This year I collected so many leaves, I shredded a 3 cubic foot pile and let that sit. I also have a huge pen with just plain leaves that can sit for years until they break down. I'll be able to see,if the shredded leaves that heat up a little still get fungally dominant in the end, I suspect so.
Ahhhh amazing!! We moved to Springfield Illinois this spring. Can wait to get our own property and really scale up. Love your method and definitely end up with an awesome finished product!! Cheers Jason and Colleen 🌱🤞👍🤜🤛
I think you’re right that the residual grass clippings gave the leaves a nitrogen boost. My understanding is that’s not a deal breaker in the beginning of a leaf mold pile. The bacteria will eventually die down and the fungi will take over. I know wherever we spread leaf mold that was only 12 months old in our garden, we got lots of mycelium and tiny mushrooms! So I know it eventually turned to a fungal process, even though it started with a nitrogen kick. Funny story, we were driving around, looking at Halloween decorations and we saw eight giant black bags of leaves sitting on the boulevard. Landon ran home to get the utility trailer and came back and grabbed all the bags of leaves. Unlike you, we didn’t dump them out and mow over them, but just filled them with water, punched them with holes and set them aside until next year. The running joke is what if our neighbour put a pile of dirty diapers down the bottom of the garbage bags and topped it up with leaves! We have no idea what we’re going to find next fall…😂
100% agree with NanasWorms. In nature when the leaves fall the first organisms to begin the decay process are bacteria and insect activity. So although the leaf litter does not heat up because there isn't sufficient mass to hold the heat in, the bacteria are still the first organisms to begin breaking down the leaf litter in the forest. When you mowed the leaves you greatly increased the surface area for the bacteria to begin working on. At 140 decrees you have not reached the temperature that would kill off the spores (which are the seeds of the fungus) that will eventually turn the pile into fugally dominated leaf mould, or mold (the words are interchangeable depending on where in the world you are). The heat will subside fairly quickly because the bacteria will not have sufficient nitrogen to sustain their exponential growth. Unless the pile in it's entirety gets to 165 degrees or above (which will never happen without turning and adding nitrogen) the fungal spores will "sprout" and hyphae will begin working on the carbon material. Since you DID mow, it should take around 18 months instead of 24 to "finish" because the fungal hyphae have had assistance in breaking down the pile. I would have added water (only a misting of it) between each 2 or 3 inch layer while building the bin because even the fungus needs water to grow through the pile, just not as much as the bacteria do.
Do NOT turn the pile, the fungal hyphae should not be broken up while it works on the material, they grow long and strong and turning the pile would break them up
Omg that's hilarious Sandra !! Seriously that's some great points. I think we'll probably end up flipping it and seeing how much the Temperature comes up. I really didn't think there was any grass clippings but there had to be some nitrogen source. I know our wood chip pike got around 100°F last year but he outside of it was huge balls of mycelium:)))) Thanks for you inside, we really appreciate it!! Cheers J&C 🌱🤞🌱😁😁😁
I'm not the biology major so I can only tell you that I make grass clippings and shredded cardboard compost. It takes months to break down and the temperature gets to the 120°'s tops. But it seems to cool down quickly. Mine is just an open pile. The big Earthworms move in and out. The grass clippings have some Live Oak leaves in them so they take months to break down vs the grass. I think you are doing an awesome job, whatever the outcome 👍💕👍
Thanks Peggy! Sometimes we noodle on things too much. We are always reminding ourselves that perfect is the enemy of good - just make some compost! Just do it and stop worrying about whether it's perfect! Cheers, Colleen and Jason
My leaf mould gets hot in the bags and once moved into the bin cools down. I have come to the conclusion that the leaves that stayed in the one ton bags for a long time broke down better in the first year, because the leaves put in the bin directly from collection haven't done so well Jason. 🍂🍁Happy Composting, Terry King.
That's really interesting Terry!! I would've thought the opposite but maybe the lack of air plays a role. It was interesting to see you latest video on it, how some material was broken down but other looked almost like new ? We've got some excellent comments on the video and I've decided leave the pike along and let the fungi do the work over the winter :)))) Thanks again Terry, as always, we really appreciate your observations and support 💪🤜🤛 Cheers Jason and Colleen 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁👑
@@clivesconundrumgarden yes all that material that hadn't broken down was put straight in so the wait at the moment for me to rebuild the bays will help.
Fun fact, nature doesn't pile leaves into bags, so any process we do short of a thin layer left on the ground will be different than the natural process. It's all superb though so no worries.
Slow & steady wins the race. I think it'll be okay. The initial start of it might be warm cause of the small amount of nitrogen but once that part cools I think the fungi from the carbon/leaves will take over. Keep us posted on how it goes! I've actually never made leaf mold compost so it'll be interesting & educational to watch it!! Have a beautiful weekend guys!
You're bang on Rebecca!! The comments have been amazing on this video. If you get the chance, go check out Nana's comment. Look at Cramer's Backyard comments, they're epic !! I've been running a seed starting trial with 100% 3 year old leaf mold and the results are great so far !! Hope you guys have a great weekend!! Stay Awesome!! Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
Hi Jason & Colleen I am no expert on leaf compost, if I am lucky I get one bag of leaves a year and all I do is leave them in the bag for a couple of years. Great and very interesting video both, really enjoyed it. Take care. 👍👍👍👍👍
Another great vlog thanks. I have to admit to being a frustrated leafmolder, with it only working after 2 years. This year when I emptied 1 year old stuff it really had not decayed much at all. Never noticed any heat from mine. Mike
Hmmmm interesting Mike. If you get the chance, go check out Nana's comment. Look at Cramer's Backyard comments, they're extremely thorough!! I've been running a seed starting trial in 100% leaf mold for a couple weeks, the results are very good so far !! Hope you're having a great weekend!! Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
It's November 2023. I don't know about the rest of the North America, but In the province of Ontario, Canada, we have an epic white powdery mildew on all Maple trees. For the past 40+ years, I have been composting the maple leaves. But this Fall, I decided not to do that. I worry that the powdery mildew might survive inside my compost bin and create havoc in my veggie garden when I spread the compost everywhere. What is your opinion?
That's really interesting and tbh I've never heard of it. I think you're making a wise decision as I hate to "bring in" fungus that could cause long term soil issues!! Have a great day !! Cheers Jason and Colleen 🌱🤞👍😊🇨🇦🇺🇸
I have never seen such a wide spread of the white powdery mildew affecting Maple trees of all varieties and sizes. Usually, I see it on very young Japanese Maples. This past Summer, we had a few days of dense smoke. The winds blew the airborne ashes from the forest fires in Quebec to Northern Ontario and from there, carried the ashes southward toward Lake Ontario. I am wondering if the severe air pollution was responsible for lowering the Maples' defenses against the white powdery mildew. I haven't noticed it on any other deciduous trees in my area. Just Maples.
@JS-jl1yj Have any of the Agro Forestry or university extension offices said anything about it. There must be others that have noticed, tracked, and have information on it ???
Hi guys I've never made leaf mould, I'm too impatient. I put everything to compost. I didn't expect the leaves to get that hot! I think it will cool down and become fungal, I wouldn't turn it tho, just keep monitoring the temperature. Adding a handful of soil might give it a helping hand and also adding some moisture should help too. When are you using it? 😊👍💚🙏
Nick, If you get the chance, go check out Nana's comment. Look at Cramer's Backyard comments, they're epic !! I'm running leaf mold seed starting trials atm and 2 weeks in the results are pretty awesome!! Cheers Brother!! Jason and Colleen 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
Terry is the King !! I started watching him just over a year ago. Been a huge inspiration. We just started gardening two years ago but love it. Where in the UK are you at ? Cheers from Victoria Canada Jason and Colleen 🌱🤞🎅🌱😁
LOL I love letting you do the overthinking for me 😁 I just mulch all the beds in the fall thickly and then make my final lasagna compost with the pile of lawn cuttings then a final deep leaf layer on the top. The final layer holds all the kitchen scraps throughout the winter. I wanted to keep bags full off to the side but I ran out of steam 🤷🏻♀️ Really wanted to try seed starting from only leaf mold vs seed starting mix.
Lol glad I could help !! I haven't trialed it against seed starting but from what I've seen so far, you should definitely try it Roxanne!! Cheers J&C 🌱🌱🌱
Nice score, picking up the leaves. I always think slow and steady for leaf mold. Completely different process than hot composting. But it still requires a little bit of water. Chopping the leaves will speed the process up as opposed to leaving the leaves whole 🍁
Thanks Rick !! You're bang on with alot ofother comments. I'll add a bit of water but won't be flipping it !! Really appreciate your perspective brother. Btw If you get the chance, go check out Nana's comment. Look at Cramer's Backyard comments, they're epic !! Have a great weekend brother!! Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
@@clivesconundrumgarden hey after reading that, don’t know if your up for a little experiment…let me know and I will tell you what I just thought about 😁
@@clivesconundrumgarden after reading Sandra’s comment talking about the mycelium. I just started a new bokashi bucket today, and it popped in my head about sprinkling a little bokashi bran on the leaves 🤔 I do have 2 bags of leaves so I may try an experiment with this as well. Not sure if I would try to put it over the whole compost bin area for an experiment but maybe a bags worth to try it out 😁
@@GardeningwithBarchuckin that'll definitely be interesting Rick, I've added fermented materials that went through the "bokashi process" and heard the bran is a good accelerator but never tried it !! I'm interested if you get "pickle" smell from it ?:) Let us know !!!
Hi guys great video I've just turned last years stuff into a new bay last week you need about 18 months to get some good quality stuff,if you can help yourself Jason I'd try not to turn it too much and just let it do its thing
Excellent brother!! That seems to be the common theme in the comments. Btw, If you get the chance, go check out Nana's comment. Look at Cramer's Backyard comments, they're epic !! Hope you guys are having a great weekend, Stay Awesome Brother!! Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
I believe the cutting of the leaves, increasing the surface area has generated the temperature bump. I've heard that 160º is the "killing temp." I would turn it 1 time and then let the fungal properties take over. And yes - you never know what's in the bottom of the bags - I prefer the lighter ones. Ginko leaves are very dense and quite heavy. I'm hot composting this year but would like to try a bin of leaf mould at some time.
Awesome Bill !! We now live in Springfield IL so it's a bit different down here. I just build a leaf pile on an existing inground bed. I wanna see how broken down the "core" gets by spring. Thanks for the awesome comments!! Cheers Jason and Colleen 🌱🤞👍🤜🤛
@clivesconundrumgarden When I lived in Central IL, I did a similar thing. Built a wire cage on top of established beds in the late fall, filled with shredded leave & grass clippings (some partially decomposed food waste at soil level) then walked away. In spring, raked it back to expose dirt rows & then planted. Once seedlings were up, I would push back the organic matter as mulch. Worked near perfectly. I had to winter kill covercrop to create new beds from grassy lawn or weedy areas. A Mennonite seed store owner made a magic mix for me. Peaceful Valley makes a similar blend you can order on line.
Excellent, thanks, flatsville !! We're currently looking at properties atm and are hoping to get around 5 acres. If we do, we'll have plenty of room to try all the "things" on our list. Btw, pretty happy with Johnny's- Winter mix 🤜🤛 but I'll check those ones out !!
I'm presently sieving a 5 year old oak leaf pile to use as a top dressing or mulch (depending on the 1/4" sieve. Not really sure what I have though it has that rich earthy smell common in a deciduous stand of trees, it's the wrong color being mostly fallen leaf brown. It's super absorbent once initially dampened. Digging it into the soil certainly makes it far more friable and open to receive more water so adding it to all my vegetable beds for the coning Aussie El Nino enhanced summer after 3 mild and wet ones.
Very cool Roland !! There's was a golf course by our garden in Victoria. They had 5-7 year old leaf mold piles. Amazing when I dug into it, it was warm to the touch after all those years. The material was beautiful. I used a mixture of 40% our compost, 40% leaf mold and 20% worm castings. Never seen healthier starts !! Very new to all this and now Illinois, it makes for a steep learning curve !! Thanks for sharing your experiences, we totally appreciate it!! Cheers Jason and Colleen 🌱🤞👍
Hey Jason & Colleen hope you're both well. You're the new royalty of compost corner 😃 You've got some great compost material coming out of your bins. I got around 150litres of usuable material out of the one pile of mine, Still cold & no sign of heat in this or the other pile 🤔. I've mixed it 50/50 with some spent potato compost & put it in 30litre containers for next years potatoes & some in big planters for flowers for next season. They've all received some chicken pellet & 6x fertiliser as a belt & braces measure 😛. Everything ready for planting up with seed spuds & seedlings for next season.👍 Also sowed some (new to me) herb called 'Savoury' the other week in the greenhouse & it's already sprouting, Apparently used in Canadian cooking from some recipes I've been watching on YT & was very popular in Roman times. Looking forward to seeing how it grows & tastes. 🙂 Thanks for the video.
Jason's goal is to make some really good seed mix out of what he's got going on. I expect him to try to angle for more compost bays so that he can start to expand into other areas lol. I know I've heard of savoury, but I don't know if I've ever used it. What kinds of recipes is that for? Cheers, Colleen
@@clivesconundrumgarden The few recipes I've read about regarding the herb Savory are all meat based dishes. The one I was reading about was a minced (ground) beef & onion pie.
@@clivesconundrumgarden Hi guys the YT recipe was a Tourtiere French Canadian meat & potato pie I was looking at making, Being the chief cook & bottle wash here I shall make it when my savory herb is ready to harvest. 😍Love me some pies in the cold Winter months.
Cool !! Btw If you get the chance, go check out Nana's comment. Look at Cramer's Backyard comments, they're epic !! We're running seed starting trials with leaf mold and the results have been impressive!! Have a great weekend guys!! Cheers Jason and Colleen 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
Best comment ever my man !! Saw that you finally released a video. We'll be headed over in a bit to check it out !! You're awesome!! Let's go !! Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
I read somewhere the process of shredding the leaves increasing the surface area of the leaves dose promote bacterial decay. However, the leaf mold I have produced using this method does produce leaf mold loaded with fungi and spores. I know, because I check it out under a microscope. I have also read that turning a leaf mold pile is detrimental because you are destroying fungal strands in the process of turning. I also lightly water my leaf mold bin and cover as you did. I would only be concerned if the temp got up to, or over 160 F this would certainly degrade the leaf mold. Just came in from checking the temp of my leaf mold bin. Temps are running from 80 F to 140 F. Just had an idea. Next year I will split my jumping worm proof leaf mold pile in half. One half I will add un shredded leaves and the other half shredded leaves and see what the differences are. I think I will send a sample of the finished leaf mold from this year for a soil test to see what nutrients are actually in it. I am like you in the sense that I try things, but still have a lot of questions on what I am actually doing or making. I do know one thing, the plants I started with leaf mold as a seed starter last winter did extremely well. Weather it was fungal dominant or not, did not bother me. I need to get a camera for my scope so I can demonstrate what is actually crawling around in the stuff we are making. Enjoy your videos.
Awesomeness Brian !! We really appreciate you taking the time to write such a thoughtful and thorough comment!! I'm going to leave the pile alone and may add a bit of water !! If you get the chance, go check out Nana's comment. Look at Cramer's Backyard comments, they're epic aswell:) Just love this platform for reasons like this!! Hope you're having a great night and kick butt this weekend!! Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
@@joniboulware1436 They did get into my leaf mold bin last year. I cooked about 40 gallons of leaf mold in my pellet grill last fall so it can be used as my seed starter and in my potting mixes. I also made some leaf mold in a garbage can they did not find, I'm hoping that I have enough leaf mold this spring. I have 2 more garbage cans with infested leaf mold I will have to solarize this spring, the sun was too low in the fall to get the temperature needed (103F) long enough to kill the cocoons. Stay Well!!!
@Joni Boulware were very lucky here in Victoria, Canada, Joni. There haven't been any found this side of the Rockies. Brian has an excellent video on how he's making compost in a jumping worm proof bin. I recommend checking it out :) Cheers
Every-frickin-day !! It's totally on me, If I could just be normal like other people 🤣 Thanks for the awesome comment !! Cheers Jason and a very patient Colleen 🌱🤜🤛👍
It's crazy Tom !! I've been running a trial, seed starting with leaf mold, 2 weeks in and the results are really impressive!! Hope you having a great weekend my friend!! Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
The temperature spike won't last long. By next week it will be cooler. It will take 2 years to finish. If you flip it at 1 year, it will go a little faster. I get the same thing when I fill my leaf mold bin each fall. During the warm season, it will hum along at 80 to 90 F as long as there is still enough volume in the bin.
You're bang on Steve!! It cooled off with 3-4 days. I'm definitely going to leave it now. Btw If you get the chance, go check out Nana's comment. Look at Cramer's Backyard comments, they're epic !! Hope you're doing great and looking forward to an update this weekend!! Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
@@clivesconundrumgarden Cramer has it right and I agree that adding some water to the pile will help. Mushrooms grow where it is moist and they are just a more visible extension of the fungi.
Ohhh man Ali !! We still haven't had any here... yet !! But it looks like rain for us !! Hope you guys have a great weekend too !! Cheers the kiddos 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
Mine are too and so are my compost piles. Is there any affect of cold temperatures or actual snow on top the piles that disturbs the decomposition process? Thanks.
@@clivesconundrumgarden Always great to watch. Dance night with your sweetie to some big band music and then a relaxing cup of tea while listening to the big band music.
Thanks so much, we're super new to this but love it, especially doing it together!! Where are you from? Thanks again!! Cheers Jason and Colleen from Victoria Canada 🌱🍁🌱😁
Nice Smitty, do you just leave them as is or do you add anything? Btw If you get the chance, go check out Nana's comment. Look at Cramer's Backyard comments, they're epic !! Hope you're doing great and Stay Awesome!! Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
@@clivesconundrumgarden I pretty much use them as soon as they thaw out in the spring. I make compost using grass clippings, leaves, yard waste, and kitchen scrapes. But mostly I compost the kitchen scraps in and indoor worm bin.
You're exactly right, Brian. Since then, I've moved it, given it a little fish hydrolysate, watered it in, and covered with a little plastic. Now the waiting begins lol!! Thanks for the suggestions, we totally appreciate it :) Cheers Jason and Colleen 🌱🍁🤞
Bang on they came down within 3 days to 60°F We're so new to this stuff, almost everything is a surprise. Cheers from Victoria Canada Jason and Colleen 🌱🤞🌱
Thanks Robin !! I was pretty worried I f'd up yet another thing lol. But definitely seems to be the consensus, not to worry. Might add a bit of water but not going to flip it :) Have a great weekend and Stay Awesome!! Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
Yeah, that's a good point Nneka. We may use the leafs in the big white bag in the garden and see what the bin does. It cooled down after 3-4 days but I may flip it and see if it comes up in temp, I'd expect it would ???? Thanks for the insight, we totally appreciate it :))) Stay Awesome!! Cheers J&C 🌱🤞🌱😁😁
Let it heat up and then when it cools down feed it fungal foods like dilute some liquid kelp and fish hydrolysate like once a month or every other month. Would have been cool to mix up some insect frass or crab meal in the beginning.
That's wicked smart !! Where are you from Noey ? We live on the ocean, so these materials are easy to get my hands on. I used seaweed quite a bit but never considered using in the leaf mold. Makes a ton of sense. Thanks for your perspective and knowledge, we totally appreciate it!! Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
I'm way over my head Manda, but I'm trialing %100, 3-4 year old leaf mold and the results are fabulous, so I'm interested in how it's made. Hope you're having a great weekend and Stay Awesome Manda!! Cheers J&C 🌱🤞🌱🍁🍂
Good to know, I'm so new at this tge internet is a "tricky" place to learn lol. A few months on and the IMO's we added had a fascinating and beneficial effect to me. Hope you enjoying the beautiful day over there:) Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍄👍
You're totally right,Jacob. Temps dropped almost immediately. I looked a couple of days ago, and it was just over ambient. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. Cheers from Victoria Canada 🌱🍁🌱
Oro Sólido my man !! Shhh but I'm going to have to move it lol !! I need to fix the compost bay bottoms and I'm starting a new pile soon, hope the Hyphae police forgive me 🤣🤣🤣 Cheers Brother!! Let's gooooo!! Jason and Colleen 🌱🤞🌱😁😁😁
This year I collected so many leaves, I shredded a 3 cubic foot pile and let that sit. I also have a huge pen with just plain leaves that can sit for years until they break down. I'll be able to see,if the shredded leaves that heat up a little still get fungally dominant in the end, I suspect so.
Ahhhh amazing!! We moved to Springfield Illinois this spring. Can wait to get our own property and really scale up. Love your method and definitely end up with an awesome finished product!!
Cheers Jason and Colleen 🌱🤞👍🤜🤛
I think you’re right that the residual grass clippings gave the leaves a nitrogen boost. My understanding is that’s not a deal breaker in the beginning of a leaf mold pile. The bacteria will eventually die down and the fungi will take over. I know wherever we spread leaf mold that was only 12 months old in our garden, we got lots of mycelium and tiny mushrooms! So I know it eventually turned to a fungal process, even though it started with a nitrogen kick.
Funny story, we were driving around, looking at Halloween decorations and we saw eight giant black bags of leaves sitting on the boulevard. Landon ran home to get the utility trailer and came back and grabbed all the bags of leaves. Unlike you, we didn’t dump them out and mow over them, but just filled them with water, punched them with holes and set them aside until next year. The running joke is what if our neighbour put a pile of dirty diapers down the bottom of the garbage bags and topped it up with leaves! We have no idea what we’re going to find next fall…😂
Good morning Sandra 💕 Funny story 😄
100% agree with NanasWorms. In nature when the leaves fall the first organisms to begin the decay process are bacteria and insect activity. So although the leaf litter does not heat up because there isn't sufficient mass to hold the heat in, the bacteria are still the first organisms to begin breaking down the leaf litter in the forest. When you mowed the leaves you greatly increased the surface area for the bacteria to begin working on. At 140 decrees you have not reached the temperature that would kill off the spores (which are the seeds of the fungus) that will eventually turn the pile into fugally dominated leaf mould, or mold (the words are interchangeable depending on where in the world you are). The heat will subside fairly quickly because the bacteria will not have sufficient nitrogen to sustain their exponential growth. Unless the pile in it's entirety gets to 165 degrees or above (which will never happen without turning and adding nitrogen) the fungal spores will "sprout" and hyphae will begin working on the carbon material. Since you DID mow, it should take around 18 months instead of 24 to "finish" because the fungal hyphae have had assistance in breaking down the pile. I would have added water (only a misting of it) between each 2 or 3 inch layer while building the bin because even the fungus needs water to grow through the pile, just not as much as the bacteria do.
Do NOT turn the pile, the fungal hyphae should not be broken up while it works on the material, they grow long and strong and turning the pile would break them up
Omg that's hilarious Sandra !!
Seriously that's some great points. I think we'll probably end up flipping it and seeing how much the Temperature comes up. I really didn't think there was any grass clippings but there had to be some nitrogen source. I know our wood chip pike got around 100°F last year but he outside of it was huge balls of mycelium:))))
Thanks for you inside, we really appreciate it!!
Cheers J&C 🌱🤞🌱😁😁😁
@@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920 🤣🤣🤣 so awesome!!
I'm not the biology major so I can only tell you that I make grass clippings and shredded cardboard compost. It takes months to break down and the temperature gets to the 120°'s tops. But it seems to cool down quickly. Mine is just an open pile. The big Earthworms move in and out. The grass clippings have some Live Oak leaves in them so they take months to break down vs the grass.
I think you are doing an awesome job, whatever the outcome 👍💕👍
Thanks Peggy! Sometimes we noodle on things too much. We are always reminding ourselves that perfect is the enemy of good - just make some compost!
Just do it and stop worrying about whether it's perfect!
Cheers, Colleen and Jason
My leaf mould gets hot in the bags and once moved into the bin cools down. I have come to the conclusion that the leaves that stayed in the one ton bags for a long time broke down better in the first year, because the leaves put in the bin directly from collection haven't done so well Jason.
🍂🍁Happy Composting, Terry King.
That's really interesting Terry!! I would've thought the opposite but maybe the lack of air plays a role. It was interesting to see you latest video on it, how some material was broken down but other looked almost like new ?
We've got some excellent comments on the video and I've decided leave the pike along and let the fungi do the work over the winter :))))
Thanks again Terry, as always, we really appreciate your observations and support 💪🤜🤛
Cheers Jason and Colleen 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁👑
@@clivesconundrumgarden yes all that material that hadn't broken down was put straight in so the wait at the moment for me to rebuild the bays will help.
@@terrykingsallotmentgardening 👑🔨🪚😁😁😁
Fun fact, nature doesn't pile leaves into bags, so any process we do short of a thin layer left on the ground will be different than the natural process. It's all superb though so no worries.
Lol, facts !! We saw huge benefits to our garlic by spreading a heavy mulch layer.
Great way to protect and feed the soil !!
Cheers J&C 🌱🤞👍🤜🤛
Slow & steady wins the race. I think it'll be okay. The initial start of it might be warm cause of the small amount of nitrogen but once that part cools I think the fungi from the carbon/leaves will take over.
Keep us posted on how it goes! I've actually never made leaf mold compost so it'll be interesting & educational to watch it!!
Have a beautiful weekend guys!
You're bang on Rebecca!! The comments have been amazing on this video. If you get the chance, go check out Nana's comment. Look at Cramer's Backyard comments, they're epic !!
I've been running a seed starting trial with 100% 3 year old leaf mold and the results are great so far !!
Hope you guys have a great weekend!!
Stay Awesome!!
Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
@Clive's Conundrum Garden will do :) I hope you guys have a great weekend!
Hi Jason & Colleen
I am no expert on leaf compost, if I am lucky I get one bag of leaves a year and all I do is leave them in the bag for a couple of years.
Great and very interesting video both, really enjoyed it.
Take care.
👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks Rob hope you two are doing great!! Got some great suggestions on this video.
Look forward to learning more about it !!
Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
Another great vlog thanks. I have to admit to being a frustrated leafmolder, with it only working after 2 years. This year when I emptied 1 year old stuff it really had not decayed much at all. Never noticed any heat from mine. Mike
Hmmmm interesting Mike. If you get the chance, go check out Nana's comment. Look at Cramer's Backyard comments, they're extremely thorough!!
I've been running a seed starting trial in 100% leaf mold for a couple weeks, the results are very good so far !!
Hope you're having a great weekend!!
Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
It's November 2023. I don't know about the rest of the North America, but In the province of Ontario, Canada, we have an epic white powdery mildew on all Maple trees. For the past 40+ years, I have been composting the maple leaves. But this Fall, I decided not to do that. I worry that the powdery mildew might survive inside my compost bin and create havoc in my veggie garden when I spread the compost everywhere. What is your opinion?
That's really interesting and tbh I've never heard of it. I think you're making a wise decision as I hate to "bring in" fungus that could cause long term soil issues!!
Have a great day !!
Cheers Jason and Colleen 🌱🤞👍😊🇨🇦🇺🇸
I have never seen such a wide spread of the white powdery mildew affecting Maple trees of all varieties and sizes. Usually, I see it on very young Japanese Maples. This past Summer, we had a few days of dense smoke. The winds blew the airborne ashes from the forest fires in Quebec to Northern Ontario and from there, carried the ashes southward toward Lake Ontario. I am wondering if the severe air pollution was responsible for lowering the Maples' defenses against the white powdery mildew. I haven't noticed it on any other deciduous trees in my area. Just Maples.
@JS-jl1yj
Have any of the Agro Forestry or university extension offices said anything about it. There must be others that have noticed, tracked, and have information on it ???
I will have to do more researching to find out what caused this phenomenon and what we gardeners should do to protect our garden going forward
@@JS-jl1yj awesome, please let us know what you find out !
Hi guys I've never made leaf mould, I'm too impatient. I put everything to compost. I didn't expect the leaves to get that hot! I think it will cool down and become fungal, I wouldn't turn it tho, just keep monitoring the temperature. Adding a handful of soil might give it a helping hand and also adding some moisture should help too. When are you using it? 😊👍💚🙏
Good morning Nick👍💕👍
@@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920 Good morning Peggy, or evening where you are!🙏💚👍😊
Nick, If you get the chance, go check out Nana's comment. Look at Cramer's Backyard comments, they're epic !!
I'm running leaf mold seed starting trials atm and 2 weeks in the results are pretty awesome!!
Cheers Brother!!
Jason and Colleen 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
Terry king is awesome youtuber been watching him for about 3 months and came across your channel
Terry is the King !! I started watching him just over a year ago. Been a huge inspiration. We just started gardening two years ago but love it.
Where in the UK are you at ?
Cheers from Victoria Canada
Jason and Colleen 🌱🤞🎅🌱😁
LOL I love letting you do the overthinking for me 😁 I just mulch all the beds in the fall thickly and then make my final lasagna compost with the pile of lawn cuttings then a final deep leaf layer on the top. The final layer holds all the kitchen scraps throughout the winter. I wanted to keep bags full off to the side but I ran out of steam 🤷🏻♀️ Really wanted to try seed starting from only leaf mold vs seed starting mix.
Lol glad I could help !! I haven't trialed it against seed starting but from what I've seen so far, you should definitely try it Roxanne!!
Cheers J&C 🌱🌱🌱
Nice score, picking up the leaves. I always think slow and steady for leaf mold. Completely different process than hot composting. But it still requires a little bit of water. Chopping the leaves will speed the process up as opposed to leaving the leaves whole 🍁
Thanks Rick !! You're bang on with alot ofother comments. I'll add a bit of water but won't be flipping it !!
Really appreciate your perspective brother. Btw If you get the chance, go check out Nana's comment. Look at Cramer's Backyard comments, they're epic !!
Have a great weekend brother!!
Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
@@clivesconundrumgarden hey after reading that, don’t know if your up for a little experiment…let me know and I will tell you what I just thought about 😁
You know the answer to that brother..... let's go!!
All ears my friend:)))
@@clivesconundrumgarden after reading Sandra’s comment talking about the mycelium. I just started a new bokashi bucket today, and it popped in my head about sprinkling a little bokashi bran on the leaves 🤔 I do have 2 bags of leaves so I may try an experiment with this as well. Not sure if I would try to put it over the whole compost bin area for an experiment but maybe a bags worth to try it out 😁
@@GardeningwithBarchuckin that'll definitely be interesting Rick, I've added fermented materials that went through the "bokashi process" and heard the bran is a good accelerator but never tried it !!
I'm interested if you get "pickle" smell from it ?:)
Let us know !!!
Hi guys great video I've just turned last years stuff into a new bay last week you need about 18 months to get some good quality stuff,if you can help yourself Jason I'd try not to turn it too much and just let it do its thing
Excellent brother!! That seems to be the common theme in the comments.
Btw, If you get the chance, go check out Nana's comment. Look at Cramer's Backyard comments, they're epic !!
Hope you guys are having a great weekend, Stay Awesome Brother!!
Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
I believe the cutting of the leaves, increasing the surface area has generated the temperature bump. I've heard that 160º is the "killing temp." I would turn it 1 time and then let the fungal properties take over. And yes - you never know what's in the bottom of the bags - I prefer the lighter ones. Ginko leaves are very dense and quite heavy. I'm hot composting this year but would like to try a bin of leaf mould at some time.
Awesome Bill !! We now live in Springfield IL so it's a bit different down here. I just build a leaf pile on an existing inground bed. I wanna see how broken down the "core" gets by spring.
Thanks for the awesome comments!!
Cheers Jason and Colleen 🌱🤞👍🤜🤛
@clivesconundrumgarden When I lived in Central IL, I did a similar thing. Built a wire cage on top of established beds in the late fall, filled with shredded leave & grass clippings (some partially decomposed food waste at soil level) then walked away. In spring, raked it back to expose dirt rows & then planted. Once seedlings were up, I would push back the organic matter as mulch. Worked near perfectly.
I had to winter kill covercrop to create new beds from grassy lawn or weedy areas. A Mennonite seed store owner made a magic mix for me. Peaceful Valley makes a similar blend you can order on line.
Excellent, thanks, flatsville !! We're currently looking at properties atm and are hoping to get around 5 acres. If we do, we'll have plenty of room to try all the "things" on our list. Btw, pretty happy with Johnny's- Winter mix 🤜🤛 but I'll check those ones out !!
I'm presently sieving a 5 year old oak leaf pile to use as a top dressing or mulch (depending on the 1/4" sieve. Not really sure what I have though it has that rich earthy smell common in a deciduous stand of trees, it's the wrong color being mostly fallen leaf brown. It's super absorbent once initially dampened. Digging it into the soil certainly makes it far more friable and open to receive more water so adding it to all my vegetable beds for the coning Aussie El Nino enhanced summer after 3 mild and wet ones.
Very cool Roland !! There's was a golf course by our garden in Victoria. They had 5-7 year old leaf mold piles. Amazing when I dug into it, it was warm to the touch after all those years. The material was beautiful. I used a mixture of 40% our compost, 40% leaf mold and 20% worm castings. Never seen healthier starts !!
Very new to all this and now Illinois, it makes for a steep learning curve !!
Thanks for sharing your experiences, we totally appreciate it!!
Cheers Jason and Colleen 🌱🤞👍
Hey Jason & Colleen hope you're both well. You're the new royalty of compost corner 😃 You've got some great compost material coming out of your bins.
I got around 150litres of usuable material out of the one pile of mine, Still cold & no sign of heat in this or the other pile 🤔. I've mixed it 50/50 with some spent potato compost & put it in 30litre containers for next years potatoes & some in big planters for flowers for next season. They've all received some chicken pellet & 6x fertiliser as a belt & braces measure 😛. Everything ready for planting up with seed spuds & seedlings for next season.👍
Also sowed some (new to me) herb called 'Savoury' the other week in the greenhouse & it's already sprouting, Apparently used in Canadian cooking from some recipes I've been watching on YT & was very popular in Roman times.
Looking forward to seeing how it grows & tastes. 🙂
Thanks for the video.
Jason's goal is to make some really good seed mix out of what he's got going on. I expect him to try to angle for more compost bays so that he can start to expand into other areas lol.
I know I've heard of savoury, but I don't know if I've ever used it. What kinds of recipes is that for? Cheers, Colleen
@@clivesconundrumgarden The few recipes I've read about regarding the herb Savory are all meat based dishes. The one I was reading about was a minced (ground) beef & onion pie.
@@lancpudn that sounds lovely Ian !
@@clivesconundrumgarden Hi guys the YT recipe was a Tourtiere French Canadian meat & potato pie I was looking at making, Being the chief cook & bottle wash here I shall make it when my savory herb is ready to harvest. 😍Love me some pies in the cold Winter months.
@@lancpudn you're making me hungry Ian !!
I've gotta make some of this for us. Thanks for the idea
Cool !! Btw If you get the chance, go check out Nana's comment. Look at Cramer's Backyard comments, they're epic !!
We're running seed starting trials with leaf mold and the results have been impressive!!
Have a great weekend guys!!
Cheers Jason and Colleen 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
@@clivesconundrumgarden oh ok cool. Definitely will 👍
I understand you picking up leaves when you see them, They dont just grow on trees you know. Wait..
Best comment ever my man !! Saw that you finally released a video. We'll be headed over in a bit to check it out !!
You're awesome!!
Let's go !!
Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
Heh heh heh
@@teresathomley3703 awesomeness lol :)
😂😂😂
I read somewhere the process of shredding the leaves increasing the surface area of the leaves dose promote bacterial decay. However, the leaf mold I have produced using this method does produce leaf mold loaded with fungi and spores. I know, because I check it out under a microscope.
I have also read that turning a leaf mold pile is detrimental because you are destroying fungal strands in the process of turning.
I also lightly water my leaf mold bin and cover as you did.
I would only be concerned if the temp got up to, or over 160 F this would certainly degrade the leaf mold.
Just came in from checking the temp of my leaf mold bin. Temps are running from 80 F to 140 F.
Just had an idea. Next year I will split my jumping worm proof leaf mold pile in half. One half I will add un shredded leaves and the other half shredded leaves and see what the differences are. I think I will send a sample of the finished leaf mold from this year for a soil test to see what nutrients are actually in it.
I am like you in the sense that I try things, but still have a lot of questions on what I am actually doing or making.
I do know one thing, the plants I started with leaf mold as a seed starter last winter did extremely well. Weather it was fungal dominant or not, did not bother me.
I need to get a camera for my scope so I can demonstrate what is actually crawling around in the stuff we are making.
Enjoy your videos.
Awesomeness Brian !! We really appreciate you taking the time to write such a thoughtful and thorough comment!!
I'm going to leave the pile alone and may add a bit of water !!
If you get the chance, go check out Nana's comment. Look at Cramer's Backyard comments, they're epic aswell:)
Just love this platform for reasons like this!!
Hope you're having a great night and kick butt this weekend!!
Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
How do you know the leaf mold has no jumping worms?
@@joniboulware1436 They did get into my leaf mold bin last year. I cooked about 40 gallons of leaf mold in my pellet grill last fall so it can be used as my seed starter and in my potting mixes. I also made some leaf mold in a garbage can they did not find, I'm hoping that I have enough leaf mold this spring.
I have 2 more garbage cans with infested leaf mold I will have to solarize this spring, the sun was too low in the fall to get the temperature needed (103F) long enough to kill the cocoons.
Stay Well!!!
@Joni Boulware were very lucky here in Victoria, Canada, Joni. There haven't been any found this side of the Rockies.
Brian has an excellent video on how he's making compost in a jumping worm proof bin. I recommend checking it out :)
Cheers
Great video, J&C!
Thanks Udhaya!! Suprfun and learned a bunch :))
Have a great week!!
Cheers J&C 🌱🌱🌱😁
The struggles of having to explain to your wife why you’re doing what you’re doing 😂. I feel ya brother!
Every-frickin-day !! It's totally on me, If I could just be normal like other people 🤣
Thanks for the awesome comment !!
Cheers Jason and a very patient Colleen 🌱🤜🤛👍
Cool! J&C Leaf Mold. $10/bag. Where J&C Backyard Nursery. Bet you could make a bundle on this. Expensive on line.
It's crazy Tom !! I've been running a trial, seed starting with leaf mold, 2 weeks in and the results are really impressive!!
Hope you having a great weekend my friend!!
Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
The temperature spike won't last long. By next week it will be cooler. It will take 2 years to finish. If you flip it at 1 year, it will go a little faster. I get the same thing when I fill my leaf mold bin each fall. During the warm season, it will hum along at 80 to 90 F as long as there is still enough volume in the bin.
You're bang on Steve!! It cooled off with 3-4 days. I'm definitely going to leave it now.
Btw If you get the chance, go check out Nana's comment. Look at Cramer's Backyard comments, they're epic !!
Hope you're doing great and looking forward to an update this weekend!!
Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
@@clivesconundrumgarden Cramer has it right and I agree that adding some water to the pile will help. Mushrooms grow where it is moist and they are just a more visible extension of the fungi.
@@stevefromthegarden1135 ok perfect !! We just watched your Su video, disregard my question as you just answered it lol !!
Cheers!!
The grass clipping did help out. Let's Go. 👐
I think it did AJ !!
It's going to make a great seed starting mix !!
Hope you having a great Friday!!
Let's gooooo!!
Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂😁
😂😂 our leaves are under 8” of snow ⛄️ so maybe later 😅, have a fantastic weekend 🐝 safe kiddos
Ohhh man Ali !! We still haven't had any here... yet !! But it looks like rain for us !!
Hope you guys have a great weekend too !!
Cheers the kiddos 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
Mine are too and so are my compost piles. Is there any affect of cold temperatures or actual snow on top the piles that disturbs the decomposition process? Thanks.
Good job guys. ❤
Thanks Gracie, very unexpected but cool and we're getting lots of great comments!!
Have a great weekend Gracie:)))
Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
@@clivesconundrumgarden enjoy ur weeekend guys.
@@gracieshomeandgardens5089 you too Gracie !!
Cool video!
Thanks Tom !!!
@@clivesconundrumgarden Always great to watch. Dance night with your sweetie to some big band music and then a relaxing cup of tea while listening to the big band music.
Just popped over from SOW GROW EAT, great videos here have subscribed to watch more.
Welcome! The more the merrier! Do you do compost? Where are you from? Cheers Colleen and Jason 🌱
Nice Video. Great Work. Amazing. 🥰
Thanks so much, we're super new to this but love it, especially doing it together!! Where are you from?
Thanks again!!
Cheers Jason and Colleen from Victoria Canada 🌱🍁🌱😁
nice work
We'll see, so far so good. And we're getting a ton of great suggestions!!
Have a great weekend!!
Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂😁
every two years I have a Huge Load of Leaves dropped off for free. So I can make leaf Mould!!
Nice Smitty, do you just leave them as is or do you add anything?
Btw If you get the chance, go check out Nana's comment. Look at Cramer's Backyard comments, they're epic !!
Hope you're doing great and Stay Awesome!!
Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
@@clivesconundrumgarden I pretty much use them as soon as they thaw out in the spring. I make compost using grass clippings, leaves, yard waste, and kitchen scrapes. But mostly I compost the kitchen scraps in and indoor worm bin.
@@smittysmith38 makes sense, and cool that you're using so many "waste" materials in your garden:)
Hi yes I also want to turn leaves into soil...patience however...
Exactly, faster is rarely better ;)
Hope you're doing well. We both been sick but feeling better today :)
Cheers J&C 🌱🌱🌱
All our Leaves are just wet so we cant really collect them :(
Ah crap Lee!! You've had so much rain it's crazy !!
Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂😁
Same here Lee.
Maybe you could try adding water? Keep it soaked and cool.
You're exactly right, Brian. Since then, I've moved it, given it a little fish hydrolysate, watered it in, and covered with a little plastic. Now the waiting begins lol!!
Thanks for the suggestions, we totally appreciate it :)
Cheers Jason and Colleen 🌱🍁🤞
How is it now
Good question, we moved to Springfield, Illinois. I made one down here last fall and will "crack into" it soon. At worst it's a great mulch.
@@clivesconundrumgarden ok
Johnson Su air charged reactor keeps the temperature down, speeds up break down
I've heard about them. Might have to give it a go !!
Thanks for sharing, we totally appreciate it 🤜🤛
The temps will come down shortly. Not gonna stay hot long
Bang on they came down within 3 days to 60°F
We're so new to this stuff, almost everything is a surprise.
Cheers from Victoria Canada
Jason and Colleen 🌱🤞🌱
All is fine. It’s doing it’s normal process. Won’t impact the end product.
Thanks Robin !! I was pretty worried I f'd up yet another thing lol. But definitely seems to be the consensus, not to worry.
Might add a bit of water but not going to flip it :)
Have a great weekend and Stay Awesome!!
Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
If you don’t turn it, you could get the best of both worlds - a perfect balance of bacteria and fungi 😀
Yeah, that's a good point Nneka. We may use the leafs in the big white bag in the garden and see what the bin does. It cooled down after 3-4 days but I may flip it and see if it comes up in temp, I'd expect it would ????
Thanks for the insight, we totally appreciate it :)))
Stay Awesome!!
Cheers J&C 🌱🤞🌱😁😁
Let it heat up and then when it cools down feed it fungal foods like dilute some liquid kelp and fish hydrolysate like once a month or every other month. Would have been cool to mix up some insect frass or crab meal in the beginning.
That's wicked smart !! Where are you from Noey ? We live on the ocean, so these materials are easy to get my hands on. I used seaweed quite a bit but never considered using in the leaf mold. Makes a ton of sense.
Thanks for your perspective and knowledge, we totally appreciate it!!
Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂🤞😁
It gets hot at first, when it cools, the fungi will start growing if you don't turn it.
Awesome, thanks for the tip !!
It's all a bit too in-depth for me .. stay awesome...🐮🐮🐮
I'm way over my head Manda, but I'm trialing %100, 3-4 year old leaf mold and the results are fabulous, so I'm interested in how it's made.
Hope you're having a great weekend and Stay Awesome Manda!!
Cheers J&C 🌱🤞🌱🍁🍂
Yeah, I don’t think you were supposed to compress it more than it would do naturally.
Good to know, I'm so new at this tge internet is a "tricky" place to learn lol.
A few months on and the IMO's we added had a fascinating and beneficial effect to me.
Hope you enjoying the beautiful day over there:)
Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍄👍
And it needs to be watered
Cheers !!
I make all my own compost, never buy it. Nice video.
Awesome, I really hope we don't need to buy it again aswell!!
And it's super fun to make !!
Hope you guys are having a great weekend!!
Cheers J&C 🌱🍁🍂😁
Well done Micky
@@terrykingsallotmentgardening Thanks.
@@MickyBellRoberts 👍❤️👍
140 is fine. the temp will lower
You're totally right,Jacob. Temps dropped almost immediately. I looked a couple of days ago, and it was just over ambient.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
Cheers from Victoria Canada 🌱🍁🌱
Soooooo much great info in this video and in the comments!!! Let's Go!!!🪱🪱🪱
Oro Sólido my man !! Shhh but I'm going to have to move it lol !! I need to fix the compost bay bottoms and I'm starting a new pile soon, hope the Hyphae police forgive me 🤣🤣🤣
Cheers Brother!!
Let's gooooo!!
Jason and Colleen 🌱🤞🌱😁😁😁