Using Leaf Mold Instead of Peat in Soil Mixes

Indoor Growing Organics
#1

Looking for peoples’ experiences that have used leaf mold in their soil mixes. I am working on building out my grow again after being on hiatus for a year. I want to go organic and have been working on putting together an ingredient list with the help of some very helpful folks on these forums.

Last year I started collecting my leaves and letting them decompose into leaf mold. My plan was too use this as a base for some raised vegetable beds outside with no plans to use it for my MJ indoor garden. I was in the process of doing it again with this years leave and I checked last years pile. Now I have heard that it can take 12-18 months before its usable so I wasn’t expecting it to be ready but to my surprise its looking pretty good. It has me serious considering using it to build my soil instead of peat. I’m not against using peat if its the better product but I thought it would be pretty cool to use as many “homegrown” products as possible. My mom has a kick ass worm farm I plan on getting some EWC from as well so just trying to keep things as local as possible. Don’t get more local then the back yard lol.

My main concern is brining outdoor pests into a new indoor garden. I have seen information of people sterilizing their soil in an oven to kill pests and pathogens. I have also seen people warning that it can damage the soil long term.

So the main question really who folks with experience using leaf mold is, do you bother sterilizing it before using it or is that an un-necessary step?

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#2

I’ve used it but never have enough. I really like making EWC out of it. The worms like it as a bedding.

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#3

I have used it indoors for 3 yrs, i have never sterilized it and other than a few fungus gnats never been a problem with bugs. But that might have more to do with area you live than anything else. I use it with peat not as a replacement.

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#4

Whats the ratio to peat that you use? Are you using the leaf mold as a soil conditioner like the peat or as a slow release compost?

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#5

@The_Lazy_Hippie slow release compost. Here is my recipe. This is the base soil mix I have been using seems to work pretty good with these long flowering sativas. I usually start with: 7 gallons of sphagnum peat moss 7 gallons of seasoned compost/fish compost/ leaf mold. (7 gallon of worm castings from my worm bins. 7 gallons of perlite
this is the base for the soil then we add dry amendments and IMO (indigenous microorganisms)
I usually add about 10 cups of Imo per every 15 gallons of soil so the formula above 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 equals 28 gallons of soil I would use approximately 20 cups of IMO 4
You don’t have to use IMO 4 but it’s a great source of microorganisms that will be needed to break down your soil and Dry amendments.

Dry Amendment Blend: These are in weights per Gallon of Finished/Uncooked soil
mix. So for every gallon of soil you add the weight listed times the amount of soil being made.
Example: 10 gal of soil would get 1.4 oz of Azomite. 10 x 0.14 =1.4
Ingredient Blend
Azomite 0.14 oz
Alfalfa Meal
(Replaces N Bat Guano)
0.45 oz
Soft Rock Phosphate
(Replaces Bone Meal and
Phos Bat Guano)
2 oz
Kelp Meal 0.04 oz
Fish Bone Meal
(Replaces Blood Meal)
1 oz
Langebeinite 0.01 oz
Ph Seabird Guano 0.04 oz
Greensand 0.59 oz
Oyster Shell Flour 1 oz
Gypsum 0.8 oz
Andesite 0.14 oz
Basalt 0.14 oz
Glacial Rock Dust 0.14 oz.

All of the soil amendments are slow release and have to be broken down by soil
microbes before available to the plant. I Mix soil a minimum of 2 months in
advance to allow the soil time to cook and cool down so no burning occurs. I’ve
used in as little time as two weeks with zero issues but I wouldn’t recommend it.

COVER CROPS
I also plant Cover Crops. Ones that are NPK Fixing as well as Dynamic
Accumulators. I Use the BuildASoil.comClover Cover Crop Blend. Not only does
the cover crop assist with moisture retention, NPK, Organic Matter but it also
helps the Mycorrhizae as they love these types of cover crops.
This Blend includes the following cover crop species:
Flax: Helps With Phos Uptake. Adds NPK to soil after harvesting.
Clover: N Fixing. Adds NPK for future crops after it is harvested and allowed to
add to soil. Also adds minute NPK as a Green Manure.
Lentils: Mycorrhizae Love this stuff also adds NPK to the soil after harvesting.
Millet: High in Nitrogen and it stores it and it breaks down and becomes available
to the plant after you have harvested this. Great Organic Input for N.
Vetch: N Fixing. Stores Massive Amounts of N for future crops when allowed to
add to soil.
Cowpea: A fantastic Green Mulch that Adds lots of N to the soil for current/future
crop use.
Buckwheat: Pulls Phos from the soil making it more readily available after it is
allowed to add to soil.
Pea: Also adds lots of N to the soil when allowed to add to soil.

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