Mulches leaf mold

Compost pile Leaf-mold store Plants for wildlife Mulch... 

Leaf mold (see also p.44-45) Low fertility. Mulch or dig in, depending on age. 

The following fall—rough, year-old leaf mold makes an excellent mulch. 

Leaf mold can generally be used as a low-fertility soil improver (seepp.34-35) and a moisture-retaining mulch after one year. It should be darker and more crumbly than the newly fallen leaves, but does not have to be fully rotted. For a finer product, for use in seed and potting mixes or as a topdressing for... 

Leaf mold (see pp.44-45) is a homemade, short-term mulch. Best used over a membrane. For annual or perennial beds. 

Clockwise from top left) Biodegradable mulches An ornamental bark mulch, good around shrubs and at the base of hedges lawn clippings used as a mulch in the vegetable plot, here spread over layers of newspaper (see also overleaf)] one-year-old leaf mold well-rotted straw. 

A short-term mulch such as leaf mold or fine bark will help to keep the soil moist. Cocoa shells are also suitable for annual plantings, but may be too rich for fertile soil. 

Leaf mold and other low-fertility soil improvers these are beneficial preceding root crops. Apply anywhere as a mulch to improve structure, especially over winter. 

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