What is leaf mold and how is it best used?

Leaf mold is a special kind of compost that is solely made up of decomposed leaves. It decomposes through a fungus, rather than the bacteria that is responsible for the development of regular compost. Leaf mold composting creates a very nutrient and mineral rich addition to your soil and is great for mixing in with your potting soil to improve fertility, or to use as a top dressing on planting beds. Made into a tea or a foliar spray, it can help develop robust plants. It can take quite a while to create a large supply of leaf mold, from 9 months to 3 years depending upon moisture conditions. Just pile up the leaves and leave them alone. Most folks use a wire mesh holding bin