Compost

Published on 14/11/2011

As the leaves on the trees start to turn their beautiful autumnal colours there are many jobs to carry out in the garden. As the days shorten and the temperature dips there is no better workout than a few hours outside in the fresh air. Supplement this with warming drinks and home-made soup and bread for lunch and the 'world is your oyster!'

Do not think of those falling leaves as a chore, think of them as a gift from the sky. They are such a valuable resource for the garden, full of natural goodness. Look at the various ways you could use those leaves to improve your garden.

Compost

If you make your own compost then autumn leaves make a great additon to the pile. Chop or shred them first using a shredder or run over them with the lawn mower to chop them into your collection bag. Some leaf blowers actually suck up the leaves and shred them all in one action. If you have many trees in the garden then it may pay to buy one of these. Using autumnal leaves adds high-carbon content to the compost heap. Layer them like a lasagne, one layer of leaves then a layer of green waste such as vegetable peelings and grass clippings. Repeat this process and then leave over the winter to decompose. If you feel like some exercise the compost heap will benefit from a turn over during winter to aerate it. By next spring it should be the perfect medium for adding to your garden.

Make leaf mould

This is my favourite use of decaying leaves which can be added to the soil and potting composts to provide body. If you think about it is natures' way of improving the condition of the soil. You only have to look at the texture of the soil around trees in a forest. The soil looks good and smells so fresh. There are a couple of ways to make leaf mould in the garden which keeps everything neat.
The first is to construct a leaf-mould bin. Take four tree stakes or other pieces of wood and hammer them securely into the ground forming a square or rectangle.

Then roll out some galvanised chicken wire around the outside of the stakes. Pull tightly and secure with staples. Finally make sure that you snip off any loose pieces of wire or turn over any sharp ends. Your leaf-bin is then ready to use. Simply layer your leaves in the bin and on occasion add a thin layer of soil to it. I usually use the old compost out of my hanging baskets and other containers. After a year it will be a perfect addition to your soil.

If you do not have the space for a leaf-mould bin then you can quite simply use black bin bags or as I have used in the past old compost bags turned inside out so that the black lining is on the exterior to attract extra heat. Whichever you use make holes in the sides and underneath to let in air. Start to fill with the fallen leaves. It may pay to sprinkle a little water on in half way up the bag or when finished. you want to add a little water but not too much as to make it soggy. This comes with trial and error over the years and of course depends on the size of the bags you are using. Once finished tie up the bags securely and leave them in a shady place in the garden. After a year it should resemble a crumbly soil addition full of goodness. Leave it another year and it will make a good addition to seed sowing and potting mixes.

Mulch
If you do not have much time but want to use the leaves then quite simply cut them up through a lawn mower and layer them around the bases of shrubs and other plants in the garden. This mulch needs to be at least 10cm thick to be of benefit. Make sure that you do not put it touching the stems of plants as this can cause the plant to rot.
This leaf mulch will help the soil retain moisture and keep weed-seedlings at bay next spring. As an extra bonus the leaves will be taken down into the soil by the worms and other insects.
Once there they will digest them and then deposit the nutrients into the eco-system of the soil which over time will create a light and fluffy soil.

So when you see those leaves falling don't think of it as a negative factor.
Be positive and use them and you will find that your garden and the gardener will be better for it in the future.

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