Raking leaves is very laborious. If your garden offers the necessary capacity, we recommend leaving the fallen leaves in the beds. The leaves will soon decompose on their own, saving you a lot of work. In this guide you will find out what you need to pay attention to and how decomposition actually works.
How does leaf decomposition work?
Leaves decompose through the natural process in which microorganisms use the dead, dried leaves as food and shred them. Decomposition can be promoted by shredding the leaves in the shredder, using them as fertilizer or mulch and using compost accelerators.
What happens when leaves decompose?
The leaves of the trees are a natural product. Since a biotope depends on a cycle of thriving and dying, they produce a new raw material when they decompose. On the ground they serve as food for the smallest microorganisms. These eat through the dead leaves and shred the leaves naturally. Since the leaves are separated from the tree's water veins when the leaves are shed, they gradually dry out, which further promotes the decomposition process.
Special features
The foliage of the walnut tree is an exception. Here decomposition can even take several years. This is due to the tannins it contains, so-called tannins. They noticeably slow down the decomposition process. Would you like to learn more about storing and handling walnut foliage? Then you will find a lot of useful information in this article.
Promote decomposition of foliage
In autumn there is often a huge amount of leaf waste. Most of the time, even a compost heap does not provide enough space for storage. Below are some tips on how to promote decomposition and thus save space:
- First shred the leaves in the shredder
- Use leaves for other purposes (see below)
- Use compost accelerator (available from specialist retailers)
Use decomposed leaves
When shredded, the leaves are suitable for many uses:
- for fertilization
- for mulching
- as frost protection
If you use your foliage as fertilizer, you should enrich the leaves with organic material. Since the trees extract their nutrients from the leaves before the leaves fall, they only contain a few beneficial ingredients.
