Leaf Mould Or Compost ?

[atalanta]

All my leaves have gone into my compost bins, with the excess going into the council's wheelie bin. Should I have tried to make leafmould instead ? If so, how, and what would I do with it when it was ready for use ? Would it be more useful than compost ? Would it create less methane whilst rotting down ?

[Jennykenny]

I gather up leaves from my garden and from the street trees every autumn/winter, pack them into plastic bin bags, throw in a jug of water just to keep them a bit damp, and finally punch the bags with a rake or garden fork to make a few holes. Tie the bags up and stick them in a corner of the garden out of the way.
Come spring you will have the best mulch you can imagine, and it's all free.

[DTCwordfan]

Jenny, you would have a council mulch tip with all the leaves here! Straight under the bushes and then the rest sent back to where they came from in thin air, the final pile is nurdling away as it has been for 4 days and still another 3 days worth if we don't get rained on too much.

[Chipchopper]

I've found that some leaves will rot down much faster than others, ash and lime leaves are about the best.
some other leaves, such as London plane can be thick and leathery and decompose very slowly. If the latter is the case, you can speed things up by shredding the leaves or as I do run the mower over them, before raking up, bits of grass and worm casts will only help!.
Otherwise Jenny Kenny's advice is sound!

[Muntin]

Leafmould is good for topdressing beds and mulching trees and shrubs. It tends to slow compost down so separate bin or bins is good or put leaves in perforated plastic bags. After a year or two...leafmould. Any organic matter is useful in a garden. Don't know about the methane, leafmould unlikely to be worse, surely? Much information at

[Muntin]

Sorry, that was meant to be a link to Garden Organic and then 'leafmould'