IT’S that time of the year again – November marks the beginning of Bare Root season – which runs from now until March.
But what does that mean? And how does it benefit you?
Jamie Butterworth sells bare root plants at his Form Plants nursery in SurreyCredit: Dorling Kindersley/ Rachel Warne
Charles Shi is a rose expert at Kew GardensCredit: Supplied
, trees, hedges, shrubs and perennials are basically dormant plants that have been grown in open ground – and then dug up.
They come to you with roots fully attached but not in pots.
So they’re ready to get in the ground as soon as they arrive.
The benefit is that they’re cheaper and more , as they’re sold without soil or pots.
And because they’ve been grown in open ground for a long time, their roots are better established and larger than those grown in pots.
They’re also quicker to establish once they get going, and technically there’s less chance of ‘root rot’ and common in potted plants.
A perfect example is Bare Root Roses – which are usually available on Mail Order.
Hedges Direct is currently selling a Rosa Rugosa pink bare root plant for just £1.59.
If you can’t get them in the ground immediately – make sure you unpack them and get in any kind of container with damp compost, until you can.
Rose expert from Kew Gardens told: “Bare root season is a bargain for gardeners. You get stronger roots and cheaper plants while everything is snoozing for winter.
“Plant Roses, young trees and hedges now and they will romp away come spring.
“It’s also an absolute steal price wise – and the bonus is they get a head-start while dormant.
“My top picks are bare-root roses for a floral pop and apple trees for fruit.
“A quick tip is to soak roots, plant at original depth, firm and water well.”
One of the other benefits when buying bare root shrubs and hedges is that you can get more for your money in comparison to those sold in pots.
, from Form Plants Nursery , added: “Buying bare root is cheap and it’s great – there’s no packaging, no plastic pots – just the good old fashioned way of selling and moving plants.
“It’s not just roses, you can buy Sanguisorbas, trees, hedging, shrubs, all grasses and now is the perfect time to plant them.
“My favourite bare root rose is Desdemona or Wisley.
“I love roses for the hips – we all talk about them for the flowers but their transformation to hips is something I love.
“This year we used Rosa canina – or dog rose – in the dog garden at , it’s quite wild and rambling and you can buy it as a bare root.”
Top Tips, Gardening news, plant of the week, gardening jobs and a leaf sweeper competition
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NEWS! Got a Veg patch? Garden Organic wants you to help shape the future of UK Organic Gardening.
The sustainable gardening charity has been running citizen science projects for 65 years to help gardeners grow better.
Each year it collects data from gardeners from an annual survey – which helps them work out how each crop has fared under that year’s growing conditions, collate insights which help track trends, evaluate crops resilient and highly how the UK’s changing climate is affecting home grown food production.
This year, for the first time, the survey will be available from today via the Fryd app – so people can log their findings via their mobile home as they garden.
The aim is to make it easier than ever for gardeners to take part, reach new growers and get more people involved.
“Gardeners are on the front line of climate change, they see and feel the seasons shift, but advice hasn’t kept pace,” said Florian Hassler, co-founder at Fryd. “With Fryd Lab, one five-minute contribution could help your whole area get better local sowing and planting guidance next season. You can even do it on your phone whilst you garden!”
Download the Fryd app – or visit www.cognitoforms.com/GardenOrganic1/HowDidYourVegGrowIn2025
TOP TIP: YOU may think Spring is the best time to sow wildflower seeds. But in fact, now is a good time to start them off.
In real life, wildflowers shed their seeds in late summer and autumn – where they then lie in wait for the spring warmth to get them going.
So basically you’re mimicking nature.
One of the biggest benefits of autumn sowing is that it provides much-needed food for pollinators right at the start of spring. Early flowering wildflowers such as red clover, bird’s-foot trefoil and forget-me-nots can bloom weeks ahead of spring-sown seeds, offering nectar and pollen just when early emerging bees, butterflies and other insects need it most.
Dr Emily Atlee from Seedball , told Sun Gardening: “By scattering in autumn, you’re helping ensure that hungry pollinators don’t face a gap in food sources after winter, supporting them when they are at their most vulnerable.”
Whether you’re thinking of sowing them under cover – or scattering in the earth, it’s worth doing the job now before temperatures properly drop – plus it’s one more thing to tick off your list!
TOP TIP! Don’t chuck your halloween pumpkin! You can cut it up into small pieces and put on the compost – it’s a great source of nitrogen. Or you can even bury it whole – it will rot down and enrich the soil. Or cut the top off, add sticks to act as perches and fill it with birdseed as a natural feeder. And keep the pumpkin seeds ready for next year.
TOP TIP! Have you ever thought about growing Pak Choi? Tasty and great in stir fries, it’s just about frost tolerant – and likes damp chilly conditions, so it’s a decent cut-and-come-again plant to grow under cover over Winter in a greenhouse or cloche. It can be ready in as little as four weeks – if you just want the leaves – but longer for the bulbs, and there’s all sorts of attractive varieties to try.
WIN! Get rid of those fallen leaves with a Ewbank Multisweep 20L Manual Push Sweeper – worth £79.99 from Robert Dyas. We’ve got two to give away – enter at www.thesun.co.uk/DYASLEAF or write to Sun Leaf Sweeper competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Entries close 11.59pm. November 15, 2025. apply
PLANT OF THE WEEK! Clematis Cirrhosa var. Pupirascens ‘Freckles’ – a beautiful large evergreen climber that flowers from now until early Spring. Best in a warm sheltered position, it doesn’t need much attention and likes well drained soil.
JOB OF THE WEEK! November is finally the time to start thinking about planting tulip bulbs, you can leave leaves on your beds, but best to get them off the lawn, keep feeding the birds and you can plant Winter salad cut and come again seeds like rocket.
