Leaf clearance and seasonal garden work in Salfords

Seasonal jobs in Salfords timed to the clay, the stream and the weather.

Leaf clearance in Salfords matters more than people think. Wet leaves sitting on clay ground smother lawns quickly, block drains and turn paths slippery. Gardens backing onto woodland, like the edge of Petridgewood Common, or with big trees nearby, can be raking for most of October and November.

Leaves are only part of it. The other seasonal garden maintenance jobs, such as spring cut-backs, summer deadheading and winter pruning, are built into regular visits at no extra charge, so they happen at the right moment without you having to remember. We’ll also do any of them as a one-off if you’d rather look after the rest yourself.

Leaf clearance and the autumn garden tidy up

The Salfords Stream can flood in autumn and winter, and the Environment Agency’s gauge at Salfords Bridge reached its record level on Christmas Eve 2013. You can’t do anything about the stream. But you can make sure leaves aren’t sitting in gullies, on drains or across paths when heavy rain arrives. So autumn visits here start with leaves, then the main hedge cuts now that nesting is over, then cutting back and mulching borders. That layer of mulch keeps bare clay from being washed about over winter.

Spring starts late on Salfords clay

Clay stays cold and wet longer than lighter soil. Walk on it in early March and you squeeze the structure out of it. So spring here starts with work that doesn’t need the ground: cutting back old perennials and grasses, pruning buddleja and late roses, and mulching before the weeds wake up. The first lawn cut waits until the soil is firm, often April. Summer is then about keeping up, with higher mowing as the clay dries and light trims once nests are checked.

Seasonal Services in Salfords: your questions

Anything else, just ring. You’ll speak to the people who do the work.

How often should leaves be cleared?

Through October and November, every visit or every other visit depending on the trees around you. Under big trees, weekly is sometimes needed at the peak.

Are seasonal jobs an extra booking?

Not on a regular visit, because they’re already included. Otherwise we’ll quote each one as a one-off.

What should I do in the garden in winter?

Stay off the lawn when it’s sodden. Winter is the time for rose pruning, hedge renovation and moving shrubs while they’re dormant, on days when the ground is firm.

Is December too late for an autumn tidy-up?

Not usually. As long as the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged, December is fine for clearing leaves, cutting back and mulching. Late is better than leaving it all until spring.