Easy way to make leafmould
Collect fallen leaves for free goodness, says Ruth
IF everything had gone according to plan, this page would have been about how I excavated our leafmould bin, explained the uses of its wonderfully dark and crumbly contents and then re-filled it with this season’s fallen leaves.
However, when I started to dig out the leafmould, I discovered a wasps’ nest in its depths and had to think again. I have a healthy respect for wasps, but in the autumn they are best left well alone.
Most of the time wasps aren’t a problem, but after a few weeks spent guzzling fallen fermented fruit they are ripe for a fight. So I thought again, and decided to bag up the leaves instead.
Storing leaves in black bin liners (or a ‘Dalek’ composter) makes excellent leafmould in a small space.
Leafmould is a top-quality natural soil conditioner and compost. It takes a couple of years to make and the end result is a dark and crumbly substance that has a myriad uses. These include: Mulch: It suppresses weeds, looks attractive and feeds the soil.
Potting compost: Combine it with homemade compost, sieve it finely, and you have the perfect sowing mixture. Sieve it extremely finely for tiny seeds. Soil improver: Packed with nutrients, it improves the water-holding properties of thin, sandy soils and breaks up claggy clay soil, making it easier to work.
A home for wildlife: A wood-and-mesh compost bin provides a haven for a range of beneficial wildlife including hedgehogs, toads and slow worms (and wasps!). Choose a still day to rake up fallen leaves from the garden, and either store them in an open-air bin or sealed bin liners (see panel, top right). This is great exercise and will warm you up a treat (wear several layers to remove as you go). Finally, don’t be too tidy with your leaf collecting. Leave those that have fallen onto borders, as they will break down naturally and be drawn into the soil by worms, which will then eat and excrete them, improving the soil’s structure and nutrient contents. Foliage blown under shrubs and hedges can also be left to create snug hideaways for hibernating mammals and amphibians, and will also break down to feed the surrounding plants.