Ouch, once again moles have ravaged your garden, leaving behind mounds of soil known as molehills. Having moles in your garden isn’t necessarily a disaster and can even be a blessing in disguise! Did you know that these unsightly piles of earth hold unexpected qualities? A sign of humus-rich soil, molehill earth is fabulous! Very fine and free of stones, this high-quality material is perfect for sowing and repotting!

Why and how? Here are our tips for using molehill soil!

No doubt... a mole has been here!

Why collect molehill soil?

While digging their tunnels in search of larvae, earthworms, or other grubs, moles bring up very fine, loosened soil to the surface, often less compact than the original. This forms characteristic mounds measuring 30 to 70 cm in diameter on average. By kneading different layers of soil, these intrepid little mammals extract a light mixture from the subsoil, rich in clay, sand, and silt. Easy to handle, this substrate is ideal for your first sowings or repotting plants. However, it’s neither more nor less than "worked" garden soil—not necessarily richer, just more aerated.

Soil loosened by our friend the mole

How to do it?

Nothing could be simpler! To return the soil to the earth, equip yourself with the right tools:

Simply collect this good soil from the surface and store it in a bucket or wheelbarrow. Work in dry weather. If not using it immediately, let it dry for a few days, sieve it, then store it in bags, like compost sacks. Molehill soil is ready to use! Use it alone or enriched with good compost, organic fertiliser, potting mix, or sand to create a rich, complete substrate.

What are the uses of molehill soil?

For sowing

Clean, very fine-textured, and slightly sandy, this molehill soil is ideal for seed trays. Spread a layer of unsieved soil at the bottom, then mix it with a little sieved sowing and potting compost to cover your seeds by a few millimetres.

For repotting

Repotting young plants (vegetable seedlings, herbs, or flowers) with molehill soil mixed with a good all-purpose compost is another great "upcycling" solution.

For top-dressing

Use it like regular compost to top-dress houseplants, outdoor pots, or planters. Replace the old substrate on the top few centimetres with a mix of compost (or potting mix) and molehill soil.

For raised beds

Molehill soil also works well alongside good compost in raised beds: well-draining yet moisture-retentive, it encourages root growth in young herb plants, for example.

A useful soil for your sowings or repotting

For filling lawn holes

Nature abhors a vacuum, so mole-excavated soil can revive a lacklustre lawn:

  • Collect molehill soil in a bucket
  • Fill holes where the ground is weak and grass is thinning
  • Level with a rake to blend it in
  • Water lightly
  • Reseed with grass if needed

Discover more tips:

→ Top-dressing a lawn

→ Overseeding a lawn