# Making leafmold



## denske (Jul 28, 2013)

Hey guys, wanted to see how people go about making leafmold for their potted crypts, I know it's a long process, and wanted to see what leaf options were available to use. Please post your experiences, thanks.


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

If you have a yard or know someone with a yard that backs up to some woods chances are there is leaf mold to be had for free just underneath the top layer of leaves in the woods. My Dad dumps his leaves in the woods every fall so I just dig down until I get to the composted stuff.

If not, just go buy some leaf compost for cheap at the garden center.


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## saddletramp (Sep 16, 2012)

Denske, you should have asked. 
We have a large white oak (Quercus alba) in the backyard. As the leaves drop now, we grind up the oak leaves with the mower and put them in a giant mulch area. Do not smash them down too much, as they need to be aerated. A year later, after being turned several times during the next twelve months, voila, oak leafmold has started to develop.
At this point, I find it quite usable for such Crypts as dewittii, alba, fusca'Batang Ai' griffithii, etc. Jjust mix it with a a little basic mix for some minerals, etc.
The stuff works miracles!! I cannot speak for the leaves of other trees. Perhaps someone else can.
In the meantime, go to a forest preserve with a plastic bag and a scoop and get the real thing from under an oak tree.
Good hunting, Bill


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

Any hardwood tree leaves should work fine. The leaves from my parent's yard are mostly silver maple leaves. 

You can also just mix a little peat into your soil mixture and get a similar effect.


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## denske (Jul 28, 2013)

Thanks guys, ill give it a shot. I knew it was a long process, i tried to contact you first Bill lol thanks again guys


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## Kai Witte (Jan 30, 2006)

I'd vote for seperately(!) collecting the heavily composted layer from a variety of sites (avoid mixing in the mineral layer below for blackwater crypts); test a little bit in a jar with pure DI water. You don't want too much decomposition at the start and, for blackwater crypts, a low pH: 3.0-4.5 is likely to work with the demanding species (like pallidinervia) while up to around 5.5 will often work for many blackwater/freshwater swamp crypts; slighlty acid qualities often happen to be usable for a lot of crypts and can be "improved" for more demanding species by adding peat; leafmould over pH 7 can be mixed with mineral soil for limestone crypts (like affinis), etc.

You still have to test those soils with suitable dummy plants - some may prove to be unsuitable regardless of a "perfect" pH and vice versa...

You can compost leaves yourself (beech is kinda the European reference leaf, oak a bit more acid, maple less so and somewhat faster to decompose, etc.). A shady place in the garden may do but be aware that minerals from the soil below will "contaminate" the leafmold, especially in limestone areas. This is unlikely to be suitable for demanding blackwater species.


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

pH of Freshly Fallen Leaves
http://www.asecular.com/forests/phleaves.htm


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## king kong (Jul 2, 2012)

Added neutral 7.0 pH base water to my live oak leaf matter and measured to find leaf slurry to be 7.3 pH.


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## MissileBear (Feb 28, 2013)

I was lucky enough to get Ruko's bin of European Beech leaf mold he started 13 months ago. It still needs another 6-8 months to fully break down I figure, but has proved suitable in bringing a C. Shulzei out of dormancy. 

Beech leaves seem to take a real long time to break down.


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## saddletramp (Sep 16, 2012)

It is good to have leaves which decompose slowly. They last longer and disperse wonderful organic substances over time.
Most any leaves will do, but for the money, oak is hard to beat. Ground up, they break down enough to use in one year.
Dewittii, edithiae, minima and xtimahensis really respond well to white oak leafmold as does fusca, schulzei and most any blackwater type. For those requiring moderately low pH, just mix the leafmold 50/50 with a basic substrate mix.
It is hard to imagine trying to grow many Crypts without having a good leafmold available.
Bill


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

saddletramp said:


> It is good to have leaves which decompose slowly. They last longer and disperse wonderful organic substances over time.
> Most any leaves will do, but for the money, oak is hard to beat. Ground up, they break down enough to use in one year.
> Dewittii, edithiae, minima and xtimahensis really respond well to white oak leafmold as does fusca, schulzei and most any blackwater type. For those requiring moderately low pH, just mix the leafmold 50/50 with a basic substrate mix.
> It is hard to imagine trying to grow many Crypts without having a good leafmold available.
> Bill


Are you growing those blackwater species in pure leafmold then? Using RO water to water them correct? Do you ever get issues with fungus and unwanted mold?


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## saddletramp (Sep 16, 2012)

Not sure what you mean by mold or fungus. I get a little BGA on top of some of the pots here and there. But, there are no issues
Yeah,mI pretty much use pure leafmold.
In checking out different tree leaves in different places, there is quite a swing in pH. I have seen from ~ < 4.5 to over 7. It sometimes depends upon what the tree is growing in. A leaf is not a leaf, is not a leaf!
Chad has been here, he can tell you if he is following this thread.
Bill


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## chad320 (Mar 30, 2010)

I suppose I cheat a bit in the making of leaf mold. I usually take natural leaf mold from a good spot in the woods and put it in a tub with red worms and let them do their thing to it. I suppose mine would be called more of a leaf compost/mold. I would have to agree that Oak is best if you have a spot to find it naturally. I mostly use Maple (Silver) just because its what I have readily available and it breaks down faster naturally, and the worms can use it easier. I am an experimentalist and have added a pinch of guano, manure, or chicken droppings. There lots of ways to mae it and lots of things you can add to it to make it more fertile. Any way I make it I still usually mix it with Eco complete (because its inert and reduces the chance of fert burn) about 1/2 and 1/2. For blackwater species I also mix pool filter/silica sand with it or for hardwater species I use play sand. As far as Ph is concerned, im not much of a tester until the mix is made and done. Leaf mold varies greatly in Ph and it really depends on the soil thats usually mixed with it. Someone in the mountains is going to get a higher PH mold than someone in the flatlands from the same species Oak trees. I also agree with Aaron that RO water is your best bet for your blackwater crypts. You can also boil your RO water with freshly fallen Oak leaves to make a tea. The tea is good for watering/growing your current Crypts in, while the leftovers are good for starting your next batch of leaf mold. Not everyone has a partner that will put up with a steralite tub of dirt and worms so if not, collected amended mold will and has worked for many.


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