leaf mold

American  

Or leafmold

noun

1. a compost or layer of soil consisting chiefly of decayed vegetable matter, especially leaves.

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Etymology

Origin of leaf mold

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

I've got three ingredients in my potting compost: one-third compost, one-third rotten down leaf mold, and one-third loam that I've got from molehills in my field is perfect.

From Salon • Sep. 11, 2022

The soil will benefit from a little cultivation and a top dressing of compost or leaf mold, which is then scratched into the soil.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 29, 2021

We’re used to adding organic matter in the form of compost, leaf mold, peat moss or some similar amendment to make the soil loamier, but in older times a pasture was often the source.

From Washington Post • Oct. 20, 2015

If you have soil with lots of sand or clay, you can improve it by adding organic matter such as peat, leaf mold, or composted manure.

From Southern Living • May 19, 2010

We marched purposefully down her little path to the lettuce bed by the gate, where she knelt in the leaf mold and began punching holes in the ground.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Related Words

• fertilizer