As the temperatures begin to drop, gardeners are being urged to do one thing in their gardens this autumn to improve the quality of the soil and maintain a healthy space
Don’t dispose of fallen leaves in gardens
Autumn has finally arrived, bringing a complete transformation to your garden. From flowers starting to fade to heightened pest activity, gardeners must tackle fresh challenges in the shifting climate. The most troublesome issue can be fallen leaves blanketing your lawns and walkways; however, gardening experts strongly advise against clearing the leaves away, recommending one crucial task instead.
A specialist at Country Living explained: “While September brings a light scattering of leaves, the big leaf drop won’t happen until October and November. Still, I like to keep things neat and tidy, so I rake any fallen leaves into the garden beds. There, they act as natural mulch, conserving moisture and helping to keep weeds under control.”
What is mulch?
Mulch is a thick layer of material, such as compost or straw, that is placed over soil and around plants. It suppresses unwanted plants such as weeds and locks moisture into the soil while acting as a physical barrier to wind and sun.
“Some mulches also contain nutrients, acting as slow-release plant food,” reported Gardeners’ World.
Gardeners urged not to dispose of fallen leaves (Image: Getty)Why your garden needs mulch in the colder seasons.
Autumn represents a vital period for adding mulch to your gardens. It provides insulation for the ground, preserving any lingering warmth from the summer months.
According to Burgon&Ball, mulch also “prevents waterlogging over the winter, as water drains away through the mulch. It prevents topsoil from being washed or blown away by winter storms. And as it’s likely you’ll be in the garden less over the winter months, it’ll keep weeds at bay until the spring.”
Fallen leaves, or rather “leaf mould,” prove vital for your garden as they contain few nutrients but serve as excellent soil improvers. Leaf mould forms when autumn leaves decompose through the gradual process of fungal breakdown.
How to make mulch with fallen leaves (Image: Getty)How to create mulch using fallen leaves.
To produce leaf mould, gather fallen leaves in a mould container or enclosure and allow them to decompose. “Small thin leaves such as birch break down fairly quickly, while large leathery ones such as chestnut benefit from being shredded first,” reported Gardeners’ World.
A gardening expert at Chelsea Green observed: “Some degree of shredding is necessary for composting leaves, because whole leaves tend to form a soggy mat that will take forever to break down.”
Elaborating further, they explained: “Another reason for shredding leaves is the twigs. Although I remove the larger branches for chipping separately, most leaves have a lot of fine twigs that are a nuisance to pick out, yet I don’t want them left whole.
“This is especially an issue with leaves collected in the forest or from lawns with big old trees. ” An expert from the RHS has advised that there’s no need for a costly shredder to accomplish this task.
Instead, one can gather leaves from the lawn using a rotary mower, which not only shreds the leaves but also adds grass clippings, thereby enhancing the nutrient value of the leaf mould.
Comments are closed.