The Autumn months are the perfect time to get your garden in order. No matter what size garden you have, the amount of rubbish that can build up can be surprising. You can quickly end up having more waste than your wheelie bin can handle and this is when you should consider hiring a skip. Doing so now and tidying up your garden means that your garden will be sorted for the Winter months and ready for Spring. Here are some gardening maintenance tips for Autumn.
Keep on top of Autumn leaves
Although not all trees shed their leaves, the majority do and you can quickly find your garden overwhelmed by them. Although keeping some of them to one side can help create important habitats for wildlife to shelter in during the cold winter months, the rest can be bagged when they are dry and thrown away into a garden waste skip. The same applies to branches. Although you can keep some around your garden for wildlife, you may have too many and need them to be removed.
Next, you should look at your flower beds. If you have flowers that have died and will not return next year, have these removed to keep your flower beds neat and provide you room to plant some more bulbs for next Spring. As there are usually restrictions on the amount of soil you can place in domestic wheelie bins, hiring a skip can be a great option.
Trim hedges
As you get into Autumn, it is time to think about trimming hedges to keep growth under control. Depending on the size of your garden, this can be a mammoth task. Before you start, you must know where you are going to place your waste. Also, you must check for birds' nests before you start. It is illegal to disturb nests until the chicks have grown up and flown away from the nest.
Landscaping
Autumn is also the perfect time to get landscaping jobs done ready for you to enjoy next year. Before the weather takes a turn for the worst, you can try and sort out the patio, raised beds, or any other projects you have been putting off doing. Having a skip at hand is perfect to help you get these jobs completed quickly and efficiently, leaving you with no mess to clear up.
Tidy out the shed
Now the Summer is over, a lot of the garden furniture will have to be covered and stored away. This is often in the shed or the garage. Before you store everything away, take the time to tidy out your shed and garages. They gather unwanted items and rubbish quickly, sometimes taking up valuable space that you now need. With gardening jobs minimal for the next few months, you will be grateful in Spring that you have taken the time to sort everything out now. Anything you no longer need, find an alternative home. If that fails, your skip will be at hand to help you dispose of the waste.
Fix your fencing
If you notice there are weak areas of your fence, it is always a good idea to get them fixed before the colder, windier weather arrives. Fences can often end up damaged or even blown away, making the job even bigger and also leaving your property insecure. By dealing with it now, you can ensure you have sturdy fencing before Winter arrives.
The jobs discussed above show how hiring a skip for your garden needs can be a worthy seasonal investment. Whilst the weather is still mild enough to spend outside, it’s the perfect time to organise your garden and finish any jobs you were intending to do during the Summer. Before hiring your skip, ensure you check for any restrictions. If you know what you are intending to throw away, check with the skip hire company that they accept all of those materials.
Garden Maintenance Tips for Autumn
Tips for Garden Clear-Outs
Whether you are completely re-landscaping your garden, getting a patio extension or merely having a tidy, using a skip to remove your garden waste can be really helpful. Here, we share some of our top tips on how to approach a garden clear- out and how to make the most of your skip hire.
Decide which is the best size of the skip
Before starting your garden clear out, decide on what exactly needs to be done. This will give you an idea of what type of waste you will be producing but also how much. Once you know this, it will give you a better idea of which skip size is best. Smaller skips such as 4-yard, 6-yard or 8-yard are perfect for general garden clear-outs. By this, we mean cutting back hedges, clearing away weeds or digging up some turf for new flower beds etc. For more extension landscaping projects, you may want to consider hiring a 6-14 yard skip instead. Always go for a slightly larger skip than you predict you need, as you will be surprised how quickly the waste can build up.
Start composting
Although it requires a little bit of effort, composting can be really beneficial. Not only is compost great for your plants, but it will also reduce the amount of waste you are placing in your skip. It is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to use your garden waste.
Separate your waste
Unfortunately, not all garden waste is easily recyclable. Bearing this in mind, try and separate as much of your waste as possible. Although the contents of your skip will be sorted after it has been collected, it is always a good idea to have it separate from the outset. Recyclable green waste includes grass, weeds, leaves and small twigs. Other items such as large branches, garden furniture, bricks, soil, plant pots and more will fall under the category of general waste. Green waste tends to cost significantly less to dispose of then general mixed waste, so it makes sense to separate the waste where possible.
Specify what your skip hire requirements are
When booking your skip, state what type of waste you will be disposing of. This will allow you to be given the best skip for your needs. Before placing anything in a skip, ensure you check that it is allowed to go in it. Although the majority of garden waste is not a problem, certain items commonly found in sheds such as paint tins etc are classed as hazardous materials and will need to be disposed of separately.
Reduce the bulkiness of garden waste
To make the most of your skip hire, try to reduce the space your garden waste takes up in your skip by cutting up bulky items such as branches. Place leaves, weeds and grass cuttings in bags at the bottom of the skip. Then place heavier items, such as garden furniture on top as this will compress the garden waste and create more space. Having this approach will help you fit your waste into a smaller skip.
Get selling
Before hiring your skip, think about the different types of waste you are planning on getting rid of. Once your skip arrives, it can be tempting to just throw everything into it for convenience. However, you could be missing out on opportunities. Some items may be perfect for selling, allowing you to earn some extra money. Alternatively, some items will be perfect for upcycling. It just takes a bit of creativity and advance planning.
Have a plan of action
Before you start, ensure you have a plan of action. You need to know how much time your garden clearance will take. If you have no idea, then start by clearing a small section of your garden. Time how long this takes and then multiply it until you have a rough idea of how much the rest of the garden will take. It is important to be realistic about your working pace. It is unachievable to expect you to complete a large project quickly. You will need to ensure you factor in enough breaks.
If you have decided to hire a skip to remove your waste, ensure you know where the skip will be stored. Many people have theirs in their front garden, but if this is where your project is taking place, you will need to find an alternative location. If this is the street, then permits will also need to be obtained.
As you start to spend more time in the garden, inevitably you will need to undertake a clear-out. No matter whether it’s a small spruce up or a larger project, hiring a skip to remove your garden waste can be a real time-saver. Not only will it help get the job done more efficiently and quickly, but it will also save tedious and messy trips transporting your garden waste to the local recycling centre. We have shared just some of our top tips to help you get started on your garden projects.
Skips for garden waste
When it comes to disposing of garden waste you have quite a few options, but some are certainly better than others. First of all, you could use your green bin. Green bins are usually provided freely by your councils and allow you some space to unload debris from your garden. However, they aren’t the most efficient of methods. Most councils only pick up green waste on a fortnightly basis, which means you are limited in the amount of waste you can get rid of in a period of time. So, if you have a big garden or you have a lot of work to do then it may take you a very long time to get rid of all the waste required to get your garden where you want it to be.
Another option that is sometimes used by homeowners is to incinerate all of their garden waste. This means setting fire to as much of your garden waste as you can. However, while this seems like a quick and efficient way to get rid of waste, it’s often not the case. While wood, dried up leaves and other dry rubbish may burn away, grass and rubble and other types of garden waste like soil aren’t going to budge. You can also land yourself in hot water if the fire gets out of control, creates too much smoke or ends up scorching the ground beneath it.
By far the most efficient method of reducing garden waste is to hire a skip. A skip is dropped right at your front door, at the most convenient time for you, in the actual size you require and your waste is removed of in a clean and healthy way with no risk.
Planning a garden clearance and thinking of hiring a skip? With our online booking system you can have a skip arranged for delivery with just a few clicks of your mouse. Find out more here: https://booking.lspsskiphire.co.uk/ or alternatively contact us on freephone 08000 083 7807.
