The gardens around Canberra and the Southern Tablelands are ankle deep in leaves which can be easily turned into mulch and leaf mould to ensure your trees and garden beds look amazing every spring. The leaves will rot down and make a rich, crumbly mixture that is guaranteed to improve your garden beds and trees.
Autumn gold
Here’s how to turn your leaves to leaf mulch
- Rake, rake and rake.
- Get a bin liner and punch a few holes in it to allow some airflow.
- When the bag is nearly full sprinkle a bit of water in and give it a shake.
- Tie the bag up and store in a shady spot until the following autumn.
- Alternatively, find a shady spot in your garden and whack a few garden stakes in the ground and wrap a dark tarp around it and fill with leaves.
- Turn them over from time to time.
How to speed up your leaf mulch
- Shred your leaves using a mower or shredder.
- Add nitrogen to the leaf mix – manure, lawn cuttings, blood and bone etc.
- 5 parts leaf mix one part manure is a good combination.
- It’s a good sign the process is underway when the pile starts to heat up.
- Keep it moist but not drenched.
- Turn whenever you think of it – it helps to speed up the process.
The advantages of leaf mulch
- They aerate heavy soils.
- Stop soil drying out too fast.
- Worms love it.
- Reduces weeds.
- Improve soil quality.