Autumn leaves and mulching

[RomanCandles]

I've been merrily raking up autumn leaves and chucking them onto my borders, presuming that they would be suitable as a mulch of sorts. Is this OK, or am I going to regret it?

ATM there's not much in the beds. It's all been dug over and manured etc, and covered with anti-weed membrane with some bark chippings to disguise and hold down the membrane. I'm cutting away the membrane as I plant up the beds, and leaving the chippings (and autumn leaves) as mulch around the new plantings.

[redclover79]

You should rot them down over the next year and make leaf mould! Bang 4 posts into the ground and wrap round some chicken wire, pile the leaves in and leave them open to the elements.
I can't remember the reasoning for not using them directly and I'm pretty sure you shouldn't compost them with yur general compost heap. I think if you leave them on the borders because they form quite a dense layer they might rot your other plants and starve them of light etc... IIRC you shouldn't compost with the rest of teh heap because they leach nutrients? I think the finished leaf mould is only beneficial as a soil conditioner rather than to feed the soil next year?
HTH, sorry my brain's a bit frazzled!!

[PeachesMcLean]

Monty Don put them in a bin bag, watered them slightly, then left them for the winter to rot down. Alternative to putting posts in the ground

Is it something to do with acidity that they need to rot down? I think my mum mentioned something about woodland floors being very acidy due to the leaves...

[RomanCandles]

Oh bum. Well, not a disaster, as mostly they're on top of membrane, rather than plants - the intention being to supress growth of undesirables in any case.

I did put last year's lot in a bin bag to rot down, but am being lazy this year! Then I wondered whether I was creating Slughaven Towers, which went on to give me a great idea: I'll build a hedgehog house under the pile of leaves in the far corner! So much for being lazy.