Clear gutters of dead leaves & debris

With dead leaves & debris falling throughout the autumn, your drains, gutters & downpipes can quickly become completely clogged. Blocked gutters & drains can lead to stagnant water, overflowing and even damp inside your home. So you’ll want to make sure you’re regularly checking them and getting them cleaned whenever necessary.

How do I know if I need to have my gutters cleaned?

The easiest way to check if your gutters or drains need to be cleaned is to look. The main culprit for autumn blockages will be dead leaves. With the inevitable autumnal showers, these leaves get wet, which can lead to blockages. Other tell-tale signs that it’s time for a clean are moss, plant growth or any other visible debris. Don’t put yourself at any risk to check your gutters though – if they’re too high to see, or you can’t see them from inside the property, it’s worth calling in a professional to take a look for you.

What happens if I don’t get my gutters cleaned?

Not clearing your gutters can have some nasty consequences. Here are just a few of the things that could happen if you leave your gutters.

• Blocked downpipes. Gutter debris will eventually make it into your downpipes, blocking them up completely. This means that water will no longer be able to run down from the gutters.
• Gutters overflowing. Once your downpipes are blocked, there’s a serious risk of your gutters overflowing during periods of rainfall. This could cause damage to any flowerbeds or plants positioned beneath your gutters & could soak anyone unfortunate enough to walk beneath them.
• Water damage to your roof. Leave your gutters blocked & overflowing for long enough, and you could find yourself with a damaged roof. Eventually, stagnant water can make its way through your roof files, leading to damp inside the property.
• Gutters collapsing. Your gutters aren’t designed to hold heaps of water. Once your downpipe gets blocked and the water’s backing up, this can put your gutters under quite a lot of strain. If you’re really unlucky, this extra weight could even cause them to collapse – causing damage to your roof.
• Water damage to your foundations & any basement levels. In just the same way that blocked-up water can cause damage to your roof, it can also damage the bottom of your home. Gutters are designed to direct rainwater to the drains, through downpipes. When that’s not possible, it overflows from the side of the gutters. This can cause water to pool at the bottom of your walls, causing potential damage to the foundations of the home. If you’ve got a basement/cellar – it could even cause damp or damage inside. 
• Bad smells from damp debris. Stagnant water & rotting leaves can make for some funky aromas. Keeping your gutters & downpipes cleared will ensure this doesn't become a problem though. 

How should I clean my gutters?

Cleaning gutters requires expertise and involves working at height. So we recommend you leave it to the professionals. With a quick search online, you should be able to find a local gardener or drainage specialist who can get the job done.

Need help clearing your gutters? Get a quote & book our gutter cleaning service

Trim dead branches & prune bushes

You’ll need to be careful with this one – you certainly don’t want to over prune or over trim your hedges in the autumn months. But you should still trim any dead or diseased branches. You can also prune your hedges to shape them (if they need it). Take care of this in early autumn though, to make sure that your pruning is all done well before the first frost of the year.

Not a pruning pro? Check out our hedge trimming & pruning service

Prepare your lawn for guaranteed green grass next year

Autumn is a great time to lay the foundations for guaranteed green grass next year. Here are a few lawncare tasks that will help to ensure a lovely lawn next year.

• Clear your lawn of any fallen leaves or debris. First things first, make sure that you’ve cleared your lawn of any leaves or other debris before you crack on with the rest of your lawn maintenance. 
• Cut back the lawn. After the summer months, you may find that your lawn is overgrown around the edges. Autumn’s the perfect time to trim the edges to ensure your lawn is restored to its neat & tidy best.
• Scarify. Rake your lawn to remove thatch (the dead grass & moss that collects on the top of your lawn). 
• Aerate your lawn. Aeration involves perforating or ‘spiking’ your lawn, which allows water, nutrients and air to get through to the roots of your grass. It’s an essential spring & autumn gardening task to guarantee healthy green grass. Aerating isn’t complicated - simply use a garden fork to poke holes between 2-6 inches deep across your lawn. Or you can invest in a pair of aerating sandals – just strap them onto your boots & walk evenly over your lawn.
• Apply top dressing. Once you’ve aerated and scarified your lawn, it’s time to apply a top dressing. A top dressing improves nutrient retention and promotes a thicker healthier lawn. And it can be used to help level an uneven lawn. You can pick up a bag of top dressing – which usually contains a mixture of sand & fine compost (loam, peat etc.) – at your local garden centre or online. Simply pop on a pair of gloves and evenly distribute across the top of your lawn.

Need a hand with one-off or ongoing lawn care? Check out our lawn maintenance service

Get planting some autumn-friendly veg & flowers

While you might feel that you’ve missed the boat for this year, there’s still plenty of planting you can do to keep busy throughout the autumn months. Here’s some inspo for what you could plant in each autumn month in the UK.

What to plant in September (in the UK)

September is too late to be thinking about growing your Christmas dinner veg. But fast-growing vegetables & salad leaves can still be planted & enjoyed this side of new year. Radishes will be ready in just a couple of weeks so they’re a great place to start. And you could also harvest small turnips in just 6-8 weeks. When it comes to salad leaves, opt for a winter variety and make sure they’re planted under shelter to protect them from the elements. You can also plant winter-safe varieties of broad beans, spinach & peas for an early harvest next year.

Prefer petals to pulses? Try poppies, English marigolds or love-in-a-mists for a spot of September sowing. Plant them in September and you’ll get earlier flowering next year.

What to plant in October (in the UK)

If you’re of patient persuasion, then October is a great time to get sewing for early harvests next year. Radar onion sets are perfect to plant in October in the UK. Buy bulbs and pop them in a few centimetres underground, about 12-15 centimetres apart. They won’t do a whole bunch of growing over winter, but you’ll get a head start next year as they should be ready by early summer. You can do the same with garlic & cauliflower too.

As long as you cover with a cloche (or move into a greenhouse if you’re lucky enough to have one), you might still be able to plant some winter salad leaves in October. With a bit of luck, you’ll get a small crop this side of Christmas, with more to come in early spring.

What to plant in November (in the UK)

Plan for a super spring by planting a range of tulip bulbs in November. Getting ahead of the game by planting this side of the new year will ensure blooming plants between March & May – depending on the variety & when exactly they’re planted. You can also plant daffodils at the same time.

If you’d like to add some flowering plants to the garden now, you’ll still have time to plant some garden-ready, winter flowering plants. Planting a primrose or a pansy variety would be a great place to start.

Need a hand planting? Check out our planting service

Book a gardener for autumn gardening tasks

Need a hand with any of your autumn gardening tasks? We've got tried & trusted gardeners on hand to help. You can find out all about our 5* gardening service & book here: Tried & trusted gardeners