Late winter tree tasks

Plant and prune before the sap starts to rise, says Ruth

- Ruth Hayes

BY the time late February arrives we have around a month or six weeks left to tackle a couple of important winter tasks involving our trees and shrubs.

If you fancy adding some to your garden, we are nearing the end of the bare root season, which usually lasts during the dormant period of late autumn and winter.

Bare root trees and shrubs are small, young plants bought freshly lifted from the soil. Their roots are naked and unlike plants bought in pots, they need planting as soon as you can get them in.

We had to remove an old maple tree whose roots were endangering a neighbour’s drains. It left a large gap that we have filled with a bare root ‘Egremont Russet’ apple (see P5).