Bare it all this Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you all! Like most of you, we wound down a little bit for Christmas, closing for our 3/365 days of the year, on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

As we return in 2013, it’s full steam ahead towards a busy season, with lots to be getting on with! As well as planning for the veg season and immersing yourself in a general tidy up, cleaning tools and pots, and clearing winter debris, we urge you take a moment and consider bare root.

Bare root trees and hedging plants

Often overlooked or considered ‘not for me’, many people are subject to missed opportunities every year, during the short bare root window (Nov-Feb).

Just some of the reasons ‘not for me’ should be ‘I’ll give it a go’:

  • Don’t be put off by the daunting bare root ball at the base of the plant or the tree – bare root specimens have often been growing for 1-2 years before they go for sale, and will soon establish once planted in a healthy bed of soil
  • Equivalent containerised specimens are normally considerably more expensive – up to 50% more, and so bare root is definitely the way to go if you’re looking to plant a group of trees or a new hedge
  • Easier to handle and maneuver than containerised equivalents – you’re not forced to shift a half ton of soil at the same time as your cherished plant – great for delivery costs (or transporting in your car) and great on your back too
  • Bare root plants will often take off more quickly than containerised varieties because the roots aren’t required to make a transition from container soil to local/garden soil. They get a head-start on new root growth, planted during dormancy, and so will often establish well when compared with their containerised counterparts

Bare root won’t be for everyone – there will always be containerised plant lovers who wouldn’t have anything else; but for many, this could well be an exciting, untapped opportunity that comes around at a time of year when you may otherwise feel green fingered frustration and have no other choice but to sit around, twiddling your thumbs, waiting for the spring!

Click here for more on our bare root trees (and don’t forget to check out our vast array of freshly potted fruit trees too while you’re here! We’re known for our huge selection  of apple trees in particular – including Cornish, Devon & south west varieties).

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