As leaves take longer than other organic material to rot and breakdown, you can make leaf mould compost separately for your garden.

It really is quite simple to make leaf compost but it takes up to 2 years for it to be useable.

Rake your autumn leaves into piles and place them in old animal feed plastic mesh bags. You should be able to get these bags for free from horse stables. They work much better than municipal rubbish bags which tend to tear.

Make sure they are wet through and then seal the bags with twine. Place them in a warm secluded place and literally forget about them for 2 years. After this time they can be used as a wonderful mulch in your home vegetable garden.

If you leave the bags for a little longer the leaves will break down into a wonderful seedling mix.