Loose Or Compacted Leaves.

[happyhumph]

They male a fantastic weed suppressant as well. Some of the best soil I've seen in a garden is a friends borders - woodlandy garden with masses of trees, & her husband heaps all the leaves from the grass on the bed ,sometimes a few feet deep.

Soil is dark , crumbly, free draining but retains moisture, & weeding is a breeze..

[Bren In Pots]

Looks like i was doing the right thing in bashing my leaves down I just doing it that way to fit more in.

[bario1]

Monty Don says to keep them loose, but what does he know?

[burnie]

I'll quote Geoff Hamilton, "leafmould is a wonderful material that looks like peat but contains much more goodness. Old head gardeners called it a "magic ingredient" in potting composts". Also recommends it as a lining for seed drills when planting them to aid germination.

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

And it smells "Gorgeous"