When litter can be a bonus

Autumn leaves are lovely until they fall off the trees. then they become litter. October gales blow them all over the place and heavy rain turns them to mush. Despite that, fallen leaves have value. treat them as a resource, rather

than a nuisance. If you make compost, mix plenty of the leaves into that. If you use mulches, or grow plants in containers, turn them into leafmould.

For compost, rake the leaves up when they’re damp. Pack them into a compost bay or a large container. mix a little fertiliser such as bonemeal or pelleted poultry manure among the leaves, to hasten decay.

to convert to leafmould, leaves need to be partially decayed. to keep the mix consistent, use a fork, from time to time, to disturb, turn and re-mix the developing product.

Where leaves have fallen among shrubs or under grouped trees, they can be left to decompose where they fell. earthworms will work on them, helping the leaves to decay, returning nutrients to the soil.

If you can’t bear the untidiness of autumn leaves, by all means rake them up for disposal. But do remember that dead leaves are valuable for soil health. they return valuable plant nutrients to the soil, helping to sustain fertility.