Autumn leaves

thefosters

I have just moved to a new house which has a very large cherry tree in the garden.

Can I just leave the leaves in the beds as they fall or should I lift them and bag them up. If I don't lift them will they do any damage to the plants.

Fairygirl

Best to bag them up if you don't have a mesh bin for them - put them in black bags with some holes in - and they will rot down and give you a great medium for your beds and borders next year. If they're left ( a few leaves do no harm) a thick layer can inhibit whatever's growing underneath - there may be some nice bulbs and perennials there for the spring. If you can shred them or go over them with the lawnmower first, they'll break down more quickly. 

thefosters

I don't have a lawnmower but I will bag as many as possible. Thanks