1. Bin them
2. Make compost from them
3. Make mulch from them

The first point is not really worth discussing, it seems wasteful to me to throw something away that could be made use of, so we’ll discuss the second two options here.

What’s the difference between compost and mulch?

It is true that mulch will eventually become compost, but compost is  nutrient rich decomposed matter that feeds plants and should be dug in to the soil. Mulch on the other hand is partly decomposed bulkier matter. The purpose of mulch is to create a barrier between your soil and the elements. Effectively it is a layer insulation, similar to loft / attic insulation. This not only stabilises the temperature of your soil but it also acts as a weed suppressant. Over the course of the year it will break down and the nutrients will be passed on to your plant. The cycle can then begin again.

What do you need to do create leaf mulch?

You simply have to shred your leaves. Un-shredded leaves pack down quicker which mean they can’t trap as much air. Shredding your leaves prevents this and consequently makes better mulch. Some lawn sweepers feature a built in shredder.

If you have too many leaves you may need to create a holding bin or ‘mulch bin’ to keep your leaves separate from the compost bin.

How to create compost from leaves

Leaves should really be kept separate from your compose bin. They take a lot longer than most of the organic matter you would put in your bin. Some people call leaf compost, leaf mould, either way the best way to get something useful from you leaves is to create a leaf mould compost bin. This differs from your usually compost bin because it is best if it is open sided and the contents are exposed to the elements. The break down of the leaves is accelerated by exposure to the rain and frost. The simplest way to make a bin for your leaves is to take four posts, hammer them into the ground, put mesh around the four sides and pile in your leaves. You will then want to put something over the top, to prevent the blowing out and ending up where they started. Some people use an old piece of carpet.

So here goes, you’ve decided to tackle the mountain of leaves that have built up in your yard…

Step 1
The first thing you need to do is make sure you are armed with the correct gear. You will need standard gardening wear with the addition of a thick pair of gloves for any spines / thorns that find there way into the collection bag. In terms of equipment and apparatus you will obviously need a leaf sweeper, but also some where to put the leaves once you have collected them. If you’re running short of ideas check out the what to do with your collected leaves article.

Step 2
Once you’ve got your kit together and have decided what you are going to do with your leaves it’s time to prepare the area. I always prefer to clear the area I’m going to work on before I get started, instead of barging objects out of the way as I wheel the leaf sweeper along the lawn. The leaf sweeper will pick up twigs but anything bigger than this should be moved before hand, make sure that your lawn is free of branches and stones.

Step 3
You’ll next want to set the height of your lawn sweeper – this is very dependant on the length of the grass that you are working on. If you’re not working on grass, but instead on the patio or drive, you will want it set to its lowest setting.

Step 4
Start walking along, pushing your leaf sweeper in front of you.  Try and stay methodical and work in strips along your garden, if you find that you are not picking up leaves there could  be two reasons for this; you could be walking too fast so the lawn sweeper is not finding enough traction, or, you could have the sweeper set too high. Slow down first, if that doesn’t help then lower the sweeper.

Lawn Sweeping Method

Step 5
To a certain extent the weather will determine how often you will need to empty your leaf sweeper. What I mean by that is that if it has been raining and the leaves you are collecting are wet the leaf sweeper will become very heavy very quickly; hence you will need to empty it more often. The size of your collection box will also determine how often you will need to empty it.