The Gardener's World star has encouraged his fans to set about making leafmould this October, with the potential to create a "rich" textured essential potting component.

According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), leafmould can act as an "invaluable" free soil conditioner, with the best varieties formed out of oak, beech, or hornbeam leaves.

On his tips and advice blog, Don says that unlike compost, leafmould requires no painstaking churning, mixing or any knowledge, and is an easy way to create "garden gold".

Don continued: "So I am obsessive about making leafmould, gathering as many of the fallen leaves as possible, mowing them to chop them up and then stacking them in a big open heap so they can break down into a lovely rich, crumbly texture and become an essential component of our home-made potting compost."

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The presenter, who films Gardener's World from his Longmeadow home in Herefordshire, says that not only will your leafmould act as a simple potting agent for plants, but it can also benefit the small creatures that may require some extra protection during the bitter autumnal and winter months.

The 70-year-old leaves piles of leaves under hedges and trees to provide a winter cover for hedgehogs, frogs, and insects.

The addition of a stack of logs or prunings will enhance their protection over winter, and contribute to your garden's health.

If you don't have anywhere to store them, Don suggests sorting them out earlier in the month, and that a "simple bay" made from posts and chicken wire would do the job.

If you're already compost-ready, the presenter has shared a breakdown of other tasks which should be completed this month, such as deheading plants, collecting seeds from perennials, and sowing sweet peas to ensure they thrive with a stronger root system.

With temperatures set to drop as the weeks go on, Don has also advised gardeners to invest in horticultural fleeces, which can be placed on shrubs to avoid frost damage.

Monty Don urges gardeners to complete task that he's 'obsessive' over