Leaves!...it's that time again folks!

[Root66]

Built my wire cage and filled it with 10 sacks of leaves over the past week. Will continue to collect leaves as it continues dropping.
I know it will take a year or so to get the benefits but how can i resist freebies. Leaf mulch has to be the most underrated and underused process. I think no one else on my allotment has done this as far as i can see, and we have an abundance of trees in our area. Still, all the more for me

[mrswadders]

got 10 sacks full on Saturday from the trees at hubby's work carpark.................yes they do think I'm nuts as it's not the first nutty thing they've heard me doing, last year it was 'please can you give graham your banana skins please?' Had a glut of green toms...........

[Scoot]

Got 7 bin liners full of leaves now which i have filled under the cover of darkness so I'm not thought of as the local weirdo.

Was just wondering, is it worth scattering some leaves over my garden and digging them in? I've added horse manure and ash from my log burner and was wondering if it was worth digging in some leaves as well.

[KevinM67]

I went out and got a bin liner full of leaves the other night. I can't bring myself to walk around my estate collecting leaves in broad day light. The neighbour's will think I'm a complete fruit bat. I plan on getting a load more over the coming nights.

I think I posted something similar last year about the neighbourhood thinking "who is the crazy guy raking up the leaves in the darkness ?".

I've reached that age in life now, where I think - b*gg*r them, I'll happily be known as the local fruitcake.

[roitelet]

Was just wondering, is it worth scattering some leaves over my garden and digging them in? I've added horse manure and ash from my log burner and was wondering if it was worth digging in some leaves as well.

Plonk them on the surface and they will stop the weeds growing then they can either be raked off in spring or dug in.

[DannyK]

I use leaves to protect dahlias. Weigh them down with compost and remove them in spring.

Don't forget to zip up the vac bag!

[Lisasbolt]

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:d.................

[Scoot]

Thanks everyone, i think I'll spread some on and dig them in in the spring.

[janzbro]

I always thought you were to put them in a bin bag, wet em, tie it up and stab a few holes in the bag!

[sparrow100]

I dug 3 bin bags of leaves into my winter veg bed in July, no sign at all of them now.

This year I've gone big and have 4 builders' bags of leaves sat on the plot over winter, with some net over the top to stop them flying around in the wind. I am hoping for a bag of leafmould eventually.

[KevinM67]

I always thought you were to put them in a bin bag, wet em, tie it up and stab a few holes in the bag!

Yep, that's the way I do it - however, I suppose the other mentioned ways are just as good.

[Scoot]

Yep, that's the way I do it - however, I suppose the other mentioned ways are just as good.

I'm doing both. Digging some in and keeping a load in bin liners.

[purplekat]

I dug 3 bin bags of leaves into my winter veg bed in July, no sign at all of them now.

This year I've gone big and have 4 builders' bags of leaves sat on the plot over winter, with some net over the top to stop them flying around in the wind. I am hoping for a bag of leafmould eventually.

I've got two so far, just a bit worried that builders bags don't drain so it might end up a stinky puddle at the bottom - don't know whether to transfer the lot to a leaf bin (if I ever get chance to build one).

I am another mad one who's given up caring what the neighbours think and collected them off the street. Also got next door chucking the ones they've collected over the fence.

[roitelet]

If they are the woven type of builders bags they should be fine.

[Root66]

Here's my leaf bin.

I usually just collect a bag or so from my travels, so it contains of a variety of leaves. It's just four spikes with chicken wire and some supporting rods. I just put a mesh 'lid' on top to stop the wind undoing all my work and a few bricks on top to keep things a little compressed.

I will be collecting more leaves and keeping them in the sacks, or adding to the bin as and when it drops. One side of the bin, where the chicken wire joins can be opened at the bottom so i should be able to collect the end product accordingly - We will see in a year or so. Now it's the waiting game and just keeping it moist in the warmer weather i suppose.