and weed seeds from accessing sunlight, stopping them from germinating. It can also protect your plants against soil-borne diseases as a useful barrier. It also works great during the winter since it can provide a protective layer around the roots of plants, shielding them from the harsh weather. It also doesn’t just protect a plant, but it can also help protect insects too. (Don’t worry, beneficial insects!) The leftover leaves can help provide a comfy shelter for insects like mason bees, butterfly larvae, ladybugs, lacewings, and ground beetles during the cold winter.

Step-By-Step for Mulching Leaves Correctly

The first thing you will want to do is collect the leaves. Just collect them as you normally would. You can use a leafblower, rake, or shop vac, whichever method you prefer, as long as you can get the leaves into piles. Once you have created leaf piles that are about 5-8 inches deep, you can prepare to shred them. You can use a leaf mulching mower or a garden vacuum to shred the leaves. There are different kinds of leaf mulchers, so pick the best tool for you. Once you have shredded the leaves into mulch, you can apply them to your area, whether it is a garden bed, vegetable garden, or around your plants. After evenly spreading them, you can gently pour water on the mulch to help it settle and start decomposition. Now, you need to monitor the leach mulch, and if you see it start to compact, you can fluff it up with a rake or add more shredded leaves to the mulch.

Bonus Leaf Mulching Tips

Create Leaf Mold!

Besides leaf mulch, you can also create leaf mold. You just have to choose an area in your yard for a leaf pile. After you shred your leaves, you can pile them together and cover them with a tarp. This will retain moisture and help the leaves break down, turning into leaf mold. This leftover mold will be an excellent soil amendment and a great accompaniment to your leaf mulch.

Go With a Leaf Mulching Professional

If you want to find a more time-efficient way to mulch leaves or access premium leaf mulching equipment or grade mulch, consider going with a professional. Hiring a professional will save you the time and effort to do the leaf mulching yourself, especially if you have a large yard and not enough time. They can use special equipment to mulch leaves faster and provide expert advice on mulching, especially if you are starting and learning. Professional mulching also has a certain quality due to years of experience. Using their services will result in a tidy-looking, well-maintained yard. So, if you are too tired or busy this year, a leaf mulching professional is a promising option.