Quick Tip: Use Leaves to Make Mulch

By Jennifer Poindexter

If you’ve raised plants very long, you know that gardening expenses add up relatively quickly. This is why utilizing items you already have on-hand is a good thing.

One thing you can do when caring for your plants, and tidying your yard, is use your fallen leaves when making mulch.

There are a couple of ways to go about this, so let me walk you through it. Here’s how you can use leaves as mulch:

When using leaves for mulching, there are a couple of options. You may use whole leaves from your yard (with caution), make leaf mulch, or make leaf mold.

If you want to cover the roots of a few plants in a perennial bed, you may be looking for a faster option.

In this case, I like to layer damp leaves around the base of my plants. It’s vital that you don’t mound them up the stems of the plants as this is known as volcano mulching and leads to poor plant health.

You also should only layer leaves with a depth of one-to-two inches max. If you layer them much thicker, it could suffocate the roots of the plant.

Another option is to make leaf mulch in a garbage bag. Poke holes in a black garbage bag and stuff it with leaves. If the leaves are whole, you should add some soil or compost to the bag.

If the leaves have been chopped into smaller pieces, you shouldn’t need to add any additional soil or compost.

Ensure the leaves are damp when going in the bag. Then tie it up and set it to the side over winter. You may use the compost the following spring, in most cases.

If you’d like to make leaf mold, allow the leaves to compost for an entire year. This should thoroughly break them down leading to the desired end product.

These are a few different ways to utilize the leaves in your yard to add to your plants’ health. Your overall goals will guide you on which option is best for your plants or garden.