Autumn is here and at Costa y Campo we are planning our autumn maintenance activities to prepare for winter. Many of these tasks can be carried out by the enthusiastic amateur with time and energy on their hands, but heavy duty tree work should be carried out by a professional with full public liability insurance.

Trees and Shrubs
We need to look at our trees and shrubs and consider the following:
•  Are they too tall or have they spread too wide?
•  Will they be safe in the event of bad weather?
•  Do they look healthy and free of pests and insects?

This is the best time of year to address these issues as most trees and shrubs have finished flowering, fruiting or growing. They are going into a dormant phase and the sap is falling. If any pruning or felling of tall non-fruit trees is required, then permissions will probably be required. This must be obtained by the owner, initially from the relevant Ayuntamiento who may possibly defer to the Junta. Permissions may take up to two months to come through and will have a deadline for the work to be carried out, so it is important to act quickly. This is particularly relevant to oaks and other protected types of tree. To proceed with the work without permissions could lead to fines levied against the owner, and these can run into thousands of euros.

Palms are also best pruned and cleaned when the weather cools down and certainly before the extreme heat of summer. This is particularly true where there is a risk of palm weevil as they are less active in the cooler weather. Young palms should be covered with plant fleece if in a frost prone area.

Fruit trees should be pruned after fruiting. Oranges and lemons should be covered with netting or plant fleece if in a frost prone area.

All roses benefit from a hard prune. Don’t be shy: they will love you for it and show how happy they are come the next flowering season.

Bedding Plants
Autumn bedding plants are best planted in October to avoid scorching. Ensure sufficient irrigation is installed. In general, this is the time for a good all-round tidy and feed of the garden. I use a chicken ‘poo’- based fertiliser which always gives good results.

Lawns
October and November are the optimum months for winter lawn treatments such as scarifying, levelling and feeding and laying new turf.

Weeds
Once the rain starts, weed killers come into their own. For heavy-duty weeds, the area should be treated with contact weed killer, strimmed once the weeds are dead, and then treated with a six-month treatment which will act as a barrier for further weeds. If done in October, the treatment should last until April when there will be time to do another treatment before the rain becomes less frequent going towards summer.

by Peter of Costa y Campo