The Autumn Essentials Guide
It’s passed by quickly! Tomorrow marks the official beginning of Autumn. While It may not feel like it until later in the season, we thought we would encourage you to get a head start on the fall preparations by giving you an essential guide on what you need to prepare and what equipment will get you through this season.
For a full garden Calendar filled with all the essential tasks, you should be thinking about on a month-by-month basis, check out Husqvarna’s Garden Calendar.
Pruning
All plants and trees will be different and may require pruning in a different season, for more information regarding the species of trees you have and when the best time to prune them is, you can consult a handy guide such as this one from Birch Tree Care.
However, as a general rule of thumb, Autumn is a good time to prune to allow your trees and shrubs to grow back stronger after the winter and to avoid losing branches during the winter time. If you need more information on pruning, check out one of our earlier blog posts about why pruning is important.
So, what tools are going to help you in this?
For someone with a smaller garden, you might swear by a simple pair of sheers. If it works, it works. If you have a smaller garden and don’t want to invest in a large hedge trimmer or pole pruner but are finding it difficult to cut through thicker branches then you should consider a handheld pruner. These smaller devices are capable of pruning both trees and shrubs and even cutting up garden waste. An example is the Stihl GTA26 which is even battery operated for more simplicity.
If you do have a larger garden that you are frequently taking care of then a pole pruner or hedge trimmer may be more useful to you. It will turn what seems like a never-ending job into a simple and even enjoyable experience.
Browse our range of Hedge trimmers and Pole Pruners here.
Not looking to have your shed cluttered with an abundance of tools, or just don’t think it’s worth it to invest in three or four separate pieces of equipment when you maybe only prune once or twice a year?
Combi tools are designed for the casual user who wants a variety of tools in their arsenal without the need for a large amount of storage space or a variety of tools to maintain. These come with an engine that acts as the power source for all the different types of attachments you can think of.
For more information on these systems check out our previous blog all about combi systems, what they are called to different brands and what attachments are available.
Or Browse our range of Combi systems and attachments
Chainsaws
For those who want to get ahead of the game, ensure your chainsaw is prepared for the months ahead.
Your chainsaw is going to see the most use in the months of Autumn and Winter so you will need to get it prepared. If you’re not usually a regular user, then you may have had it in storage for a while, if this is the case there are some steps you will need to take to get it ready. Follow this guide from Stihl for how to prepare your saw for use.
Looking for an upgrade? Browse our range of chainsaws.
Leaves
The staple of Autumn. Although we all love to walk through orange leaves and embrace the crunching sounds, once the rain hits and the leaves turn to soggy mush, we are over it.
Should you just leave your leaves? While they don’t sound like a big deal, leaving leaves on your lawn, particularly damp, can form a barrier between your lawn and its access to light and air which can lead to damage, and leaving them to clog up could also lead to poor drainage. To avoid having to work ten times harder to repair these issues in the spring the easier step is prevention. Raking or blowing leaves regularly as they fall will minimize the workload in the future.
For some, a rake is enough, particularly if you only have a small garden. However, if you have a larger garden with a lot of walkways, then going around it all with a rake can seem like a momentous task. Leaf blowers are therefore a useful tool to have in your arsenal.
There are different types, petrol, battery, professional and domestic. The most ideal leaf blower for you will depend on your preferences and your tasks, and how you will use it.
Lawn maintenance
Depending on where you live and the current weather indications you should keep an eye on when you will receive your first frost. Ideally, you want to do your final mow before then. However, with the way the current climate, this deadline may be more difficult to predict.
Mower blade
Now is a good time to raise it leaving your grass a little longer can encourage more root growth which will help the grass during the winter.
Aerate
If you’re looking after a larger piece of land, perhaps an estate then now is a good time to aerate your lawn. For the average home user this typically only needs to be done every two or three years. Aerating allows more movement and water in the rooted area which means your lawn will be stronger and in a better position to manage long periods of drought or waterlogging. The trick here is to focus on areas that receive the most wear, perhaps a place that holds a lot of activities or machinery as these are the areas that are likely to be the most compacted.
Looking for machinery to do this? Browse our Hires catalog
