When Autumn Leaves Start to Fall ..

What should we do about all the autumn leaves that nature dumps on our garden?  Well apart from paths, patios and lawns, how about thanking mother nature for this gift.

If you leave the leaves where they fall, the worms will soon drag them under, and even the toughest will be gone by next spring.  Indeed, what harm have dead leaves ever done to you?

The leaves on paths, patios and lawns can be safely added to the compost heap, plus any you can pinch from the adjacent streets.

More autumn leaves means more microbes and more good little soil beasties.  And everything in your garden depends on the health of this soil community.

The very last thing you should be doing is burning your leaves or throwing them away - they are far too valuable to be doing that

You Can't Beat Peat for Compost

The two best buy composes as determined by independent laboratory test are:

Best for raising young plants: J Arthur Bower’s Traditional All-Purpose Compost (When buying, don’t confuse it with J Arthur Bower’s Multipurpose or Multipurpose with added John Innes as both did badly in the trials - just make sure the word "Multipurpose" isn't on the packet.

Best for containers was: Verve Grow Your Own Growing Bag.  This cost as little as 7p per litre and is available from B&Q.

Both these composts contain peat, but don't beat yourself up over it.  In spite of the crap pumped out by the Christophobic worshippers of Gaia, the earth goddess, the planet is actually laying down peat much faster than man could possibly consume it.