Gardening expert and Love Your Weekend presenter Alan Titchmarsh has shared the pitfalls of bare-root planting, while revealing the best time to plant trees and shrubs
Gardening guru Alan Titchmarsh has issued a stark warning to green-fingered enthusiasts about the dangers lurking in bare-root planting. This method involves uprooting a tree or shrub during winter and relocating it to a new spot without any soil clinging to its roots.
Alan points out that this technique was hugely popular throughout the 20th Century, with trees being lifted in autumn and transplanted to fresh locations.
One major advantage of bare-root planting, according to Alan, has been its cost-effectiveness, as these trees demand less upkeep compared to their pot-grown counterparts – a benefit that ultimately reaches the buyer’s pocket.
Yet the former Gardeners’ World host cautions that the method comes with its share of “pitfalls”, particularly for those who can’t resist rushing the process.
In his Country Life column, he wrote: “Too often gardeners are impatient: they want a tree that looks mature as soon as possible and, consequently, they will buy as large a specimen as they can afford.”
He continued: “However, it stands to reason that the larger the tree, the more sustenance it needs to draw up from its roots.
“If the root system has been reduced in size – as it must be when a tree is transplanted from open ground – then a large tree with many branches to support will struggle to establish itself and may take many years to get over the shock.”
Delving deeper into the reasons behind planting bare-root trees ahead of spring, the Gardeners’ World website highlighted November through to March as the ideal window.
They explained: “Planting them in the dormant season means that they should establish well – while the top growth may be brown and twiggy, the roots are busy establishing beneath.”
Regarding which varieties are suitable for bare-root planting during autumn and winter, the website recommended hawthorn, fruit, ornamental, birch, and beech trees.
In a video featured on the site, Alan described young trees as “resilient,” adding: “They are in a way sleeping and if we don’t wake them up too much…they don’t mind being moved at that time of year, even when they’re dug up.”
While Alan has been educating viewers on plant cultivation, he’s also been contemplating his own professional journey. Reflecting on his past, the 76-year-old has revealed how his “dull” childhood provided him with a “good grounding” for both life and career success.
On the Lessons From Our Mothers podcast, he reflected: “I think I grew up with a strong sense of when I had a family, wanting to look after my wife, children in the same way my mum and dad looked after us.
“Giving us a stable, often quite dull. Sundays were often very boring looking back, you’ve got to go and see granny or go for a walk, which I did like. So it wasn’t spectacular but on reflection, the grounding it gave you as a child was quite good.”
Alan revealed that although his broadcasting career keeps him surrounded by people, he still cherishes his solitude. He remarked: “I need that time on my own, in our business you see a lot of people going around with an entourage, and they’re never alone.
Source: Mirror
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