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How to Use Fall Leaves to Recharge Your Soil

Fall leaves are a gold mine in the garden because they’re a natural soil conditioner, compost AND mulch—and they’re free. So don’t just bag them up for the landfill!

If you have an abundance of leaves in your yard, here are five easy ways to put them to use in fall and winter. Come spring, your soil will thank you for it!

Add leaves to your compost pile.

You can layer dried leaves (known as “browns,” as they’re higher in carbon) with fresh weeds, grass clippings, and the last of your summer crops (known as “greens,” as they’re higher in nitrogen) in a 1:2 ratio of brown to green.

Stockpile leaves as brown matter for your compost pile.

You can store excess fall leaves in sturdy yard bags or lidded trash cans. Every time you empty your kitchen compost bucket into the outdoor compost pile, add a few handfuls of leaves as well.

Use leaves as winter mulch for overwintering crops and perennials.

You can mix dried leaves with other materials, like straw or pine needles, to create an airier mulch.

Layer them in a lasagna-style bed with other organic matter to create a rich, loamy soil, or use them to bulk up beds where the soil volume has settled over winter.

Save the leaves for spring.

Simply pile all of your whole or shredded leaves into yard bags, mesh cages, compost bins, or other enclosures and let them break down naturally.

Make leaf mold.

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