Night Soil

No. 12 Autumn 2025

seasons · No. 12

Leaf Mould: The Slowest, Best Fertiliser

It asks only for fallen leaves and time, and gives back a crumbly brown richness no bagged product quite matches.

Photograph accompanying this essay

Leaf mould is the great democrat of the garden. It asks only for fallen leaves and time, and gives back a crumbly brown richness that no bagged product quite matches.

How to build a bin, what to put in it, and why two years is not too long to wait for the best thing you will ever make for your soil.

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