October Garden Tips

Every year the weather continues to surprise us, which can cause havoc on your routine when it comes to garden maintenance. Most of the time we have to take what we should do at this time of year with a pinch of salt and keep an eye on what the weather is like, adapting our strategy as we go.

But assuming we get typical October weather, what should you be doing to prepare your machinery and lawn for the colder seasons ahead?

Husqvarna has a great checklist of things to do in your garden every month. Check it out here

Deal with the leaves.

One of the main jobs of October is handling the leaves in your garden.  Although you might think what harm can they do, just leave them. They can cause issues such as:

• Increasing the risk of moss and mold
• Becoming a slipping hazard
• Increasing the risk of drainage issues
• Can block the sun from getting to your lawn.

Therefore although it’s a pain, for the sake of your lawn that you’ve worked hard on all year, it’s better just to clear them.

A good leaf blower makes this job so much easier. Although there are blowers powerful enough to tackle wet leaves, if possible, it’s better to wait for a dry day to clear all the leaves up quickly. And once you have collected them you can put them in the compost!

Looking for a new leaf blower? Browse our range.

Aeration

If you didn’t aerate your lawn at the start of the year, then now would be a good time to consider it. Aerating can be done with a garden fork, or a machine depending on the size of your lawn.

Aeration is done to prevent waterlogging and compaction which can occur over winter and cause damage to your lawn and garden.

Don’t have an aerator but have a large garden? You can hire one from us, and learn more about our hire fleet.

Check your shed.

If you have a shed and store your machinery, garden furniture, and whatnot then it is important to check it now that the drizzly weather is here. Check for leaks and damp areas and that the door is secure. This will help prevent damage to both your furniture and your machinery when you get them back out.

This may seem like a small thing but many issues with machinery that we see in the new year are often from issues with storage.

Machinery

Speaking of machinery, we are coming into the time of year where you start to think about servicing. This is to ensure that any issues with your machines are dealt with before they become a timely and costly burden later in the year when you are using them most. As well as this a lot of machinery requires a yearly service to ensure the warranty is valid, so it is important to check if this applies to your warranty.

We see a huge surge in servicing at the start of the year so to beat the workshop wait times, get ahead of the game and consider servicing your machines earlier rather than later.