Put Fall Leaves to Work in Your Garden

Collecting leaves is easy with a large blanket or tarp. For more tools, see our Property Maintenance department.

The next time leaves fall into your garden, don't think of them as yard waste. Think of them as a gift for the garden. They're free, organic, plentiful and too valuable to waste. So once you're done jumping in the pile of leaves, here are several ways to put them to work:

Free Summer Mulch
Why pay for expensive mulches? Shredded leaves retain moisture, suppress weeds and improve your soil. You can gather leaves this fall, run them through a shredder or chop them up with your lawn mower, and store the mulch in a dry place. Next spring, surround plants with a two to three-inch layer.

Leaf mulch will stop erosion and create good habitat for many beneficial soil organisms. Leaf mulch also lowers soil temperature by about 10 degrees, which can keep your plants happy during the hot summer months.

Be careful with some kinds of leaves. Walnut, eucalyptus and camphor laurel leaves contain substances that inhibit plant growth. It's best to compost these leaves before using them in your garden.

Make sure you chop or shred leaves before using as mulch. Whole leaves can form a mat that water can't penetrate.

Provide Warm Winter Insulation
A 6-inch deep blanket of shredded leaves protects tender perennials, roses and other plants from cold weather and drying winds. Plus, you can cover cold-hardy vegetables—such as carrots, kale, leeks and beets—with leaves and harvest them all winter.

Temperatures in the top few inches of unmulched soil can fluctuate almost as much as daily air temperatures. A blanket of mulch can help prevent dramatic freezing and thawing during the coldest winter months.

Wet soil expands as it freezes, which in turn causes it to heave. Heaving damages dormant perennials, bulbs and other plants with shallow roots. If you garden in a cold climate, don't mulch until after the soil freezes. That way, the mulch will help keep soil frozen throughout those occasional spells of mild winter weather.

Improve Your Soil
Leaves are a free fertilizer and excellent soil builder. Gather and shred your leaves this fall, and mix them right into your garden. Next spring, your soil will be teeming with earthworms and other beneficial organisms.

Create Leaf Mold
Make a pile of leaves, water it well and cover it with a tarp. Fungus will convert the leaves into a special compost that smells like a walk through the woods. Leaf mold is rich in calcium and magnesium and can retain three to five times its weight in water, rivaling peat moss.

Shredded leaves will decompose faster than whole leaves. But even if you don't shred or chop the leaves, you'll eventually have a great, garden-enriching product.

Feed Your Compost Pile
Dry leaves are a great carbon-rich ingredient for your compost pile. Just keep a pile of leaves nearby and alternate layers of leaves with layers of vegetable peelings and other nitrogen-rich material.

For instructions on how to compost and some recipes for success, read Composting Made Easy.