Tidy up time

Time to log on

With autumn upon us, it is time for all those ‘tidy up' jobs in the garden before the worst of the weather comes in for the winter. It's a good time to think about removing the odd small dead tree or topping up the log shed. STIHL has a wide range of safe, economical and powerful tools to help make all the season's jobs that little bit easier. There is something quite satisfying about having a log store full to the brim. It is good to know that you are prepared for the coming winter and a chainsaw from STIHL can really help beat those winter blues.

Smell the roses

It's the season to prune your roses back and get ahead for the winter months. In particular, climbing roses need a good sort out in autumn and should be pruned and tied to their supports. Bush roses should be pruned back slightly to reduce their height however the main bulk of pruning should take place in early spring. These plants are often shallow rooted so during strong winds in winter they can become loose in the soil and the winds can often kill them.

Movers and shakers

October is the perfect time to dig up and move bare-rooted plants. The soil is still warm from the summer but moist following the autumn rain, so that the plants can settle in nicely over the winter months. The benefit of buying barerooted deciduous trees and shrubs is that they are cheaper than containerised ones so you'll get more for your money. The soil needs to be prepared well in advance, digging it over and preparing the planting holes. The plants need to be put in the ground as swiftly as possible once they have been dug up. Firm the soil around the vulnerable roots well and give them a good water to settle them into the ground.