How I turned dry leaves into a beautiful terrace garden

Neela Panchpor

She has developed a beautiful Terrace Garden and cultivates a variety of vegetables, herbs, shrubs using dry leaf compost. All the dry leaves shed by the trees in her society are used in her garden. Not a single dry leaf from her society is burnt or thrown out.

Compost is an organic material that needs be added to soil to help plants grow.

Compost can be prepared using different methods. Dry leaves compost is one of them.. Dry leaves fall from the tree, these leaves are ideal for composting because the compost made from dry leaves gives rich nourishment to the plants. It is one of the easiest methods of preparing compost.

I have developed a terrace garden using only organic method. I have cultivated different vegetables such as green chilies, brinjals, tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, different varieties of gourd.

I also have grown different types of flowers according to changing seasons.

In my 450 sq ft garden there are over 75 pots and 3 raised beds in which these are grown. Since beginning I have used only dry leaves and leaf mold compost.

Following is the method which I have used in preparing leaf mold compost

There are different types of trees in our residential society and I make use of the fallen leaves from these trees and follow following steps

1. Collect the fallen leaves

2. Build a pile of manageable size at convenient place.

3. Add a prescribed portion of INORA compost culture to fasten the process of composting

4. Sprinkle some water to it to maintain moisture.

I continue adding dry leaves to this pile and follow the same procedure mentioned above. After 6 weeks the pile of leaves shrinks considerably.

When I stop adding leaves , I cover this pile of leaves with coconut leaves

The most important part of this process is to maintain enough moisture in this pile to help the decomposition process.

Approximately after 3 months , the compost is ready to use. This compost looks dark brown or black in colour and has earthy smell.

The bottom layer of pile has fully compost material, which can be used either by sieving or as it is in the garden. The upper layer might take some more time to decompose.

I have derived following benefits from this compost.

1. It reduces soil diseases making the soil healthy, thereby reducing pesticides cost and usage.

2. It lessens the burden on landfills which is a big issue these days.

3. Earth’s resources are conserved thereby adding to a sustainable future for the earth.

You can also use bags, pots , or any other type of container which is easily available to make compost. If fallen leaves are not easily available , then you can acquire them from the people with whom they are easily available but composting is not possible for them.

Other than composting, the important use of fallen leaves is in the form of mulch. For this purpose you just have to spread a layer of dry leaves around the roots in the pot, container or raised bed. It improves soil aeration, weed growth . It protects roots of the plants from wind, sun and rains. The soil retains moisture beneath it.