COLUMNISTs: KATRINA & CLAYTON
Here are three effective ways we put those fallen leaves to good use around our garden.
Leafmould is a simple, natural soil conditioner that gardeners have been using for centuries. It is created by allowing leaves to decompose slowly, turning into a rich, dark, crumbly material, full of organic matter. Leafmould improves soil structure, enhances water retention, and slowly releases nutrients that plants need in order to thrive.
Collect Leaves: gather fallen leaves from your garden, paths, or roads. Leaves from deciduous trees like oak, maple, and beech are particularly good for making leafmould. Avoid using leaves that are diseased or treated with chemicals.
Shred for Speed: shredding the leaves can accelerate the decomposition process, although this is not necessary. You can use a lawn mower or a leaf shredder for this step.
Pile Them Up: create a leaf pile in a secluded area of your garden, or use a compost bin. The pile should be at least 1m (3’) high and wide to encourage efficient decomposition.
Keep Moist: leafmould forms best in a damp environment. Water the pile occasionally to maintain moisture, especially during dry spells, although they should get wet enough through a Scottish winter.
Wait and Turn: it takes 6 to 12 months for leaves to decompose fully into leafmould. Turning the pile periodically will help aerate it and speed up the process.
Once your leafmould is ready, use it as mulch around your garden beds. This mulch helps retain moisture, suppress weeds, and gradually enrich the soil with organic matter as it breaks down further.
Winter can be tough on many garden plants, especially when temperatures drop and the ground freezes. Fallen leaves provide excellent natural insulation that can protect your plants from harsh winter conditions. By spreading leaves around the base of your plants, you create a protective barrier that helps keep the soil temperature stable and prevents frost heaving.
Cover Root Zones: apply a thick layer of leaves 10-15cm (4-6”) around the base of perennials, shrubs, and young trees. This helps to insulate the roots and reduce the risk of frost damage.
Mound Around Delicate Plants: for particularly tender plants, you can create a mound of leaves around the entire plant to provide additional protection. Just be sure to remove the leaf cover in early spring to prevent rot and encourage new growth.
Raised Beds: if you have empty raised garden beds, adding a layer of leaves on top of the soil can help protect against the winter rains and help prevent soil erosion.
Instead of bagging up all your fallen leaves, consider shredding them and adding them directly to your lawn. This method not only saves time but provides your grass with valuable nutrients as the leaves break down.
Shred the Leaves: use a lawn mower with a mulching attachment to shred the leaves into small pieces. The smaller the pieces, the faster they will decompose.
Spread Evenly: make sure the shredded leaves are spread evenly across your lawn. Avoid thick layers that could smother the grass.
Let Nature Work: over time, the shredded leaves will decompose and release nutrients back into the soil, feeding your grass and improving soil health. This natural process reduces the need for synthetic fertilisers and helps your lawn thrive.
By reusing and repurposing fallen leaves, you can significantly reduce waste while enhancing the health and soil of your garden.
So, this autumn, instead of seeing fallen leaves as a nuisance, recognise them as the valuable resource that they are and put them to work in your garden!
Katrina and Clayton live with their family in East Ayrshire and share their daily life in the garden on Instagram, practicing permaculture principles in the garden, reducing and repurposing waste whenever they can.
Clayton is 16, autistic, non-verbal, and has been home-educated for the last 5 years. Home-educating in nature has helped Clayton thrive: he has completed the 'Grow and Learn' course with the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society and is working on Level 2 'Nurture'.
You can hear directly from Katrina on home educating in nature and on permaculture principles on the Scotland Grows Show.
Katrina and Clayton featured on BBC 'Beechgrove' (Ep23 2022, and Ep17 2023), and are authors of the children’s series 'Clayton's Gardening Adventures: Stories of Autism and Gardening' available on Amazon.
You can keep up with Katrina and Clayton on Instagram, Facebook, and on their website.
