I was super excited that my new SunJoe leaf shredder arrived a few days early which means I get to play with it all weekend! (Yes, I am a nerd.)
I have made leaf mold for years now, but it really does take 3-4 years for it to decompose here in Lubbock, being as hot and dry as it is.
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| Fully decomposed leaf mold from 2019 |
I can get probably 30 - 35 bags of leaves every year from the groundskeepers at work, but they're just not breaking down fast enough and now I have a backlog! So I decided to step up my game and start shredding them. Plus, the shredded leaves make a really wonderful mulch, and the City of Lubbock hasn't been running their wood chipper lately so we can't get any more free mulch from there for the time being.
You can shred leaves with a lawnmower and bag attachment which I did a couple of weeks ago. It was a bit of a hassle, but doable. Since I have A LOT of leaves to shred, I decided to get a dedicated leaf shredder. This one costs $109 on Amazon and uses .095" trim line to shred.
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| SunJoe leaf shredder |
You just dump leaves into the funnel on top and it spits out shredded leaves. I tried it first just dumping it into a big blue feed bucket from the farm, but you really do need to attach a bag to keep from generating your own mini-haboob.
It's still a dirty job, but the final product is amazing!
Composted leaves, or "leaf mold," is about one of the best things you can add to your soil to improve soil structure, increase moisture retention, and enhance the microbiome of your garden and flower beds.
These are still last year's leaves that I'm shredding! So I'll use part for mulching in before winter and let the rest break down in my leaf mold bins. And then go take a shower because I am covered in dust!
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| Filling the leaf mold bins back up |
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| Be sure to wear safety gear and a DUST MASK! |
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| Shredded leaves make great mulch |
