🌱 Welcome to GrowCookPreserve, where sustainability meets daily living. I'm Kelly. Join me as I navigate the rewarding path of self-sufficiency, from tending the soil in my garden and the intricacies of beekeeping, to the joy of cooking and preserving the harvest. Each video is a step in my quest towards a more sustainable lifestyle, sharing tips, tricks, and insights on growing, cooking, preserving, and beekeeping with minimal environmental impact. Let's learn and grow together in a more active, intentional alignment with nature's rhythms. Thanks for watching!

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For over a decade, I've been incorporating leaf mold into my garden and compost, and it has proven to be an invaluable asset for enhancing soil texture, structure, and the vital soil rhizosphere—a zone profoundly influenced by root growth through its chemical, biological, and physical activities. Leaf mold is created through the slow and cooler decomposition process of leaves, facilitated mainly by fungi, as opposed to the quicker, bacterial-driven breakdown seen in traditional composting. This distinction is crucial because the fungal degradation process in leaf mold results in a material that excels in improving water retention, aeration, and nutrient availability in soil. When mixed with compost, leaf mold acts as an exemplary medium for plant growth, enriching the soil with a more balanced nutrient profile and promoting overall plant health. This symbiotic relationship between leaf mold and compost creates a foundation that not only supports robust plant growth but also contributes to a more sustainable and ecologically balanced garden ecosystem. I have recently started using it as a seed-starting medium with excellent results. 🌱