6 Uses for Fallen Leaves - Found Materials Pt 1

This week Simon does a bit of alternative foraging, and finds plenty of free leaves useful within a permaculture context. He then goes through six ways, that we use them on our site. Leaves are one of the best gifts we can hope to receive. The trees produce them in vast quantities and when they are done with them discard them in a dry, easy to collect and transport format. They are key foundation in forming deep rich soil, with some of the richest soils being found in deciduous woodlands. Adding leaves from deciduous, broadleaved tree species, has a multitude of benefits, from helping to prevent evaporation and water loss from the soil, to providing a source of food for mycelium and thus helping to develop fungal networks. Fungal networks have a multitude of advantages for helping build soil and soil life as well as supporting the plants that grow in that soil. As fungi, through mycelium help to "mine" minerals and form trading relationships with plants, where they exchange mined minerals for simple carbohydrates, produced by the plant through photosynthesis. Video Sections 0:00 Introduction 0:48 Use 1 - Making Leaf Mold 2:09 Use 2 - Mulching Trees 3:17 Use 3 - Frost Protection 4:07 Use 4 - Hot Composting 5:48 Use 5 - Soil Restoration 7:25 Use 6 - Instant Growing Bed #permaculture #permaculturedesign #compost #composting #garden #gardening #gardeningtips #gardeninglife #gardeninghacks #growyourownfood #sustainability #diy #growingfruits #growingveg #growingveggies #growingvegetables #soil #soilhealth