Ah leaf mulch. How did I garden before it? We live in zone 7b, the Piedmont of NC. Amending clay soil by tilling in bagged soil conditioner and mushroom compost just seemed so unnatural, although commonplace. A fellow Raleigh landscaper introduced me to leaf mulch some time around 2000. The city of Raleigh collects leaves from the curb, churns it through three heats, and sells it back to us as this heavy nutrient-rich mulch. It's very affordable but you have to move the pile one wheel barrow at a time. We spread it 6" deep on top of clay, with a dusting of lime to regulate the pH. It breaks down the clay and works it's way down in to the earth, taking roots with it, making for stronger and healthier plants. After a year, the mulch seems to have disappeared like most mulches, but this one has changed the composition of the soil. Clay is becoming good dark soil, a few inches at a time. New applications several years in a row and I'm left with fantastic dark gardening soil, as deep as my shovel will ever need to go. I plant my own trees now, without the help of my stronger half. How did I garden before it?
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