Life has a cycle, it flourishes and then perishes, but the cycle is so perfect that life is born again from the ashes. This is what happens with organic matter in its last stage, which can be transformed into natural fertilizer to strengthen our plants. With the arrival of autumn, thousands of leaves see the arrival of their death, they turn brown and fall from the trees, but these dry leaves can be used to create organic fertilizer and transmit all their nutrients back to the earth.
Dry leaves constitute an extremely rich fibrous organic material, since they absorb minerals from the soil and part of them are deposited in their leaves. So once they have completed their cycle, we can use them to aerate clay soils and increase the fertility of the substrate.
How to make organic fertilizer with dry leaves?
Taking advantage of the benefits that dried leaves give us is relatively simple and the best of all is that nature gives us all the ingredients, so we won’t need to spend so much. Fertilizer is necessary for plants to grow strong and healthy, thus keeping our garden or orchard alive. And what better way than to take advantage of the elements that the earth offers us to enrich it again. But dead leaves are not the only thing you can add to your compost, it will also allow you to recycle leftover pruning and dry grass.
Steps to create compost with dry leaves
Locate the right terrain
Although creating natural compost from dry leaves is relatively simple, it requires space to install the compost bin, which is the container that will be used to carry out the entire process. So locate a space in your garden that has shade, since the sun’s rays will encourage moisture loss and that is not exactly what we want.
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You can make compost in two ways, the first is directly in the soil and the second is in a compost bin. In the second case, you will require a type of mesh corral that will act as a container and keep the leaves in one place without them spreading throughout the garden. But you can also do it directly on the ground, only in this case you will need a type of tarp to cover the pile of dry leaves and prevent them from being dispersed by the wind.
Select the sheets
You should keep in mind that while almost all leaves can be used to create compost, it is better not to add some types such as pine and eucalyptus leaves, as they take much longer to decompose. Once you have the dry leaves that you want to compost, try to shred them to reduce composting time. You can help yourself with a vacuum cleaner that shreds and then place the pile of leaf pieces in the previously chosen location. It should be directly on the ground and never on asphalt or concrete.
Mix the ingredients
Once you have a good pile of well-shredded leaves, mix freshly cut grass with it so that it provides the necessary amounts of nitrogen. Letting the pile decompose without the grass will also work, but it will take years to achieve. Nitrogen will help speed up the decomposition process. Add 1 part grass for every 5 parts dry leaves and mix. Although if you don’t have freshly cut grass, you can add manure in the same amount to provide nitrogen to the mixture. Manure is easily available in specialized gardening stores.
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If you decide to use a metal mesh composter, it is time to add the mixture to the container. Otherwise, pile all the organic material in the desired location directly in the soil. In both cases, we proceed to moisten with , puddles should not form, just add water until the leaves are very well moistened. Cover with a tarp to prevent material from flying in the wind and let it rest.
Moisten and wait
It should be noted that the compost must be mixed very well at least once a week and moistened again. This is so that the leaves decompose evenly and prevent rot. Repeat the procedure and within 4 to 9 months only decomposed leaves will remain in natural organic fertilizer. When this happens, it will give off a very pleasant smell of wet earth, then it is ready to use and you can now add it as a substrate for your plants.