Gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh urges gardeners to cover soil with thick black polythene immediately. This vital step warms the ground for the earliest possible spring sowings, helping users get ahead during winter.
Why Cover Soil Right Now?
Spring officially begins on March 20, but milder days approach soon. Titchmarsh recommends this task to prepare soil effectively. The black polythene absorbs heat, blocks rain, and reduces wetness and cold, enabling quicker sowing than on bare ground.
Alan Titchmarsh explained: “If you want to make sure you can get on the soil as early as possible with sowings come spring, then the way to do it is to cover it right now with thick black polythene like this. What this does is to warm the soil up, not a tremendous amount of degrees, but enough to enable you to get on there rather earlier because you’re keeping a lot of the rain off. So it’s not quite so wet, which means it’s not quite so cold. And the blackness of this absorbs heat and so prepares that soil just that little bit earlier. It means you can get out there and get sowing quicker than you could on bare soil.”
Essential Tool Maintenance
Titchmarsh also advises cleaning plant pots to eliminate pests and diseases. For tools, sharpen hoes, remove mud, oil them, and store properly. This ensures everything stands ready for spring use.
Personal Updates from Titchmarsh
Last September, Titchmarsh listed his four-acre Grade-II listed property, shared with wife Alison, for £3.95 million. The move seeks a new challenge, though it marks a wrench after investing heart and soul.
He addressed retirement queries candidly: “‘Are you retiring?’ I am asked. ‘Er, no!’ Consolidating more like. Looking after four acres and a Grade-II listed house has been – and still is – a treat beyond measure, but the day will come when it starts to be overwhelming, and I’d rather move on to fresh pastures before that becomes the case.”
Titchmarsh noted: “But when you are knocking on a bit (which I refuse to believe, despite what the numbers tell me) you do muse on the future – a future which I hope will be long and fulfilling.”
Catch Alan Titchmarsh on Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh on ITV this Sunday, February 22, from 9:30am to 11:25am.
