After the recent wind and rain, Skerries is covered in a thick, colourful carpet of fallen leaves. They look beautiful, but once they land on our paths, streets, roads, and in gutters, they can quickly turn from autumn glory to slippery hazard. Wet leaves make footpaths dangerous and can block drains, and we have all seen how they can lead to flooding, especially with the heavier rainfall we’re now experiencing. Fingal County Council do send road sweepers round, but that is not enough….

So what’s the most sustainable way to deal with all those leaves? The answer depends on where they are.

Leave the leaves — where it helps nature

If the leaves are in your flowerbeds, under shrubs, or on your vegetable patch, leave them there! They’ll protect the soil from winter rain, keep roots cosy, and feed the worms and insects that make our gardens thrive. Nature designed this system perfectly — no raking needed.
With one exception: If there is a thick layer of wet leaves on a lawn or path, do remove them, as they can smother grass or become slippery.

Collect and compost — where they cause problems

Leaves swept from paths, pavements, or roadsides can be turned into leaf mould — a dark, crumbly soil improver that enriches our gardens and reduces waste.

But don’t put them in your normal compost heap: they take too long to break down. Your brown bin isn’t a good choice either, really, as they can fill up bins quickly.

Instead, you could bring them to a local leaf mould composting cage, if there is one nearby.

These cages are part of Fingal County Council’s Community Leaf Mould Composting Project, which helps neighbourhoods all over Fingal turn a waste problem into a valuable resource.

The council provides free wire cages, watering cans, and pitchforks, plus training and site visits to help communities get started. Here in Skerries, this project is coordinated by the Skerries Neighbourhoods Network (an initiative of the Skerries Community Association – see skerriesca.com/neighbourhoods).

If you’d like one in your area, please contact the network by email: network@skerriesca.com – this year, the deadline Fingal had set for new cages was 28 September, but their contractor, Craig, says there may be some available for a couple of extra Skerries locations in mid November.

At the moment, there are cages in Kelly’s Bay Rocks, Skerries Rock The Crescent, Greenlawns, The Haven and Downside. You will know them by

How to use the Leaf Mould Cages

• Use the cages for wet deciduous leaves only. No branches, grass cuttings, or other green waste, please.
• Keep the leaves damp. Sprinkle them with water if they’re dry — moisture is essential.
• Stir it up! The pitchforks provided by the Fingal Leaf Mould Project help in doing that.

More information here:

On your own…

If there’s no cage nearby, collect your leaves in black plastic sacks or old compost bags, make a few holes in the sides, add a little water, and leave them in a corner for a year or two. The result: rich, weed-free leaf mould for your garden. This is also a great way to store leaves while waiting for a leaf mould cage!

Want to join in?

If you’d like to host a leaf mould cage in your area, email network@skerriesca.com.