Getting to the bare root of the matter

Go to your local garden centre on any day of the year and hopefully you will find a fruit section with an array of plants for sale. The selection may change slightly from season to season, but generally it stays much the same. This is what the vast majority of gardeners are used to – being able to buy and plant what they like at any time. But what about this mysterious ‘bare root’ option that you may have heard about or seen adverts for?

Older or more experienced gardeners may understand the term, but there is a whole generation that has never bought plants that way, or even knows what it means. This month we will explore the differences, so whether you are planning to buy one blackcurrant bush or plant a whole orchard, you’ll have the knowledge to make the best choice