Although the weather begins to get cold and damp, Autumn is a beautiful time of year. Wonderful, vibrant colours on every tree you can see, with frosty mornings that make you crave being cosy. But these lovely colours and colder temperatures also bring something else: lots and lots of dead leaves.
The outdoor specialists at BillyOh know the sinking feeling when those first leaves begin to fall better than anyone. “There’s no other way to put it,” an expert from the site said, “sometimes leaves can be a real pain to deal with. But that doesn’t mean they have to be.”
BillyOh are on hand to make dealing with leaves easy this year. With just a few helpful tips, some new techniques, and some handy pieces of equipment, you can make leaves work for you by clearing them efficiently and composting them afterwards.
Billyoh’s tips for clearing and composting leaves in Autumn:
Clearing the Clutter
Let’s start by dealing with the mess the leaves make. After all the brightness of summer, it can be tempting to want to get out there and keep your garden totally spotless.
But, when leaves start falling, that just isn’t possible – and you could be wasting energy by constantly cleaning your garden. Instead, wait until a good layer of leaves has built up and get out there with a solid and reliable rake or leaf scoops.
A pair of these will help you collect layers of leaves quickly and efficiently. Scoop them up and build them into a big pile – although it’s up to you if you want to let the kids jump in!
Don’t Miss a Spot
Don’t let any leaves lie uncleared. If you do, they’ll continue to make a mess of your garden way into the spring. Before the end of the season, make sure that you’ve got every last leaf out of your garden.
The best way to do it is one area at a time. Rake or brush over the centre of your lawn or garden, and then deal with the borders and edges. These are the areas that are the hardest the clear, so pay extra attention to them.
Compost or Mulch
The great thing about leaves is that they are incredibly biodegradable. Basically, this means that they decompose, or rot, quickly and into useful materials. Once you have your leaves together, there are a couple of options as to how you can use them.
Leaf Mulch
Mulch is a great way to use leaves. You can easily create leaf mulch yourself with nothing more than fallen leaves, a robust bin bag, and a safe place to store them while they decay. Here’s how:
Transfer the leaves into the bin bag. Add a little bit of water or moisture into the bag. Tie the bag up and store it away. Leave it there for a year or more (it will need this long). The mulch is ready when it looks like a thick paste – spread it into the soil or around plants to give it a nutrient boost.
Compost Bin
If you don’t want to make specialised mulch, you can always let your leaves decay the traditional way in a Compost Bin. These secure containers are a great place to let food and garden waste decay into useful compost. Add the leaves into your compost bin and they’ll do a great job of decomposing and helping the rest of the bin decay.
Don’t let leaves get in your way this Autumn. Clear them up and use them to your advantage with these great tips from BillyOh.com
BillyOh has a huge range of garden buildings and furniture to help you create your perfect barin your own back garden. To view the full range, visit billyoh.com.