Leaf Mold Mulch

Big leaf maples, lindens, cedars, and ossia plums surround our backyard, and we never rake. We use the mowing machine to chop and bag our leaves, then store them in old trash cans for two years. (What fills four cans the first year can normally be combined into one or two the next.)

Today I took a two-year-old can from storage in the backyard and spread it over my four raised beds. I intended to do a fall/winter garden, but my dirt in a few beds needs serious rest and amending. My spring kale planting is still going strong, and will last happily through the winter for us.