Alan Titchmarsh opened up on his ‘dull’ upbringing (Image: UK Press via Getty Images)
Alan Titchmarsh, the renowned gardening expert, has advised gardeners to complete a specific task “as soon as you can before spring”. At 76, Alan is a respected figure in the gardening community, with a career spanning over five decades.
His love for gardening was ignited at the tender age of eight when he spent his pocket money on bulbs from his local Woolworths. After leaving school, Alan embarked on an apprenticeship as a gardener with his local council. He later secured a position at Kew Gardens and eventually transitioned into gardening journalism.
Read more: UK households urged to put egg cartons in gardens this February
Alan fell in love with gardening as a child (Image: ITV)
Now, as the host of popular TV shows like Gardeners World, he imparts his wisdom through his new YouTube channel, Gardening with Alan Titchmarsh.
As winter sets in, Alan emphasises one crucial task that gardeners should be undertaking: planting trees. He asserts that the colder months are ideal for this activity.
He explained: “Winter is a great time to plant trees, anytime between November and March, particularly if it’s a bare root tree that has been dug up to be replanted.”
“Container trees, you can plant at any time of year but I think it’s great to get tree planting done as soon as you possibly can before spring so it’s got its chance to settle in, get its roots growing, and grow away when the warmer weather comes.”
Alan says now is the time for tree planting (Image: Getty)
However, Alan cautions against planting trees when the ground is frozen solid or waterlogged. A surface frost that will dissipate later in the day should not pose a problem for planting, he clarified.
Alan also asserts that the shape of your planting hole is irrelevant. Despite many gardeners advocating for square-shaped holes when planting trees, Alan prefers a circular hole, believing it has no effect on growth.
He elaborated: “You’ll hear people saying trees should be planted in square holes but believe me, the roots of the tree can’t tell if that hole is circular or square. Just dig a decent sized hole that’s about 20 to 30cm bigger all round than the root ball.”
To determine the necessary depth of the hole, Alan suggests using your spade or gardening fork as a guide. He measured his root ball against his fork and dug a hole that was “fractionally bigger”.
Alan plants his trees between November and March (Image: Getty)
The former Ground Force presenter advises against digging too deep. He recommends planting at the same level at which the plant was growing in its pot before being transferred to the garden.
After filling in with soil, Alan shares his “magic ingredient” for promoting tree growth: mycorrhizal fungi. He explained: “We’ve learnt so much about how trees in particular live at their roots with mycorrhizal fungi.
“They’re associated with this great network of fungi below ground. And all plants use good fungi and good bacteria to grow well in the same way those yoghurts are good for our gut.”
For his 10 litre tree, Alan used one sachet of mycorrhizal fungi, advising that it should be sprinkled where the roots will come into contact with the fungi.
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