Leaf mould - black gold

Crumbly, dark brown goodness. Leafmould is free and makes a great garden mulch. 

How to make leaf mould

• Collect up deciduous leaves and put them into bags - thick reusable bin bags or hessian sacks are ideal. 

• Make sure the leaves are damp so either collect after rain or wet them after stuffing into a bag or container. Pierce the bottom of the bag a few times to help aerate the contents. 

• You can also pile in a corner of the garden or make a simple wire cage from chicken wire. 

• Another option is to run the lawn mower over them to collect up with grass clippings which will speed up the rotting process (the grass clippings have a high nitrogen content so act as ‘greens’ in the composting mix) 

• Leave for a year and then use it to mulch borders. 

Using leaf mould

• Young leaf mould that has not completely broken down can be used as a mulch to cover bare soil. It will protect against the winter weather and suppress weeds in spring.  Mulching in summer after rain will keep moisture in the soil. 

• Well-rotted leaf mould that has been on the go for at least 2 years will be dark brown and crumbly can be used in potting mixes with equal parts sharp sand and loam. The leaf mould improves the structure of potting mix making it more moisture-retentive. All good for creating the holy grail of moisture-retentive, free draining soil!