Alberto Suárez-Esteban of Nature’s Apprentice Farm measured total carbon, compaction and weed cover in his trial to determine whether the using leaf mulch was effective at suppressing weeds and benefiting soil health. He demonstrated that thick leaf mulch is a viable way of preparing future growing spaces.

• Soil compaction did not change over time or between treatments, which was potentially also negatively impacted by drought conditions in 2025
• Both one and two layers of leaves with bags successfully reduced weed cover
• Total carbon increased by a small, but statistically significant amount over time