How to make leaf mould

Leaf mould is a fantastic plant food to use on your borders and beds. Discover how to make leaf mould, a great soil conditioner, from your trees’ fallen leaves in our easy step-by-step video guide.

What you need

• A big pile of leaves
• 一个强大的垃圾袋子
• A wire or string to tie the top
• A watering can filled with water
• A screwdriver

How to make leaf mould

You can chop tougher leaves such as evergreens up with the mower first. Then place the leaves in the bag and add some water. Tie up at the top and punch holes with the screwdriver to allow air to circulate. Leave in a shady place for a year or two, turning and watering occasionally and hey presto – you’ve got leaf mould!

Other things to consider

Leaf mould is a great way to turn garden waste into valuable fertiliser and it’s free of charge. Fallen leaves in built up areas close to roads can be affected by atmospheric pollution so try to avoid leaves near busy roads. Instead, opt for leaves in remote areas or from your own back garden.

Tougher leaves from trees such as sycamore and walnut will need to be shredded before being added to the leaf mould pile, as these can take longer to break down. Leaves from oak, beech and hornbeam trees are the best for easy maintenance leaf mould as these break down easily, but all leaves and pine needles will eventually break down.

Compost is another great garden product you can make in your own back garden using entirely waste materials. Wondering how to make garden compost but not sure where to start? Perhaps you have tried and failed to make garden compost in the past but have struggled to find the right recipe or perfect combination to make really great compost? Gardeners Toby Buckland, Tom Petherick and Mark Diacono offer top tips for how to make garden composthere.