As deciduous leaves turn to beautiful autumn colours and begin to fall it is time to start thinking about leaf mould.
Leaf mould is really easy to make, simply gather up the leaves from your garden (which is much easier on a dry, still day) and put them into a bin bag. Water the leaves if they are dry, use a garden fork to poke holes in the sides of the bag, loosely tie the bag up and pop it somewhere out of the way for around 2 years.
If you're looking for a more permanent structure you can create a 'lidless bin' using chicken wire and garden canes in a sheltered spot, add your leaves and water occasionally to stop them drying out.
No matter which method you use the process takes around two years but can take longer depending on the type of leaves you have in your garden. Leaves like ash, oak, birch, elm and beech break down most easily and make the best leaf mould, thick leaves like horse chestnut, maple and sycamore are best if they are shredded first and will still need longer to break down. If you have lots of pine needles these can be collected separately and used to make a more acidic leaf mould ideal for ericaceous plants like blueberries.
Once it is well rotted leaf mould is great for seed sowing or can be mixed with compost, soil and sharp sand to make potting compost. Less rotted leaf mould makes a great mulch or dressing for bare soil in winter. Always check your leaf mould for weeds before using it on well manicured areas of garden
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