0:00:11 > 0:00:14Hello. Welcome to rather a wet Longmeadow.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17It's been one of those days where the rain sweeps in,
0:00:17 > 0:00:19gives you a really good drenching,
0:00:19 > 0:00:21you go and try and get dry, and then it clears up, so you go back out.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23And then it starts again!
0:00:23 > 0:00:26But I'll be persevering, because I shall be pruning
0:00:26 > 0:00:29a climbing rose that's got into a bit of a tangle.
0:00:30 > 0:00:31Carol shows us how easy it is
0:00:31 > 0:00:33to propagate from root cuttings.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36In my garden here, I grow
0:00:36 > 0:00:38lots and lots of wood anemones. I just love them.
0:00:38 > 0:00:43And I want to make loads more of these beautiful flowers.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Joe goes in search of apple trees
0:00:45 > 0:00:47that will suit any size of garden.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Here at West Dean, they're growing some fruit trees
0:00:49 > 0:00:51in some pretty novel ways
0:00:51 > 0:00:54and in a fashion that would suit
0:00:54 > 0:00:56the smallest of gardens.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59And I shall be planting apples for small spaces too.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01If the rain holds off!
0:01:19 > 0:01:22This is a climbing rose called 'Madame Gregoire Staechelin'.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26It's lovely. It's got beautiful, big, pink flowers
0:01:26 > 0:01:28that start in May, and it goes on flowering
0:01:28 > 0:01:31right through into autumn, sometimes into October.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33And this year, it sort of petered out in September.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38And it's made lots and lots of lush, strong growth.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41And the problem with any climber is
0:01:41 > 0:01:44if you let that strong growth become a tangle,
0:01:44 > 0:01:46it's really difficult to untangle.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49So it's worth keeping on top of it.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55You can see...
0:01:56 > 0:01:59..how this differs from a rambler...
0:02:00 > 0:02:04..in the way that you have really quite strong, robust growth
0:02:04 > 0:02:07growing from a permanent framework.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11And the idea is to prune back to that framework every year.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Now, the way that a climbing rose works
0:02:14 > 0:02:17is that the flowers are produced off lateral growth.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20So you have a stem - I don't know if you can see - going along here,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22along, trained along this wire
0:02:22 > 0:02:24that I tied in last year.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27And that, that, that, that, that and all these behind me
0:02:27 > 0:02:32are laterals that either have done or would do...produce flowers.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35You can see the hips developing from the flowers.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37So all those need pruning back
0:02:37 > 0:02:40to one or two leaves. It's not critical.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43So that's the first thing to do,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45because then you can see the framework easier.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49So if I start at this end and I just train them like that...
0:02:53 > 0:02:56Even these big ones I'm going to take right back.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01You can do this at any stage in the winter,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03but I like to do it in autumn,
0:03:03 > 0:03:05because if you get bad weather in winter,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08all this growth swings around,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11and it can damage the plant, it can damage the roots.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13And if there are people walking about,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16they're pretty nasty things to be flapping about.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18So it's a good idea to get this done
0:03:18 > 0:03:21before the weather gets too bad.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23This is the point where you do need to have a look
0:03:23 > 0:03:27at the existing framework and see if you're happy with it,
0:03:27 > 0:03:30because sometimes these older growths are getting woody
0:03:30 > 0:03:33and not producing many side shoots,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36and now is the time to remove them and replace them.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Actually, in this case, I don't want to remove any,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42but if you do, use a saw or a big pair of loppers
0:03:42 > 0:03:45and cut them right at the base
0:03:45 > 0:03:47and train another shoot,
0:03:47 > 0:03:51a fresh, young one, preferably from the base too,
0:03:51 > 0:03:52to replace it.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57In principle, when you're pruning anything,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00you cut to something.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04And in this case, it's just above a leaf.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07So if you just cut above there, you'll do no harm at all.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09But don't agonise over it.
0:04:13 > 0:04:14This one here...
0:04:15 > 0:04:17..if I put that there,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20that can train sideways, which is good.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22You want to encourage
0:04:22 > 0:04:25as much lateral horizontal growth as possible,
0:04:25 > 0:04:27because if a stem is growing horizontally,
0:04:27 > 0:04:28you'll get more side shoots,
0:04:28 > 0:04:32and it's side shoots that produce the flowers.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35So all your training should be geared towards
0:04:35 > 0:04:37spreading it out sideways.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51I like to use soft twine
0:04:51 > 0:04:55when tying anything in, because it doesn't do any damage to the plant.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Whatever you do, don't use wire, because all that will do
0:04:58 > 0:05:01is cut through the tender, growing stems.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26And if you just hold in your head
0:05:26 > 0:05:31that you're trying to create this neat latticework
0:05:31 > 0:05:33across whatever surface it is it's covering
0:05:33 > 0:05:36that is as two-dimensional as possible...
0:05:36 > 0:05:38You don't really want anything coming out
0:05:38 > 0:05:40more than, say, four, five inches.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46That I will tie in there,
0:05:46 > 0:05:48and this can go...
0:05:48 > 0:05:50here.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Actually, no, I'll tie the bottom one first.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54Actually, that's another tip.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Always do your tying from the bottom,
0:05:56 > 0:05:58because as you're bending the stems,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01you want them to be fixed lower down,
0:06:01 > 0:06:03because otherwise there's a risk of them slightly kinking,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05and then they can break.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08So let's take this back, tie it right down here...
0:06:14 > 0:06:15That's good.
0:06:31 > 0:06:32That's fine.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34A couple more bits to be tied in,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37but I've got a decent framework which is set up for next spring,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40and then we'll get the laterals, which will bear the flowers.
0:06:40 > 0:06:41Now, of course I've got to tidy up,
0:06:41 > 0:06:45and that takes as long as doing the job, but while I'm doing that,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Carol is dividing and taking root cuttings from anemones.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05Wood anemones, one of our most magical wild flowers.
0:07:08 > 0:07:13You walk through the woods on a cold, dark day in April,
0:07:13 > 0:07:15the whole place is dreary,
0:07:15 > 0:07:19but walk again on the next day, when the sun shines,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22and the whole woodland floor is a-sparkle
0:07:22 > 0:07:24with their beautiful flowers.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36In my garden here, I grow lots and lots of wood anemones.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39I just love them, and I want to try and emulate
0:07:39 > 0:07:42the kind of feeling that you get as you walk through
0:07:42 > 0:07:43those wild woods.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48And I want to make loads more of these beautiful flowers
0:07:48 > 0:07:50all across the shady part of my garden.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00In the spring, this whole area glistens
0:08:00 > 0:08:05with the beautiful white flowers of wood anemones.
0:08:05 > 0:08:06But at the moment,
0:08:06 > 0:08:08they're completely dormant!
0:08:08 > 0:08:10They've gone to sleep!
0:08:10 > 0:08:14But I know they're in here, and I'm determined to find them.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17It's a strange thing, isn't it?
0:08:17 > 0:08:19You don't think about roots,
0:08:19 > 0:08:23and yet without them these trees and all this beautiful stuff here
0:08:23 > 0:08:25just wouldn't be.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29And I suppose you think, "Well, propagating from roots?!"
0:08:29 > 0:08:32You're used to doing it from seeds and from cuttings,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35but there are a lot of plants that you can make more of
0:08:35 > 0:08:37just from their roots.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42I think I'm in luck.
0:08:42 > 0:08:43That's a typical example.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45You've got these lovely
0:08:45 > 0:08:48sort of mahogany-coloured little rhizomes there
0:08:48 > 0:08:51and at the end of them these embryonic buds.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53And all I'm going to do
0:08:53 > 0:08:55is snap them up in pieces.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Each of them has some tiny, fibrous roots,
0:08:58 > 0:09:00and they'll make a new clump by the spring.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09Well, I've chosen this lovely little
0:09:09 > 0:09:10shady corner.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Just spacing them out
0:09:13 > 0:09:17so they're growing along the surface.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20If you haven't got wood anemones already in your own garden,
0:09:20 > 0:09:24you can easily get them from a specialist bulb merchant
0:09:24 > 0:09:26or some garden centres too.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28The rhizomes will look exactly the same,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30and you just repeat the process.
0:09:33 > 0:09:34But there's another anemone
0:09:34 > 0:09:37that's at the height of its floral glory right now,
0:09:37 > 0:09:41and you propagate that, too, from its roots.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50I absolutely love this Japanese anemone.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53And a lot of people'd say, "What do you want more of that for?!",
0:09:53 > 0:09:57because it is true, once you've got these established,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00they very often take over a whole patch. But why not?
0:10:00 > 0:10:03I mean, this time of year,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06you really do need wonderful colour.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Well, if I root around in this soil here,
0:10:10 > 0:10:12I know I'm going to come across some of these roots.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14There we go.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30All along the root, there are these little teeny nodules,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33which are just waiting to be new shoots.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36But instead of just putting them into the garden,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38by far the best way is to use
0:10:38 > 0:10:40something like a module tray.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43You can do them into little seed trays as well,
0:10:43 > 0:10:48but this way, you know that once they've taken root in here
0:10:48 > 0:10:49and you move them on,
0:10:49 > 0:10:51there's going to be no root disturbance at all.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56The really important point is that you make sure
0:10:56 > 0:10:59that they lie horizontally across the compost.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02And all you're doing with this propagation technique
0:11:02 > 0:11:05is exploiting what the plant does in nature -
0:11:05 > 0:11:07always the best policy.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16There are some plants whose roots don't grow outwards,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19they grow downwards, with a vengeance,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22they have great big tap roots.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25But you can propagate from a lot of those, as well,
0:11:25 > 0:11:27and this is a prime example.
0:11:27 > 0:11:28It's a verbascum.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30It's Verbascum 'Cotswold Queen'.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33- It's got these- gorgeous - terracotta flowers,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35and I always want more.
0:11:36 > 0:11:37So what I want to do is,
0:11:37 > 0:11:41with a sharp knife, go in right to the centre of the plant,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44as close to the crown as I can,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47and just cut it across.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49With horizontal root cuttings,
0:11:49 > 0:11:51it doesn't matter which way up they go,
0:11:51 > 0:11:53because they're just going across.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55But with these kind of cuttings,
0:11:55 > 0:11:59with big, tap-root, vertical cuttings,
0:11:59 > 0:12:01it's vital that you get the right end up.
0:12:01 > 0:12:06So always the top of your cutting is the end that was closest
0:12:06 > 0:12:08to the crown of your plant.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12People get terribly put off
0:12:12 > 0:12:15by root cuttings. They worry about it.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19But it's simple and straightforward.
0:12:19 > 0:12:20Also, I think at this time of year,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23you tend to think you've finished with propagating.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26You know, you've sown your seeds and you've taken your other cuttings.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31But this is the perfect time, from now and right through the winter,
0:12:31 > 0:12:32to take root cuttings.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35And if you want to know more about the kind of plants
0:12:35 > 0:12:38that you can grow from root cuttings,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40visit our website.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02This is the ideal time of year
0:13:02 > 0:13:05to plant out biennials
0:13:05 > 0:13:08that will flower next spring.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11And I've got a load of wallflowers here that I've raised from seed.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Now, you can buy wallflowers in garden centres and shops
0:13:14 > 0:13:16at this time of year,
0:13:16 > 0:13:20and traditionally they were sold in hardware stores, in newspaper.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23But if you grow them from seed, they cost practically nothing.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26A couple of packets of seed here, and I've got about 300 plants.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30That makes it about 2p a plant.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Now, this is a variety called 'Blood Red'.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38Fantastic, rich, ruby-red flowers.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41And what I'm looking for is plants that have got...
0:13:44 > 0:13:48..a nice root system and to keep a bit of soil on them.
0:13:48 > 0:13:49See, there you are.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51That's such a good plant. I'm very pleased with that.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54It's exactly what you want to look for
0:13:54 > 0:13:56when buying a wallflower at this time of year.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58And one of the beauties of wallflowers is
0:13:58 > 0:14:00they have a huge colour range,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03from almost white to...
0:14:03 > 0:14:05almost dark purple.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28The weather's a bit miserable.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30It's been trying to rain for the last few hours,
0:14:30 > 0:14:32but that is really good
0:14:32 > 0:14:33for transplanting anything -
0:14:33 > 0:14:37wet air, slightly damp soil, perfect, because the plant
0:14:37 > 0:14:43is full of moisture and it minimises the damage of transplanting.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58I'm going to be planting them in this bed here.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01In fact, these four beds. And under planting them with tulips.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Tulips don't need to go in for another few weeks.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05It's best to leave those until November.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Take your plant, keeping as much soil as possible on the roots.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14And...
0:15:15 > 0:15:17..pop them in, not too deep,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20same height that they were and then firm that in.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27So that's nice and it will stand up on its own accord.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31And, as for spacing, I put that about a foot away from the hedge.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35Wallflowers do best in full sun, so not too much shade.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37This is actually a marginal position.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40I grow them here often and they do fine
0:15:40 > 0:15:43and I like them here because the scent is so good close to the house.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46But, to get the very best from them, give them a sunny spot.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48If you've got slightly acidic soil.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51In other words if you've got rhododendrons or azaleas
0:15:51 > 0:15:55or heathers in your garden, it's a good idea to lime it first.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58You can buy lime easily from a garden centre.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Spread it about a week before you plant it out.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07You don't need to add any compost or goodness at all.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09All you'll get if you do that
0:16:09 > 0:16:13is a bigger plant with more foliage, but you won't get any more flowers.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22Now this Sunday, the 21st, is National Apple Day.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Lots of gardens will be opening up, orchards,
0:16:25 > 0:16:27and give people the chance to go along
0:16:27 > 0:16:31and taste as many different types of apple as possible.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Gardeners need to be involved in this because
0:16:34 > 0:16:37if we don't grow the rare and unusual apples, they'll disappear.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42And Joe has been along to West Dean Gardens near Chichester
0:16:42 > 0:16:46in West Sussex to see, not only lots of different types of apple,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48but lots of different ways of growing them.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05When we imagine a traditional orchard we think of neat rows of fruit trees
0:17:05 > 0:17:08with boughs laden with blushing apples and pears
0:17:08 > 0:17:12but what if you want to grow a decent crop of fruit at home
0:17:12 > 0:17:14and space is limited?
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Here at West Dean in the Victorian walled garden,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20they grow some fruit trees in some pretty novel ways
0:17:20 > 0:17:24and in a fashion that would suit the smallest of gardens.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31For the last 21 years,
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Jim Buckland and his wife Sarah Wain have been turning this
0:17:34 > 0:17:40once derelict Victorian walled garden back to its 19th century glory.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Jim was recently awarded the RHS Associate Medal of Honour
0:17:44 > 0:17:46for distinguished services to horticulture
0:17:46 > 0:17:49and because, to date, he has made West Dean
0:17:49 > 0:17:53as beautiful and abundant as its heyday if not more so.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01The redevelopment is impressive
0:18:01 > 0:18:05and Jim also has some pretty bold ideas when it comes to growing fruit.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12- Hello, Jim.- Hi, Joe.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14These are very unusual shapes.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18Are they all Victorian originally, these designs?
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Yes, they evolved during the 19th century, yes.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22They're really quite funky shapes, I love them,
0:18:22 > 0:18:24but it's not just about how they look,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27they also produce a lot of fruit, don't they, for the size of plant?
0:18:27 > 0:18:31Indeed. Well, most woody plants have growth hormones in them
0:18:31 > 0:18:32and most woody plants, most trees,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35you think of most trees they have apical dominance
0:18:35 > 0:18:38so the tree wants to form a single leader going up and then branch out.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40By taking out the central leader,
0:18:40 > 0:18:43you slow down the flow of those hormones to the rest of the tree
0:18:43 > 0:18:46and it encourages branching lower down.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49It encourages flowering, therefore it encourages fruiting.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Not all apple trees will respond so well, will they?
0:18:52 > 0:18:55You need spur producers so, spurs being those very short little
0:18:55 > 0:18:59fruiting branches that most apples and all pears produce.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03If you look in a catalogue it will always tell you whether they're a spur bearer.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Probably 90% of apples are spur bearers.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08I think the reason I love doing it is because,
0:19:08 > 0:19:10partly because I love pruning things.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12I think pruning is one of the most creative things
0:19:12 > 0:19:15you can do in gardening, but also it's actually very attractive
0:19:15 > 0:19:18and you can imagine this in full flower
0:19:18 > 0:19:22and then in full fruit, it's absolutely a joy to look at.
0:19:24 > 0:19:30A Victorian pioneering fruit grower was French Professor of Agriculture, Louis Lorette.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33He devised wacky ways of growing apples and pears,
0:19:33 > 0:19:36mainly as an experiment for intensive commercial fruit production.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Lorette found that by contorting branches
0:19:40 > 0:19:43and planting the trees close together he could produce heavier crops
0:19:43 > 0:19:45that would be easier to pick.
0:19:46 > 0:19:51But how do you get apples and pears to perform these puzzling poses?
0:19:51 > 0:19:54So, let's say this has got roots, we've planted it,
0:19:54 > 0:19:56and you do something quite brutal.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59- We chop all this lovely growth off the top.- Take that really hard back.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01What we hope is we get three good breaks,
0:20:01 > 0:20:03so you're taking one branch out...
0:20:03 > 0:20:06- One this way. One that way. - One up the centre.- One up.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Next year, these two branches will have grown out.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12End of the season I've cut back to there, and off we go again.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14So is that pretty much, one year, two year, every year?
0:20:14 > 0:20:16You're getting something different?
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Yes, that's one of the points about this,
0:20:18 > 0:20:19is you got to be reasonably patient.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23It takes anything up to seven years to make some of these shapes.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40Cordons are both an extremely attractive
0:20:40 > 0:20:44and efficient way of getting fruit into a small space.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47The trees are grown at this angle, the growing tips are taken out
0:20:47 > 0:20:50and they fruit all the way down the trunks there.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54What's interesting is that here we have 12 metres of walling
0:20:54 > 0:20:56and 15 different plants
0:20:56 > 0:20:59so you can get a really good variety into your garden.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02So if you're pushed for space but you still want
0:21:02 > 0:21:05good choice of varieties, cordons could be the answer.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13The fruit here at West Dean is grown in all kinds of imaginative ways
0:21:13 > 0:21:16that not only produce good crops
0:21:16 > 0:21:19but introduce an effective design element into any garden.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25These pyramids and goblets are trained onto a simple framework
0:21:25 > 0:21:28that not only introduces a sense of fun into the garden
0:21:28 > 0:21:30but a strong focal point too.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35It doesn't matter how small your garden is.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38I think it's important to get height into it through planting
0:21:38 > 0:21:40and sometimes structures too.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42You don't need a walkway quite as long as this,
0:21:42 > 0:21:46just a couple of fruit trees bent over a simple structure will do the job.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49It will create a vista, it will draw the eye,
0:21:49 > 0:21:53but more importantly, it will make you want to walk through it.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11I haven't been to West Dean for ages but I remember when I went there
0:22:11 > 0:22:14thinking how amazing all the trained fruit was
0:22:14 > 0:22:17and I completely agree that pruning is the most creative thing
0:22:17 > 0:22:20you can do in the garden, but it is a bit daunting for a lot of us.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24If you haven't got much space and you think it's going to take a long time,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27there is a very easy option, which is particularly good
0:22:27 > 0:22:30for lining a path, and those are stepover apples.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33These only grow to about one or two feet high
0:22:33 > 0:22:36and then they stretch out along the path so they're very slim,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39very low and, quite frankly, if you can grow anything
0:22:39 > 0:22:43along the border of a path, you can grow these fruit trees.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49Now, the planting of them is like any tree or shrub.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Make a hole but don't make it too deep.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Now, take it out of the pot, like that.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03And you can see that's got a nice root system.
0:23:03 > 0:23:04Very nice indeed.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08But first I'm going to put a little bit of mycorrhizae in.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14Mycorrhizae of course are funghi
0:23:14 > 0:23:17and by adding a little bit of mycorrhizae
0:23:17 > 0:23:19to the soil and the roots.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21It's important that the roots make a direct connection to it.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25You get a much better uptake of nutrients.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28It acts as a conduit between the soil and the roots.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32So, therefore, the plant grows away all the quicker.
0:23:32 > 0:23:38I pop in so that the top of the pot is slightly above soil level.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40You don't want it sitting down below.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Actually that is perfect.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53All apple trees are grafted onto a rootstock.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55There's the grafting point.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59That determines the size and vigour of the tree
0:23:59 > 0:24:03and what's above determines the variety of the fruit.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07And, stepovers are grown on a dwarf rootstock.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10If you're not certain about them or what a rootstock is,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13go to our website. It's all very clearly explained.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15Now, this apple is called Discovery.
0:24:15 > 0:24:20Discovery is an early apple.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22It should fruit in mid-August to mid-September.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26Now, the next stage is to create
0:24:26 > 0:24:28a supportive framework for it
0:24:28 > 0:24:32because we want these branches here to grow as long as possible.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51Now, obviously if you buy them already shaped, as these are,
0:24:51 > 0:24:55it's easy, but, this does cost about 30 quid.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57And you can go about it a different way,
0:24:57 > 0:25:02with a much cheaper version, but it does mean training them yourselves.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04If you buy a maiden.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09That's simply an expression for a plant that's got no branches,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12you can train your own. Now, there are two ways to do this.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14Jim showed how you can cut it off
0:25:14 > 0:25:17and encourage shoots to grow sideways
0:25:17 > 0:25:21but I'm going to show you another method which is actually easier.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Now, the first thing to do is to plant it exactly like the others.
0:25:41 > 0:25:46Now, that's planted upright, growing to the sky.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49So, before I do any kind of training
0:25:49 > 0:25:51I need to get the support in.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Just like the other ones.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58Now, this applet Egremont Russet,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01a lovely, nutty apple.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Quite a thick, leathery skin,
0:26:03 > 0:26:08which ripens about now, about the middle to the end of October.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Now, to get the best from this, tie it at the base.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14What you do is just slowly train that down,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17and you tie a string to the top
0:26:17 > 0:26:20and bend it until it's comfortable. You obviously don't want to snap it.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Don't tie it at the very tip, but there,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25because you actually want the tip to bend upwards.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29Because, if a plant is bending down,
0:26:29 > 0:26:31it grows much more slowly than if it's growing up.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34The time to do this is not now, but next spring.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37It will take about two or three years to get it down to the horizontal,
0:26:37 > 0:26:41but it will grow and it will train across to here
0:26:41 > 0:26:44and we'll tie it in and that's a really easy way of training it.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48Now, you may not be planting apples this weekend,
0:26:48 > 0:26:50although it's a jolly good time to do it.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53But here are some other things you can get on with.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Hellebores won't start flowering until after the New Year,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00but it is a good idea to check through them now,
0:27:00 > 0:27:02looking for signs of hellebore blight.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06This will show itself as chocolate coloured markings on the leaves.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10If you see it remove the foliage and the stem right down to the ground.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14And you'll do no harm at all by taking all the foliage off
0:27:14 > 0:27:15if you've any doubts.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21If you've got a wood-burning stove or an open fire
0:27:21 > 0:27:23that only burns wood, the resulting ash
0:27:23 > 0:27:26is a really good source of potash for the garden.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Now, it's best to apply this in spring
0:27:29 > 0:27:34so either store it in bags or sprinkle it on to the compost heap
0:27:34 > 0:27:37and then when you put the compost down, the potash will be there.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42Chicory is a fantastic winter vegetable and very hardy.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45But it doesn't like wet weather.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47It needs good ventilation.
0:27:47 > 0:27:52So keep pulling off old tough leaves which you're not going to eat
0:27:52 > 0:27:55to allow the air to get to the young, tender growth
0:27:55 > 0:27:57which is so delicious.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Well, that's it for this week.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11Don't forget that on the 21st it's National Apple Day
0:28:11 > 0:28:13so lots of events around the country,
0:28:13 > 0:28:16and if you don't know what apple to plant in your garden,
0:28:16 > 0:28:19the best way of deciding is to go to one of these events
0:28:19 > 0:28:21and taste some apples.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24See what you like because, in the end, that's why you grow them,
0:28:24 > 0:28:27so that they taste delicious and you can go out in the garden
0:28:27 > 0:28:28and pick your own.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32So I'll see you here next Friday. Bye-bye.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd