Use autumn leaves sensibly

For many gardeners, fall foliage is just annoying junk. The colorful leaves are also useful. Here are a few tips on how you can continue to use the autumn leaves sensibly.

The temperatures are slowly dropping and the sun is also getting weaker. Nevertheless, autumn is one of the most beautiful times of the year, even if it can be very exhausting for many garden owners. Because during this time the trees let their brightly colored leaves fall to the ground in large numbers. Day after day we are then busy sweeping it up to finally dispose of it in the garbage. Stop!!!

The autumn leaves are much too good for the compost or the garbage can. There are some useful uses that I would like to introduce to you here.

Autumn leaves: 4 sensible uses

1 Use autumn leaves as protection against the cold

Many plants need protection from the cold in winter and the colorful leaves are ideal for this. In addition, the plants are supplied with additional nutrients by destroying the leaves. Wherever plants need to be covered, you can reuse the fallen leaves.

The layer can be up to 10 centimeters thick and worked into the ground so that the plants do not freeze to death. However, to keep the leaves from blowing away and rotting well, you can sprinkle some compost over the cover. The leaf cover is not only protection against the cold, but also fertilizer and also protects the soil from drying out.

2 Compost leaves and use as fertilizer

Autumn leaves shouldn't just be lying around in your garden. You should primarily remove it from the lawn as the wet leaves will smother the grass underneath. The easiest way to do this is to pick up the leaves with the lawn mower, which will also shred them immediately. You can then add it to the composter with a little garden lime or rock dust. If you now add a layer of uncut leaves on top, you create the best conditions for a good composting process. The additional "cover" protects your compost from moisture and cold, allowing the microorganisms to multiply diligently. The finished compost is then finallya good fertilizer for your plants.

3 Leaves as winter quarters for animals

Many things in nature have their meaning and purpose - including the foliage. Even if it's annoying at times. Leaves can lie quietly under bushes, hedges and trees. Don't worry about the "looks". For many animals in our homeland, piles of leaves offer a suitable winter quarters. Not only hedgehogs, frogs, lizards and spiders find shelter here, but also many beetles, worms and other insects. And these in turn are on the diet of birds that overwinter here.

4 Autumn Leaves Crafts

The colorful leaves are also great as an autumn decoration. Whether as a colorful autumn wreath for the front door, as wind glass decoration or in combination with acorns, chestnuts and other natural materials - there are no limits to the ideas. Children in particular have great fun tinkering with things from nature. You can also teach them which individual leaves are involved and how to recognize them. There is also often the task of creating a flip portfolio at school. This includes collecting the leaves, drying them, gluing them in and labeling them. So your annoying autumn leaves even have an educational use.

Leaf Autumn Wreath Tutorial Video: