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How to make leaf humus

Every experienced farmer and ordinary gardener is trying to get as much harvest as possible, while spending the minimum amount of money. That is why top dressing of organic origin is so widely used in agricultural technology. In this article, we will tell you how to use fallen leaves as fertilizer.

Useful properties of leaves

Every autumn there is such a problem as the disposal of fallen leaves. However, few people know that litter is excellent organic fertilizer. The composition of the fallen leaves no longer contains nutritional components, however, it contains a large amount of fiber and some trace elements (phosphorus, nitrogen, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, potassium and iron).

At correct use foliage can improve the structure of the soil, as well as increase the fertility of the land in the garden and garden. Fertilizer from fallen leaves can loosen the ground, as well as saturate it with moisture and oxygen. In addition, earthworms are always found in the humus formed from the foliage. And these are the most welcome guests in the garden and orchard.

For the preparation of fertilizer, you can use the leaves of any plants - from the forest, birch, walnut, oak, poplar, tops, etc. Leaves from walnut, however, they do not grow in every region of Russia. It is not recommended to take leaves from garden shrubs and fruit trees, since in this case there is a high probability of infection with various plant diseases and damage by harmful insects. However, they can also be adapted to work.

Fallen leaves as fertilizer

Fallen leaves can be used as fertilizer different ways. We will discuss this in more detail below.

Mulch

This is the easiest way. Typically, leaf mulch is used for ground dressing of fruit trees and berry bushes. The whole procedure goes like this:

1. The ground is dug around the tree within a radius of 1 meter.
2. After that, about 20 cm of earth is removed. The soil must be removed with extreme care so as not to damage root system trees.
3. Add 0.5 kg of chicken manure to the resulting hole, and then fill it with leaves.
4. Pour in some water.
5. In this form, the dug tree should stand for 3 days, after which the hole must be covered with earth.

Thus, apple, pear, cherry, apricot, plum, walnut, gooseberry, raspberry, etc. are well fertilized.

Compost

Another way to use leaves as fertilizer is compost. It is very easy to prepare, you need to follow only a few rules. The recipe for this is:

1. In autumn, dig a hole measuring 1 m by 1 m. The depth should not be more than 1.5 m.
2. Gather the leaves and put them in an earthen hole.
3. Thoroughly tamp and fill the whole pile with water, then tamp again.
4. Cover with soil 20-30 cm thick.
5. To speed up the process of leaf decay, you can prepare a solution of nitrogen fertilizer and water a hole for them.

In the spring, it is fashionable to plant tomatoes, peppers, cabbage and other vegetables in the place of this pit. But in the fall, after harvesting, you need to dig a hole and scatter the resulting compost from rotted leaves throughout the area. If there is some compost left in the earthen pit, then it can be covered with earth and left for the next year.

When preparing compost, keep in mind that leaves are best taken from the forest and away from roads. Near large highways and cities, the soil is harmful, so the foliage may also contain harmful components.

Ash

Infected leaves of shrubs and fruit trees recommend to throw it out immediately. However, they can also be used as fertilizer. If there are a lot of infected leaves, collect them in a pile and burn them. After collecting the ashes - it is great for foliar feeding plants.

The ash is completely safe and nutritious. It saves:

• 15-20% potassium;
• 6-10% calcium;
• 5% phosphorus;
• 1-3% iron, magnesium, zinc.

Nature is conceived in such a way that any of its gifts can be used for good. What was considered garbage has already become an excellent and first-class top dressing for garden and horticultural crops. Fallen leaves are a high-quality organic fertilizer that has a completely natural origin. Deciduous litter enriches the soil well, while constantly loosening it. Plus, thanks to compost, hedgehogs and insectivorous birds can be lured to the site, which can save you from annoying pests (for example, from a bear).

How to use fallen leaves wisely: 4 practical ways For a good gardener, even last year's leaves are useful. If you burned all the fallen leaves in the fall, you will certainly regret it in the spring. True, there are two completely opposite opinions about the advisability of collecting leaves. Opponents of collecting leaves believe that pathogens and pests hide in fallen leaves, and they must be disposed of. Others insist that fallen leaves are a valuable addition to the soil, and they also do not allow the ground to freeze, and spring shoots begin their development right under the snow. We will assume that thanks to conscientious care, there are no pests on the leaves in our garden. So what are the benefits of fallen leaves? 1. Leaf humus After collecting the leaves, moisten them, lay them tightly and tamp. There are several container options: a special design for leaves, meter by meter or larger with an open top, or thick polyethylene bags for garden waste pierced in several places. You can also buy special bags for leafy humus, which are sold at garden centers. After collecting the leaves, place them in a secluded corner of the site while maintaining high humidity. Young humus will mature in 0.5 - 1 year, and aged humus can be obtained in 1.5 - 2 years. 2. Mulch Place wet, fallen leaves on unoccupied areas of the ground. They will become a natural mulch, preventing weeds from growing, leaching minerals from the soil, and weathering. Clay soils will not form a hard crust as the mulch blocks out the sun's rays. Surface and soil bacteria thrive in the mulch layer and use the green mass of the mulch as an additional source of beneficial nutrients. Also, a layer of organic mulch provides a pantry for earthworms and similar soil animals that improve soil structure. With the onset of spring, collect the leaves with a rake or simply dig with soil. 3. Covering material Dry leaves can be used as heat-insulating material to shelter roses for the winter. In the same way, you can cover hydrangeas and other heat-loving shrubs, as well as plants in pots. True, it is recommended to use only leaves healthy plants and completely dry. Otherwise, pests can start and diseases begin. 4. Express Compost Crush and mix leaf litter from deciduous trees along with annual weeds. Remove roots, flowers and seeds from weeds. Put it all in plastic bags for composting. Shake the bag from time to time or mix the contents to make the compost even. When the decomposition is over, you will get a fine, high-quality soil for tender plants. Keep in mind that the leaves of deciduous trees, such as birch, oak, maple, hazel, and fruit trees decompose very quickly (less than a year). The leaves are evergreen and the needles decompose before 3 years, so this material is better not to use. And if there is nothing else, then to speed up the process, be sure to grind them.

Fallen leaves are a real treasure that nature generously endows us every autumn. But not everyone knows how to manage them.

Even a small layer of foliage protects the soil from sharp fluctuations in temperature in winter, prevents the evaporation of life-giving melt water in spring, and by summer it disappears imperceptibly, becoming food for the invisible soil workers - earthworms. As a result, fallen leaves turn into biohumus, thereby replenishing nutrients that consume plant roots.

Works like a thermos

Conduct a small experiment: when the surface of the earth freezes after the first frost, unearth a layer of leaves. Surprisingly, the soil under them will be soft. Like a warm blanket, fallen leaves keep the ground warm, preventing it from freezing too much. This, by the way, is used by all kinds of small living creatures that hibernate under such a natural shelter.

In spring, the leaves do not allow the top layer of soil to warm up too quickly and it is useless to evaporate so life-giving for plants. melt water. And the task of any farmer is to keep it in the soil as long as possible.

But such a water-retaining effect of fallen leaves does not last long. When the soil warms up to 10 degrees, earthworms wake up from hibernation and immediately begin to actively feed on plant debris that they can only find on the surface of the earth. That is why the soil under fallen leaves is always loose - after all, it is riddled with numerous passages of underground inhabitants. By the beginning of summer, only memories remain from the carpet of leaves. But these memories are pleasant. After all, the leaves, passing through digestive system earthworms, become the most valuable vermicompost for plants.

Give soil fertility

It must be said that Andrei Timofeevich Bolotov, the founder of Russian agrarian science, noticed this back in the 18th century. In one of his works, he wrote: “A leaf from a tree, when it rots, serves almost as well as manure.” Probably, the monks of the Valaam Monastery were guided by the works of Bolotov, who arranged the famous gardens on the once barren rocky island. They piled fallen leaves and branches in a thick layer on a stone surface and waited patiently for several years. After the decay of plant residues, the resulting soil in its properties could well compete with the chernozem.

Composting fallen leaves is a must for every diligent gardener. Leaf humus is a valuable fertilizer, but at the same time it is completely free.

However, foliage can also be used as mulching material. If you carefully spread it around the strawberry bushes in a thick enough layer, then next summer you don’t have to worry that the berries will get dirty with the ground - they will lie on the leaves washed by rain and watering. Of course, straw is usually used for mulching strawberries, but it is not always possible to get it, and buying means incurring additional costs.

Raking and throwing away leaves is barbaric!

The bulbs of tulips, lilies, daffodils and other flowers often freeze in the event of a little snowy winter. Shelter of leaves will successfully protect bulbous plants from the cold. However, in the spring, immediately after the snow melts, it must be removed so as not to interfere with the germination of flower stalks. But under the bushes of raspberries, currants, gooseberries, fallen leaves, on the contrary, can be poured, but more - so the grass around them will not grow, and the earth will be saturated with all necessary elements nutrition.

The barbaric raking of leaves in cities is a sore subject for ecologists, biologists and simply caring people. A lot of articles have been written on this topic, but officials, in their desire to curry favor, do not pay attention to any arguments. Probably the reason for this is banal: nothing personal, just business. If we calculate the cost of cleaning the leaves, the plastic bags in which they are put, the removal of bunkers, the payment for the landfill - on the scale of a metropolis, astronomical figures are obtained. Can any ecological arguments outweigh them?

Mikhail Vorobyov

The material was published in the publication "Interlocutor" No. 37-2018 under the heading "Crimson and gold for the garden."

The main decoration of autumn is a yellow carpet of fallen leaves that envelops the earth like a warm blanket and prepares nature for winter sleep. Maybe you should not remove this natural cover provided by nature itself?

There are several opinions on the issue of harvesting fallen leaves.

On the part of forestry, there is a confident opinion, with which it is difficult to disagree, that leaves are a natural shelter from frost for wild trees, a fertilizer and a moisture-distributing layer for the soil, and for useful inhabitants of the earth - nutrients. We can conclude that our janitors are definitely wrong when removing leaves and thereby leaving defenseless soil and everything that is not in it.

But what about gardeners? Here opinions are divided.

Positive qualities of fallen leaves

• Natural covering material for horses.
• Fertilizer into the soil
• The leaves in the composition of the soil improve its structure.
• Earthworm food

Negative qualities of fallen leaves

• A breeding ground for pests and diseases.

We can say for sure that fallen leaves are a valuable and free material for a gardener. But, in no case, do not use leaves from diseased trees, such foliage should be destroyed. Do not burn the leaves - it is dangerous for you and for nature. The smoke from burning leaves can cause irritation of the mucous membrane, allergic reactions. When burned, the leaves release benzopyrene, which can cause cancer. Sick foliage should be buried in the soil in an unused corner of the site than deeper topics it is better to forget about this place for a few years.

Ways to Use Healthy Foliage

1. Shelter for perennials and beds with winter sowing. Raspberries will be very grateful to you, whose roots are quite close to the surface of the soil. Please note that it is best to use the leaves of wild trees for this, but do not use the leaves of oak and chestnut.
2. Use as an additional layer under the drainage when planting trees and shrubs. From the leaves you can make leaf ground. She is so nutritious, but light and loose.
3. Bury the leaves in the ground universal fertilizer. Leaves should be buried at least 20 cm deep to remove pests. After a few years, you can make a deep digging of the entire area on the territory of which leaf humus was laid. Small twigs can also be added to the soil, but do not let falling fruit plants fall.
4. Fallen leaves are an excellent component for creating warm beds, the meaning of which is the heat released during the reproduction of microorganisms during the process of decay. warm bed consists of several layers of organic components, one of which is fallen leaves.

The leaves take a very long time to rot. Therefore, in compost pit it is advisable to use them in tandem with special biological preparations, which, thanks to microelements, will accelerate the decomposition process.

Pay attention to:

• Do not use the foliage of diseased trees and make sure that tree carrion does not get into the leaves.
• Remove leaves from the green lawn, which can damage it.
• If the foliage was collected from healthy plants, and you are afraid of pests, then put all the fallen leaves in bags and leave them for the winter - the pests will go away on their own.
• To make the compost ripen faster, shift the leaves several times with the addition of trace elements.
• Oak and chestnut leaves are unsuitable - they contain a lot of tannins, which negatively affects the root system and the rate of decomposition.
• If you are using leaf litter on clay soils, make a mash of the clay soil and water before embedding it. Spill the leaves with this solution so that they not only rot, but also form useful humus.

The fall season will start very soon. The magnificent spectacle of changing colors will be able to amaze any viewer. But, at the same time, it is worth looking at the foliage not only as beautiful decoration. Think about how leaves can help your garden. If a lot of leaves have fallen in your yard, why not put them to good use?

Eight ways to use autumn leaves

The colorful foliage precedes the time when the leaves will rush to the ground. They will rustle underfoot and give a pleasant smell, the wind will sometimes push them to create crazy dance figures. However autumn leaves can be considered freely available organic fertilizer lying right in your yard. Most importantly, do not use leaves affected by diseases.

Mulch

Use the leaves as a protective mulch. The leaves are able to form a good thermal insulation cover for a successful wintering. perennials or root crops in the ground. The layer of leaves allows garlic to be planted without sprouting and prevents plant tubers from coming out of the soil during freeze and thaw cycles.

Weed control

Use the leaves as an opportunity to control weeds during spring period. Chopped or left whole, the leaves are a great way to make mulch for your garden. vegetable crops, berry and ornamental shrubs. Not only do they effectively suppress weeds and help retain soil moisture, but they will also prevent the spread of new weeds.

Compost

Make compost from the leaves to enrich the soil with nitrogen. Alternate a 7-10 cm layer of old leaves with a 2-3 cm layer of fresh grass or other green leaf waste. If you want to speed up decomposition, then grind the leaves.

leaf compost

Leaf compost is a special kind of leaf compost that some gardeners love. This method of making compost consists in the fact that the leaves are collected and stored in plastic bags or baskets. Keep the leaves moist and let the fungus begin to multiply in this environment. After two or three years, the leaves will decompose into a dark substance containing a large amount of minerals.

crushed leaves

The simplest solution. In the crushed form, the leaves quickly decompose in the spring and add valuable organic matter and minerals to the soil. The leaves are a rich source of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and other trace elements that tree roots extract from deep within the soil. Leaves contain twice as much minerals as manure. Great amount organic matter they contain can be used to improve soil structure. Humus can lighten heavy clay soils and increase moisture retention in dry, sandy soils. No gardener should miss this opportunity for free soil fertilization.

Storage of root crops

If you have cool wet place, then you can store carrots, beets and other root vegetables between layers of dry crispy leaves. Be careful not to let each layer of leaves get too damp.

Make a playground

Many children have a lot of fun jumping into big piles of leaves. Once upon a time, the leaves were very often collected with a rake, forming huge piles, which were then burned. The smell of burnt leaves, winter apples and baked potatoes is sure to evoke your memories. So why don't you give your children and grandchildren the same wonderful holiday.