As the clocks change and autumn really sets in, the trees begin to lose their leaves in preparation for a period of winter dormancy. Crunching vibrant, multi-coloured, frost tinged leaves underfoot is one of the little joys of the season but it does make me think about the use of these in the garden and wonder if I can embrace a more organic and cyclical way of thinking than simply scooping them into the recycling bin.
If we have a lawn, many of us choose to remove stray leaves to ensure that the grass receives air and what little sunlight there is over the colder months, to prevent yellowing and also any opportunity for the development of fungal diseases.
Similarly, removing leaves from a pond is usually a good idea to prevent them rotting in the water and so silting it up and creating excess nutrition that may promote the formation of algae.
It is also good to remove any leaves that settle on paths and around doorways as these can become particularly slippery on wet days but how can we recycle these leaves in our gardens?
There’s always the option of using a few of the most attractive ones to create a leaf art project or some pretty autumnal decorations but here are some other ideas to recycle and re-use fallen autumn leaves that you may want to consider to help enrich the biodiversity of your outdoor space, plus they’re all cost free.
1. Compost
Leaves make a great addition to the compost bin if you have one but if you don’t you can make a good old fashioned compost heap instead. Leaves have a high carbon content so do need to be mixed with other materials such as grass cuttings, which are more nitrogen rich to help the decomposition. Adding any chopped up branches and twigs that you may have pruned will also help keep the mix aerated and ensure that enough oxygen reaches the leaves for them to breakdown. Just remember the green/brown mix is key.
2. Mow
Dead leaves are a great free and organic way to enrich your soil. They can get to work even quicker if they are broken down before adding them to the flower beds and borders, an easy way to do this is to gather them up into a pile on a dry day, keeping a collection basket attached to your lawnmower run over them and then use the shredded clippings.
3. Mulch
Flower beds and borders can really benefit from mulching with a natural material in the autumn (and also the spring) as it helps to retain heat, prevent weeds and enrich the soil ready for the next growing season – it’s like giving the soil an edible winter blanket.
You can choose to shred the leaves first, as described above and in addition to quicker breakdown, this will help prevent them from blowing all around the garden on windy days. Alternatively, place them directly at the base of any shrubs or woodland/groundcover plants to mimic their natural forest environment – they will thank you for this in the spring with re-invigorated growth.
If you have any berry fruit, especially in a pot, they will definitely benefit from a leaf mulch - my blueberries love it! Veggies too will like a generous mulch, especially if you add some natural manure on top which will stop the leaves blowing away and add extra nutrients to the soil.
A leaf mulch can also really help to improve a dry, sandy soil by providing it with more structure and extra nutrients, the results should mean significantly better moisture retention next year. Lots more information on mulching can be found here Marvellous Mulching
4. Mould
Leaf mould sounds much less pleasant than it is and I certainly prefer its nickname of Gardener’s Gold. The leaf breakdown works in a similar way to composting but by fungus rather than bacteria and it produces a dark, rich material at the end of the process that is packed full of nutrients.
The quickest and easiest way to do this is to shred damp leaves and then place them in a black bag, a re-purposed compost bag would be great or a sturdy bin liner if you don’t have one. Once full, tie the bag at the top and pierce it all over a number of times to create some air holes, as oxygen is necessary for decomposition. The process can take about 12 - 18 months but the bag can happily sit outside and you can forget about it other than giving it a good shake every couple of months for aeration. It will be worth waiting for!
Alternatively, if you have a very sheltered spot in your garden, you could just pile the leaves into a heap and add to them over time, if you’d prefer.
Another idea is to build a leaf basket or cage that could also be used as a shelter by overwintering wildlife while your leaf mould is doing its thing but you will have to wait for any creatures to vacate their winter home before you can access it. The RSPB have some great online instructions for this – I leave construction to the experts!
5. Bulbs
If you plan to plant some bulbs, particularly any that would naturally grow in woodland such as snowdrops, bluebells anemones or cyclamen, mixing shredded leaves into the soil under the bulbs could be beneficial. You could also add an additional layer of shredded leaves to the soil covering the bulbs, whether in the ground or in a pot.
6. Insulate
To give some of your less hardy plants or shrubs a bit of extra protection from the cold, leaves can be used to form multi-layered insulation around the base of the plants. As they will be thickly gathered during the coldest months, any breakdown will be very slow to take place so they will need to be removed at the end of winter to allow the soil to warm up and to minimise the risk of disease.
Alternatively, if you prefer not to leave them lying over the winter, you could store the dry leaves and use then to protect newly emerging shoots from unexpected or extreme frosts in the early spring.
7. Wildlife
If you have space for a small leaf pile in a spot that is protected from the elements, you could make a great hedgehog hideaway by forming at least three sides from branches/twigs and packing the central part with lots of dry leaves. Not only will this provide some natural warmth and shelter but also some camouflage from predators for passing hedgehogs and other small creatures.
8. Chickens
If you keep chickens, dried leaves may provide a good supply of natural bedding. It’s important that you first check to ensure your leaves are suitable for chickens (e.g. yew, ivy, horse chestnut, nightshades and a number of others are toxic to them) and that they are stored in a dry place and kept disease free. They can then be scattered for bedding and extra protection from particularly soggy ground, as required.
Chickens enjoy foraging so the leaves will add an element of enrichment to their enclosure and when cleaned out and replaced, the addition of aged chicken manure (fresh can burn plants and really doesn’t smell nice) to your compost will make a great fertiliser for the wider garden.
9. Leave
If you don’t have a lawn to worry about or aren’t a fan of intervention then keep it natural and save yourself some work!
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