the times Saturday December 4 2021
17
‘The sun turned hedges to gold
as coastal light silvered clouds
slowly building to the south’
Christopher Somerville’s good walk
How to plant bare-rooted
trees and shrubs
When the plants arrive, make sure that
you never allow them to dry out and plant
as soon as possible.
The roots need to be well watered, so fill
a bucket or dustbin and soak the roots
overnight (somewhere cool but not to the
point of being frosty).
Trim the roots. If there are one or two
really long ones (that will end up curling
around the hole when dug) then cut them
off to the same length as the others. Trim
off any damaged ends. Always use sharp,
clean secateurs.
Some gardeners use mycorrhizal fungi
(bought in granular form in packs).
Sprinkle it on the roots (to the manu-
facturer’s instructions) and make sure
that it is in contact with the roots when
planted. It acts as a conduit for the plant to
draw nutrients, and is proven to establish
plants quicker and more strongly.
Prepare the soil well by digging in plenty
of organic matter.
Plant at the same depth they were
originally in the ground before being dug
up — you should see a mark on the stem
where the soil was, darker below and
lighter above. Aim to have the tree planted
at the same depth when backfilled.
Once planted, prune back the top
growth by about a third, cutting just
above an outward-facing bud. This means
that there is less top growth for the roots
to support in the first year of growth and
will result in a fuller hedge.
Mulch the roots, water well initially,
and do not let the plant dry out for the
first year or so after putting it in the
ground, while it is still establishing itself.When storing patio pots
dry for the winter one
inside another, insert
paper or bubble-wrap
between them so they
cannot jam together and
become difficult to
separate when spring
comes. So many pots are
broken by attempts to
separate them.
When planting garden
hedges stick to the
recommended spacing
for that species, even if
you end up with surplus
plants. Cramming them
in usually leads to
weaker plants
eventually failing. Use
extra plants as trees or
give them away.
Now is the time —
when the leaves have
fallen and before
bulbs start to sprout
— to check fence posts
and panels at the back
of borders. One post
cracked through at
the base will start a
waggle that cracks
the next, and so on
until a run of fencing
is broken. Do repairs
or apply preservatives
while access is easy.
As autumn leaves drift
down, don’t let them
smother the delicate
rosettes of lewisias,
houseleeks and
saxifrages, which
crave light and full
fresh air to survive.
Dark, damp and the
company of slugs is
the end of them.
Greenhouse vines can
be prone to fungal
diseases. Clear up
fallen leaves, prune
and keep the
greenhouse cold and
well ventilated for the
next couple of months.
Don’t leave pruning
until spring or the
wounds will bleed sap
and weaken new growth.
What to do with that
rudbeckia you bought
and have yet to plant,
and that ornamental
grass you couldn’t find a
home for? Find a spare
space for them
temporarily, even a
corner of the veg patch,
where they can be safe
in the ground while you
make up your mind
where to put them. SAWeeder’s
digest
Page
19
JOHN GLOVER, DESIGN BY FIONA LAWRENSON/GAP PHOTOS; ALAMYand make great pollinating partners
for other apple trees. This variety is a
designer’s favourite. A conical tree with
white flowers that emerge from pink-red
buds in spring, followed by large
orange-yellow fruit and fine autumnal
foliage colour. Grows to about 4m and is
roughly the same size in spread.one has a fine form for a small garden,
reaching 6m in height with a 2m spread.Malus ‘Evereste’
(crab apple ‘Evereste’)
There is a range of crab apples to choose
from that produce fabulous, coloured fruitJoe’s top trees
Sorbus vilmorinii
(Vilmorin’s rowan)
There are many fabulous ornamental
ash/rowans out there for small gardens.
This one has feathery foliage that turns
an intense red. The berries fade from red
through pink to white and persist well into
the winter. Height and spread 5m x 5m.
Prunus hillieri ‘Spire’
(ornamental cherry)
Slender upright tree with bronze, pink-
tinged foliage when young. Small soft-
pink single flowers in spring that emerge
from red buds. In autumn the pointed foli-
age turns fabulous shades of orange, red
and yellow. Height 6m, spread 3m.
Acer griseum
(paperbark maple)
This is grown mainly for its highly decor-
ative bark and fabulous autumn foliage
colour. The papery bark peels away in thin
layers, with its trunk and branches looking
particularly good in winter. The deeply cut
maple leaves turn orange and crimson in
autumn. Ultimate height and spread 10m x
10m, but slow-growing and can be pruned.
Amelanchier ‘Rainbow
pillar’ (snowy mespilus)
This has all the signature qualities of the
snowy mespilus: it’s very early into flower
with white star-shaped blooms, fiery
autumn colour and small black fruits for
the birds. They all stay pretty small yet this
Step-by-step guide
1 Soak roots so they don’t dry out 2 Trim them using sharp secateurs
3 Prepare soil and plant the tree 4 Give it a good water and mulch
A crab apple tree