This can be done any time of year...
Find a stand of oak trees under which a thick layer of last years' leaves have fallen. I like to simply suck up several trash bags full using a lawnmower with bag attached. (Have a snappy comeback for passersby inquiring, "Why are you mowing the forest?") Depending upon the mower, you may have to dump the bag and suck them up again to get the leaf particles suitably shredded. Dump the now shredded oak leaves into black plastic garbage bags. If the leaves are dry, spray water into the bag until they're moderately damp. Tie off the bag, and poke several tens of holes into it (I just use my car key or chopstick). Place the bags where they will receive all day sunlight. Every once in awhile, give the bags a good swift kick!
In six to ten weeks, you will have lovely dark rotted oak leaf.
I like to dump the oak leaf mold onto a large tarp and spread it out thin to dry. After drying, I dump it into a garbage can.
Sifting the oak leaf is a chore, but is obviously a requirement to remove twigs, acorns, and other detritus. The finest particles (the dust and particles which fall through a one-sixteenth inch mesh) makes excellent muck for rock planting bonsai when mixed 50-50 with shredded sphagnum moss. The larger particles (say up to one-quarter of an inch) make the best particles for shohin-sized and larger bonsai.
What soil recipes do you like to use for your bonsai? Tell us why!
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