Tried making leaf mold compost in a trash bag and it turned into sludge instead

I got this idea from a gardening blog last fall, threw about 30 bags of oak leaves into black plastic bags with some water, tied them shut and forgot about them in the corner of my yard near the fence. When I opened them up 6 months later expecting that nice crumbly stuff, I got this slimy, stinking mess that smelled like a swamp. Guess I added way too much water and didn't poke any air holes - anyone else have a leaf mold experiment go completely sideways like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

nina_jenkins15d ago

Honestly, that "slime and stinking mess" part hit close to home. I did the exact same thing last spring with a pile of maple leaves, thought I was being smart by adding a little water and then sealing the bag tight. Ngl, three months later I opened it and it was basically primordial ooze, like something that belonged in a lab more than a garden. The smell was unreal, kind of like rotting socks mixed with old coffee grounds. I think the biggest mistake is not letting them breathe, because all that moisture just turns into anaerobic goo instead of breaking down properly. Tbh, you're not alone in this, and it's a rough way to learn that leaf mold needs airflow, not a tight seal.

garcia.laura15d ago

Three years back I did the exact same thing with a pile of oak leaves in a black plastic bag, @nina_jenkins, and it turned into this weird green sludge that smelled like a wet dog that rolled in pond scum. The whole key is airflow, you just need to poke some holes in the bag or use a bin with slats so the leaves dry out a bit between rains. That goo is basically proof that nature doesn't like being suffocated, even if it means learning the hard way like we did.