Renowned gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh is puzzled by the common mistake gardeners make when planting new shrubs, preferring to purchase seeds instead of utilizing a cost-free alternative. In a feature for Gardeners’ World magazine, Alan advocates for propagating shrubs and soft fruit bushes through hardwood cuttings, emphasizing the simplicity and benefits of this method.
Taking hardwood cuttings during autumn and winter is highlighted as an ideal time due to plant conditions, with the added advantage that these cuttings require no special protection during rooting. This technique eliminates the need for propagating frames or greenhouses, making it effortless to accommodate outdoors.
The Royal Horticultural Society supports hardwood cuttings as a reliable method for propagating various deciduous climbers, trees, and shrubs, noting the convenience of taking them from mid-autumn to late winter when gardeners typically have more time. Some evergreen plants, such as hollies, can also be propagated using hardwood cuttings during this period.
Alan recommends six top choices for taking hardwood cuttings in winter, including raspberry, forsythia, currants (both flowering and fruiting varieties), roses, and philadelphus. Beyond his television career, Alan’s significant contributions to horticulture and charity were recognized in the New Year’s Honours list, commemorating 25 years since he was awarded an MBE.
With a distinguished presence in the horticultural world, Alan Titchmarsh is most remembered for his role as the presenter of Gardeners’ World from 1996 to 2002.