BBC Gardeners' World presenter Monty Don has issued a crucial warning to UK gardeners, urging them to complete a key task before the end of November. The gardening expert emphasised that bare root plants must be protected from drying out as cold weather sets in, or they risk dying.
Bare root plants, which are dug up from soil and sent out the same day, require immediate attention upon arrival. Don advised that gardeners should either 'heel them in' by covering the roots with soil, or give them a drink for half an hour and then cover them up. 'You must never let the roots be exposed for more than a few minutes,' he warned, explaining that the fine feeding roots dry out and die quickly.
To prevent this, Don recommended using damp hessian sacks as a simple but effective solution. 'If you've got bare root plants, get yourself some hessian and just damp it down. That gives you a wet cloth to put over the roots as they're ready to be planted,' he said. The material provides an ideal balance of moisture and dryness, keeping roots alive during planting.
Don also touched on bulb planting, noting that tulips should not be planted until November, but warned against planting in pouring rain. 'You can't plant bulbs in pouring rain,' he stated, advising that dry weather is preferable for any planting tasks.
