Bare root planting needs to be done this time of the year, our gardener says in his weekly Jamie’s Little Allotment column…
Do you agree that there always seems to be someone telling you when to do every different job in the garden? I am not disagreeing that there are jobs that have to be done within a certain timeframe, but so many of them are far more flexible than people make out.
You can open a book, watch a gardening programme or look at a social media post and straight away there is another list of perfect dates for pruning, planting or sowing.
Bare root planting is one thing that needs to be done at a certain time of the year
The trouble is real gardens and real gardeners do not always run by what is written down. Doing something differently to what the books say is not the end of the world.
More often than not things still turn out just fine in the garden if the strict dates are not followed perfectly. I always think of Christopher Lloyd saying about it being better to do a job now while you are thinking about it than not do it at all.
If you wait for the perfect moment you might never get round to it. One thing that does have to be done at a certain time of year is planting bare root plants.
Bare root season only runs through the colder months when most plants are naturally dormant. That is when they can be lifted straight from the field and sent out without all the pots and compost.
They are usually much cheaper because you are not paying for the extra growing in the nursery.
Another big advantage is that you get a good size plant for the money. Fruit trees, roses and many ornamental shrubs are often stronger as bare roots than the same plants in containers.
Bare roots are brilliant for hedging too. You can buy young plants known as whips which are usually about knee height and perfect for creating a thick healthy hedge. They are cheap, easy to plant and they establish quickly because they have not been sat in a pot all year.
You can get bundles of whips for the price of one or two larger container grown plants which makes a huge difference if you are doing a long run of hedge or planting up a boundary.
Once planted the roots spread out into your own soil straight away because they have not been pot bound. The soil still holds a bit of warmth and the winter rain settles them in which gives them a good head start when the weather improves.
It helps to soak the roots for an hour before planting and I always put a little compost in the bottom of the planting hole to give them some nutrients when they start to kick back into life.
Bare roots are easier to handle as well. They are lighter to move around the garden and you can buy a whole hedge worth of plants without needing a big van to transport them. It is less plastic too which I know lots of us prefer.
Another great thing is If you cannot plant them same day, it is easy enough to heel them into a spare bit of ground to keep them damp, then when you are ready to go you can just lift them and plant them in there forever home.
If you have ever thought about adding fruit trees or starting a hedge this really is the time to do it. Bare root plants make it affordable and straightforward and once they are in the ground they do most of the work themselves.
It is a great winter job and one that pays you back for years to come.
Let me know if you’ve used bare root plants before or, if you have any questions, email me on: Jamieslittleallotment@gmail.com
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