If you’re stuffing bags full of gorgeous autumn leaves that have fallen on your yard or planning to have them hauled away, consider intentionally gathering this “waste” into a pile to transform it into rich, dark compost that will feed your garden all next year. Those colorful leaves are a goldmine of carbon-rich material that forms the backbone of successful composting. As trees turn gold and red in October, you have a fleeting opportunity to gather one of nature’s most valuable composting ingredients, free for the raking and taking.

Leaf composting tidies your yard and keeps organic matter in a beneficial cycle to create a soil amendment that reduces your need for synthetic fertilizers and improves your garden’s ability to store carbon and manage water naturally. Composting is a natural process by which microorganisms convert a mixture of “greens” (organic materials rich in nitrogen) and “browns” (organic materials rich in carbon) into humus: a dark, crumbly material that resembles rich soil. For composting purposes, leaves are greens when they are still alive but become browns when they die and dry out.

A simple leaf collection system

Start your “brown gold” collection now. While leaves are falling is a perfect time to gather this essential composting ingredient. Pile leaves in a designated area of your yard — ideally somewhere that won’t be in your way all winter but is accessible year-round.

Create a simple leaf storage system. Build a basic, three-sided enclosure using chicken wire or snow fencing attached to wooden posts or simply pile leaves in an out-of-the-way corner and cover with a tarp weighed down with rocks. Keeping leaves covered but with some air circulation will allow them to dry out and become “browns” for composting later. A 4-by-4-foot area can hold enough leaves to balance green food scraps from a family of four for an entire year.

Collect strategically. Oak, maple and ash tree leaves make excellent compost. Pine needles can be composted but break down slowly — use them sparingly.

Start mixing immediately. If you’re already collecting and composting kitchen scraps, begin adding leaves to your compost pile right away, using roughly three parts leaves to one part food waste by volume. Chopping or shredding leaves will help them compost faster.

Plan for cold-weather composting. Composting will slow and eventually come to a halt when temperatures drop below freezing. Your leaf collection now serves as the foundation for successful winter composting. Food scraps will continue accumulating through the cold months. Having adequate brown material stored ensures that you can cover the food scraps you collect and store throughout the winter. This layer of dry leaves on top deters pests, prevents foul odors and maintains proper compost balance when warm temperatures return.

Create a winter feeding system. Establish a system for continuing to add kitchen scraps during the winter. Keep a small shovel near your compost area to bury food waste under leaves or create a simple wooden frame that allows you to layer materials easily, even in snow.

Process leaves for faster decomposition. Whole leaves can take two years to break down, but processed leaves compost in six to 12 months. Run over leaves with a mower, use a leaf shredder or put them in a garbage can and chop with a string trimmer.

Common challenges and solutions

Too many leaves, not enough greens. If you have abundant leaves but limited food scraps or garden waste, store excess leaves for use throughout the next growing season. Bagged leaves can be added to compost as needed, used as mulch around plants or incorporated into garden beds as a soil amendment.

Slow winter decomposition. Cold weather naturally slows down composting, but you can help maintain activity by insulating your pile with extra leaves or straw, or building larger piles that retain heat more effectively. Don’t worry if your pile seems inactive during the coldest months — spring warming will restart vigorous decomposition.

Matted or slimy leaves. Whole leaves can form impermeable mats that exclude air, creating anaerobic (oxygen-free) conditions. Prevent this by shredding leaves before composting, mixing them thoroughly with other materials or turning your pile regularly to maintain air circulation.

Your fall action plan

The window for collecting quality leaf materials is short — most trees drop their leaves within a six-week period. This week, begin your collection system. Designate that corner of your yard for leaf storage, gather a few bags or bins for collection, and begin mixing leaves with any kitchen scraps you’re already composting. If you’re not composting yet, fall is the perfect time to start, as the abundance of leaf material makes it easy to maintain proper ratios throughout the winter. Colorful leaves this fall represent next year’s garden fertility, captured for free during nature’s most generous season. Every leaf you compost at home is organic matter that stays in your local ecosystem, improving your soil. By spring, autumn leaves will have transformed into dark, rich humus that helps every seed you plant grow stronger.

Peggy Siegle and Fred Horch are principals of Sustainable Practice. To receive expert action guides to help your household and organizations become superbly sustainable, visit SustainablePractice.Life and subscribe for free to “One Step This Week.” Our new book, “Your Earth Share: Seven Pathways to Sustainable Living,” is also available for purchase on our website.