5 Ways to Put Autumn Leaves to Work in Your Garden
Improve your soil the organic way with a valuable garden booster that literally grows on trees
Therese Ciesinski
14 November 2020
Houzz Contributor
In autumn, my town holds leaf collection days, when homeowners blow or rake fallen leaves from their gardens into big piles in the street. Later, a truck comes and vacuums them away. What I see being vacuumed up is money – the money these homeowners will spend next year on lawn and garden fertilisers, mulch and bagged compost; money they might have saved if they’d simply used those leaves in their gardens.
Why are leaves valuable to the gardener?
It’s simple. When incorporated into soil, fallen leaves:
It’s simple. When incorporated into soil, fallen leaves:
- Add nutrients, including phosphorous and potassium.
- Increase the soil’s microbial life.
- Boost its water-holding capacity.
- Improve its structure, known as tilth.
1. Mow them into the lawn
Together, shredded leaves and grass clippings add carbon (leaves) and nitrogen (grass) to the soil, reducing your need to add shop-bought fertilisers later.
Together, shredded leaves and grass clippings add carbon (leaves) and nitrogen (grass) to the soil, reducing your need to add shop-bought fertilisers later.
Here’s how: Use a mulching mower (these can be hired). If there’s a bag, take it off and mow with the discharge chute facing towards the lawn. Set the mower height at about 7cm. Make another pass if the leaves are still in big pieces. The shredded leaves should sit no more than 2cm deep on the grass. Over the winter, they will break down into the soil and be gone by spring.
2. Add them to vegetable beds
You can incorporate whole or chopped leaves into any cleared-out vegetable beds. They will mostly decompose over the winter, then, in spring, you can mix in whatever’s left. If you don’t want to see leftover leaves in your beds, shred them first.
Don’t have a shredder? A rubbish bin and a strimmer will work. Use a 200 litre rubbish bin. Fill it three-quarters of the way with leaves. Put in the strimmer, turn it on and move it through the layers of leaves. Be sure to wear eye and ear protection.
Ready to redesign your garden? Find landscape architects and garden designers in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
You can incorporate whole or chopped leaves into any cleared-out vegetable beds. They will mostly decompose over the winter, then, in spring, you can mix in whatever’s left. If you don’t want to see leftover leaves in your beds, shred them first.
Don’t have a shredder? A rubbish bin and a strimmer will work. Use a 200 litre rubbish bin. Fill it three-quarters of the way with leaves. Put in the strimmer, turn it on and move it through the layers of leaves. Be sure to wear eye and ear protection.
Ready to redesign your garden? Find landscape architects and garden designers in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
3. Make leaf mould
Leaf mould is simply wet leaves that have decomposed into a rich, black, soil-like substance that makes a perfect mulch for plants.
Pile the leaves in a spot where they’re out of the way and won’t blow away. Or make large, metre-wide circles of chicken wire, one metre high, and pile the leaves in them. Wet the leaves as you go so they’ll rot. Turning the pile a few times during the winter will accelerate the process.
Leaf mould is simply wet leaves that have decomposed into a rich, black, soil-like substance that makes a perfect mulch for plants.
Pile the leaves in a spot where they’re out of the way and won’t blow away. Or make large, metre-wide circles of chicken wire, one metre high, and pile the leaves in them. Wet the leaves as you go so they’ll rot. Turning the pile a few times during the winter will accelerate the process.
4. Mix leaves – shredded or not – into a compost pile now, where they’ll break down over winter
Even better: stockpile dried leaves, in bin bags or piled in that out-of-the-way place, ready for summer. In warm weather, there’s an abundance of succulent green material (nitrogen) for your compost pile. But to keep the composting process aerobically working, and not rotting, it needs lots of “browns” (carbon), in the form of dried material.
Follow this simple guide to making your own compost.
Even better: stockpile dried leaves, in bin bags or piled in that out-of-the-way place, ready for summer. In warm weather, there’s an abundance of succulent green material (nitrogen) for your compost pile. But to keep the composting process aerobically working, and not rotting, it needs lots of “browns” (carbon), in the form of dried material.
Follow this simple guide to making your own compost.
5. Protect outdoor potted plants
When the weather turns cold and potted plants (the hardy ones, not houseplants or tropicals, which must be brought indoors) go dormant, pick a sheltered place on the north, west or east side of your house. Cluster the pots together against the house, ideally beneath an overhang. Pile dried leaves over, under and between the entire grouping of pots.
If the area is windy, corral the pots with chicken wire so the leaves won’t blow away. Pile the leaves inches deep, covering the pot and as much of the plant as possible. Under this insulating blanket, both plants and pots should come through the winter just fine. With this method, even terracotta pots can stay outdoors, as long as water can’t get into them and freeze.
Tell us…
Have these tips inspired you to make more of the leaves in your garden? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
When the weather turns cold and potted plants (the hardy ones, not houseplants or tropicals, which must be brought indoors) go dormant, pick a sheltered place on the north, west or east side of your house. Cluster the pots together against the house, ideally beneath an overhang. Pile dried leaves over, under and between the entire grouping of pots.
If the area is windy, corral the pots with chicken wire so the leaves won’t blow away. Pile the leaves inches deep, covering the pot and as much of the plant as possible. Under this insulating blanket, both plants and pots should come through the winter just fine. With this method, even terracotta pots can stay outdoors, as long as water can’t get into them and freeze.
Tell us…
Have these tips inspired you to make more of the leaves in your garden? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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The last two years have been brutally wet, and many of our trees and shrubs have black spots. Conventional wisdom is that their leaves should not be left in the garden because they’ll spread fungal spores. Or has that already happened by the fall?
ladas - I use leaves for mulch when it is dry - they shouldn't be in the garden unless there is a need - let them compost in a pile during wet years - run the tiller through them every now and again - the only thing I use mine for any more.
I used to collect leaves from neighbors, but not knowing what chemicals they use on their lawns, now I just use my own leaves.