What to do with Autumn leaves

With Autumn in full swing, the days are getting colder and shorter. As the leaves begin to fall it can be easy to neglect your lawn. However, it’s important now more than ever to maintain your garden throughout Autumn, this will help to ensure your grass is looking lush for the warmer months.

Although Autumn is a beautiful season in the garden, with spectacular colours, the leaves on your lawn can become a real problem. Allowing leaves to gather on your lawn can block out sunlight and air which your grass needs to survive. At GreenThumb, we advise you to remove the leaves from your lawn daily or at least once a week.

Instead of wasting them, there are many ways you can put your fallen leaves to good use. Here are GreenThumb’s top tips:

Mowing:

Simply mowing the leaves is the easiest solution to your leaf problem. By mowing the leaves, you’re compacting and mulching them at the same time, allowing them to decompose much quicker.

Leaf Mulch:

Similar to mowing, Leaf Mulch is a layer of shredded leaves that is applied to the surface of the soil.

It is super easy to do and is a great alternative to throwing them away. You need to collect any fallen leaves, avoiding any that are diseased. Then shred the leaves as much as you can and simply spread around and over your plants and flower beds – 2 to 3 inches thick avoiding the stem.

Leaf Mulch has several benefits. Not only will it preserve your garden’s soil from erosion, it also works as a barrier preventing weeds and other grasses from growing. It can also act as insulation for plants, animals, and insects, specifically, useful in safeguarding worms from prey.

Make compost:

Compost is great for the environment. Given a little time, Autumn leaves make a rich, organic compost that adds nutrients to the garden's soil. In your compost bin, you need to ensure the leaves are moist, mixed with green material such as grass clippings or food scraps, and turned and watered regularly to allow oxygen to circulate.

Making compost from leaves does require patience and time. It can take up to 12 months for a thick black compost. But if you persevere, it is great for your plants, flowers, and lawn.

Insulation:

Bags of leaves can act like insulation. If you dry out as many leaves as you can, bag them tightly together and then store in cold areas of your home, including the garden shed. These bags of leaves will then help keep the space warm during winter. By doing this, it will also give you a rich source of brown material for your compost bin the following year!

Autumn is a testing time for our lawns, however following our tips for your lawn this season will be worth the effort come spring. For more information, contact your nearest GreenThumb branch. Our team will be able to give you expert advice on looking after your lawn.

Source: https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/garden/seasons/a2609/fallen-leaves-autumn-garden-tasks/