Alan Titchmarsh recommends a task that will help you “get on the soil as early as possible” (Image: Getty Images)
Alan Titchmarsh has encouraged gardeners to tackle a vital task “right now” to enable the earliest possible sowings in spring. Alan believes that winter offers an opportunity where you can seemingly get ahead of nature, a period for people to “catch up” and try to “beat” her at her “own game”.
While the milder days of spring might seem ages away, they’re merely a few weeks off, with the season officially starting on March 20. As we start to warm up and think about preparing our gardens, it might be an ideal moment to concentrate on our soil. Alan certainly believes so.
Alongside cleaning his plant pots to remove pests and diseases, he suggests another vital task – one that will enable you to “get on the soil as early as possible.” In a video discussing winter gardening jobs for the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine YouTube channel, the celebrated horticulturist recommended that we cover our soil “right now”.
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Alan says we should cover our soil with thick black polythene (Image: UK Press via Getty Images)
He explained: “If you want to make sure you can get on the soil as early as possible with sowings come spring, then the way to do it is to cover it right now with thick black polythene like this.
“What this does is to warm the soil up, not a tremendous amount of degrees, but enough to enable you to get on there rather earlier because you’re keeping a lot of the rain off.
“So it’s not quite so wet, which means it’s not quite so cold. And the blackness of this absorbs heat and so prepares that soil just that little bit earlier. It means you can get out there and get sowing quicker than you could on bare soil.
“And for the implements that you’re going to be using, make sure they’re all in fine fettle. Things like hoes need to be sharpened. All your tools need to be cleaned of mud.”
Alan Titchmarsh advised gardeners to do a crucial job “right now” (stock) (Image: Getty Images)
According to Alan, this helps you ensure they’re ready to use once you “come to use them”, providing they’re “oiled and ready and hanging on the wall”.
Meanwhile, towards the end of last year, Alan revealed his candid reply to those who enquire whether he plans to “retire”. Last September, Alan listed the four-acre property he shares with wife Alison for £3.95million.
Speaking to Gardeners’ World, he explained that the reason was to take on a “new challenge”. He noted that he and his wife hadn’t originally planned to move, and moving forward would be a “wrench” when you’re in a situation where you’ve poured in your “heart and soul”.
He went on: “But when you are knocking on a bit (which I refuse to believe, despite what the numbers tell me) you do muse on the future – a future which I hope will be long and fulfilling.”
Alan stated: “‘Are you retiring?’ I am asked. ‘Er, no!’ Consolidating more like. Looking after four acres and a Grade-II listed house has been – and still is – a treat beyond measure, but the day will come when it starts to be overwhelming, and I’d rather move on to fresh pastures before that becomes the case.”
You can next catch Alan on Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh on ITV on Sunday, February 22, from 9.30am to 11:25am.
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