1- Cut them up
Make sure to shred the leaves into small portions before adding them to the pile. All you have to do is run your lawnmower on them before ranking them up. You can also use a leaf shredder or a leaf vacuum that has a shredding option.
2- Turn the pile
You can increase the air flowing to the pile by turning the pile with a pitchfork once every couple of weeks. If you are using the garbage bag method, then make sure to shake it well every couple of weeks.
3- Cover the pile
Cover your pile with a trap to trap in the moisture and warm air to avoid the slowed-down process during cold days.
If the leaves start crumbling down, have a soft touch, and have a dark-ish brown color, then they are ready to use. Start tilling the compost in your garden beds and use it on trees, perennials, and trees as a mulch up to three inches deep. You can also use it as a peat moss if you mix it with potting soils for plants you are keeping indoors and in container gardens.
If you are wondering why you should start using leaf mold, then you should know that it can actually increase water retention by 50%, has 15 essential elements for plant growth (carbon, nitrogen, potassium, calcium, boron, iron, copper, zinc, sulfur, sodium, manganese, chlorine, etc), boosts vegetables and fruit yields, and most importantly, it is eco friendly.
