Let's get ready to crumble... and blossom

Plant fruit trees now for glorious displays come spring and a bumper harvest in the autumn

- With DIARMUID GAVIN

When you're buying, check if your variety is loam-based compost such as John Innes No 3.

e are in the midst of the dormant season, which is a good time to plant deciduous shrubs, roses and trees. They have gone into a type of hibernation for winter, conserving energy for the burst of growth in spring. However their roots are still growing underground so if you plant bare root now, they will have begun to establish themselves by the time spring arrives.

Bare root planting is a more economical way to buy plants. They are grown in fields and then dug up during this season and delivered with no soil or pots. It also affords you bigger choices in variety.