Monty Don explains simple practice with plants that will ‘be a lot cheaper’

Monty Don shared the method after discussing the benefits of dividing plants on a recent episode of BBC Gardeners' World, saying it's a "really good way to bulk up"

Monty Don has shared a simple practice with your plants that will ultimately save you cash and allow you to "bulk up" and get "quantity".

In the latest episode of BBC Gardeners' World today (Saturday, October 4), Monty was spotted in the Spring Garden kneeling next to three small purple heucheras. He had previously been discussing the benefits of dividing plants.

The method involves splitting plants to build them up more, with Monty demonstrating this to viewers with a large plant, but he later explained how you can do it with smaller ones too.

Monty said: "Now, if you can't find a large plant to divide, a really good way to bulk up and get the quantity as well as quality is to buy lots of small plants.

"When you buy a plant that size, it's going to grow away quickly and it's going to be cheap. A lot of what you pay for in a plant is time. People have to water plants, pot them on, feed them."

He continued: "So if you buy it small and you manage it, that's going to be a lot cheaper than buying a bigger one."

"By planting these together, I may get an immediate impact from small plants, but also planning for the future because these will grow together to make a clump, which you can divide up and start to spread out."

It was reported earlier this week that Monty had reminded gardeners that now is a good time to prune climbing roses as the UK prepares for the imminent winter months.

In a blog post, he urged people to prune climbing roses "now" and explained they flower on shoots grown in the same spring, meaning they can be "pruned hard now".

He went on to say that rambling roses have flowers on shoots from the last summer, so it's important that gardeners refrain from pruning them until "immediately after flowering".

He added: “Start by removing any damaged or crossing growth or any very old wood which can be pruned right back to the ground.

“The main stems should be fanned out at an equidistance as horizontally as possible, tying them to wires or a trellis."

Monty said the side shoots from the main stems that produced 2024's flowers can be reduced to a "short stub of a couple of leaves".