Autumn leaves in the garden: 5 great tips & applications

There is an abundance of leaves in autumn - so why not use it? We'll show you what you can do with foliage.

Autumn is here and the trees are colored. But the play of colors does not inspire everyone, after all, the falling leaves also mean a lot of work. For everyone who values ​​a well-tended garden, the time of raking leaves begins. But what to do with all the leaves that you find in the garden at home? We'll show you five ways in which you can do something good for your garden with autumn leaves.

There is an abundance of leaves and free of charge - if you want to use your leaves and don't just want to throw them away, why not try one of the following five options.

Fall foliage tip 1: mulching

Mulching is a great way to save garden work. Above all, the unpopular plucking of weeds is a thing of the past with a good layer of mulch - unwanted wild herbs are simply suppressed by the layer and thus no longer stand a chance. But you don't have to water that often thanks to a layer of mulch, because the moisture is better retained in the soil. The earth also benefits from the mulch layer: This supports soil life and reduces the erosion of the humus layer. But instead of buying extra bark mulch or wood chips, you can simply use the autumn leaves that are already there. This rots very slowly (does not need to be constantly renewed) and also enriches the soil with nutrients.

Fall foliage tip 2: Natural frost protection

Many plants do not cope well with the cold temperatures and wet weather of winter. But with a bit of autumn leaves, plants in the bed can be wonderfully shielded from the bad winter weather. For this purpose, the leaves are generously distributed in the bed, similar to a layer of mulch, and a little piled up on the stalk. Due to the many small air spaces between the leaves, the foliage layer acts like a natural insulation and thus protects the plant from frost and frostbite. Rain is also kept out by the layer of leaves: like a roof with shingles, the water flows in from the inside outside and only seeps into the soil at the edge of the leaf layer, so that the plant also protects against too much moisture will. But not only plants in the bed but also potted plants can benefit from foliage - instead of the containers with styrofoam or To make bubble wrap frost-proof, you can also fill a jute sack with dry leaves and the pot of the plant put in. Here, too, the foliage acts as a natural insulation and ensures that the earth does not freeze through.

Fall foliage tip 3: beds made of leaves

How do you create a new bed? Most people would just dig up a piece of lawn, but did you know that there is a much more gentle way of doing things? In fact, you can easily create a new bed with a little patience and autumn leaves. To do this, the piece of meadow that you want to convert is simply mulched with a thick layer of leaves: the one below Lawn suffocates, rots and forms a fertile garden soil without digging and the associated things Soil erosion. Autumn is of course the best time to create beds in this way: Not only are there enough leaves then, but the soil also has time to mature until spring and is ideal for the first sowing prepared.

Fall foliage tip 4: From leaves to compost

Compost is a simple and environmentally friendly way to improve the structure of the soil or to supply the earth with important minerals. At the same time you can Also make compost very easily (and above all inexpensive) from leaves yourself. Exactly how composting takes place mostly depends on the taste, but also on the amount of leaves to be composted. The compost bin is more suitable for smaller quantities, while larger quantities can be placed on a compost heap. To speed up composting, it is advisable to shred the leaves (for example with a lawnmower) or to add a composting agent. Adequate ventilation is also important so that the microorganisms can work. However, not all leaves are necessarily suitable for composting: especially leaves of ginkgo, oak, Horse chestnut, walnut and poplar are difficult to compost and should therefore always be mixed with other leaves be mixed.

Fall foliage tip 5: Hedgehog hiding places made easy

Hedgehogs are not only really cute, but also very useful: in the garden they prefer to eat snails and other insects that otherwise like to go to our vegetable patches. A hedgehog in the garden is a real helper and is welcome. Unfortunately, many hedgehogs cannot find sleeping quarters, as there are hardly any “wild corners” in most gardens that offer them shelter. But the prickly animals feel right at home in a pile of leaves and also have the perfect hiding place for their hibernation. So if you have a quiet, secluded corner in your garden, leave some leaves lying around - the hedgehogs will thank you. More options Support hedgehog in autumn can be found in our special article.

You ask yourself the question "Why do the leaves change color in autumn?“? We answer this question and also explain why the leaves fall in autumn.

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