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Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Garden expert claims Monty Don's 'terrible' advice could pose risk to you and your pets
Gardening expert Simon from the Walking Talking Gardeners YouTube channel has taken aim at Gardeners' World host Monty Don, for advice he claims is 'terrible' Gardeners are constantly inundated with advice on the dos and don'ts of horticulture, from planting, to pruning, to mowing. But, according to Simon from the Walking Talking Gardeners YouTube channel, much of this guidance is "terrible,". Simon has taken a swipe at Gardeners' World's Monty Don for offering what he claims is scientifically inaccurate advice. Monty had suggested that gardeners delay mowing until July to help pollinating insects by letting the grass grow. However, Simon rejects this advice, stating: "These plants are wind-pollinated. They do not produce pollinating insects." He added: "The only way it would be [true] is because if you've got a load of weeds in your you've got weeds in your lawn, well, that's down to you." He acknowledges that while long grass can indeed provide a habitat for insects, not all of these insects are desirable. He explains: "One of the creatures that perhaps you would not like to have in your garden are ticks... They love the long grass. The longer you leave it, the happier they are. Your pets can be covered in them; biting, sucking all the blood out of them." Ticks pose a threat not just to our pets, Simon warns, but also to humans, as they can transmit a variety of serious illnesses including Lyme disease and the potentially fatal tick-borne encephalitis. He goes on to say that if you're genuinely keen to help pollinating insects during spring and summer, you should "get rid of your lawn and put in a wild flower meadow". Simon points to another hazard of letting grass reach its maximum height - the peril posed by grass seeds: "They're little sticky, sharp, horrible little things that if you've got pets such as dogs and cats, they love to stand on them, and get infected paws." He warns that grass seeds can actually embed themselves in an animal's flesh, leading to ghastly wounds so severe he worries sharing images of the harm would see him "kicked off of the internet". "My next piece of terrible advice," Simon continues, "is to do with watering your tree ferns". Tree ferns, he explains, have developed to flourish in regions with extremely heavy downpours: "The whole being of this plant is to take in water and hold onto it as best as it can." He notes that some folk reckon gardeners must help tree ferns adapt to Britain's climate conditions: "You've got to toughen it up so that it can survive, and that meant you don't water your tree ferns through the crown." Taking aim at the horticulturists at RHS Wisley for being especially susceptible to this blunder, he states: "You can water [your tree fern] just at the base as you would do your regular plants. But really that is not what this plant requires to grow well. "If you don't give it additional water through the crown, that crown is going to start shrinking up. Year on year, you're going to get a reduction in that canopy." He cautions about the consequences of neglecting proper watering, leading to less lush foliage: "You will see smaller fronds, and fewer of them," and warns against following certain detrimental practices observed elsewhere. "Over time, your plant will look like all those other plants that they have at Wisley, who have some bizarre kind of management techniques that really ends up killing them all off."
Daily Mirror
10-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Move new plants for 10 days in July so they don't wilt, gardener says
Gardeners are being warned of a common mistake to avoid when moving plants from greenhouses, as the UK braces for a July heatwave - with temperatures in some areas set to reach 30°C by the weekend British gardeners are gearing up for another blistering heatwave, with the mercury set to hit a sizzling 30C in some areas by the weekend. This sweltering weather poses a fresh challenge – keeping plants alive under the fierce sun, particularly as the threat of hosepipe bans looms. Gardening guru Simon from the Walking Talking Gardeners YouTube channel has flagged up a common blunder that many green-fingered enthusiasts fall foul of when moving plants out of greenhouses or purchasing them from nurseries. He points out that while greenhouses are a godsend during the chillier seasons, they can turn into a "death trap" for foliage during peak summer. Simon shares three key strategies to help greenhouse-grown plants withstand the summer scorcher. First of all, he suggests, you could consider applying temporary whitewash to the greenhouse's south-facing wall to create a reflective barrier. Next, he suggests not just watering the plants but also dousing the greenhouse floor, which helps cool the air as the moisture evaporates. However, the top tip Simon emphasises is to "get your plants out of the flipping greenhouse". He insists that by this stage of the year, they really shouldn't be cooped up inside anymore. But for those who have just snapped up new plants, there's a golden rule to follow. Simon warns: "You can't just put them out and plant them up into their final position because they will be scorched from the sun." "When they're in the greenhouse," Simon explains, "they are under protection from the UV light. If you bring them out into full sun, the sun rays will scorch them – the same as you being very pale and going out in the sun and getting an absolute sunburn, it is very easy to scorch these plants." Instead, he suggests "hardening" plants by situating them in dappled shade, for example beneath a small tree, until they've adjusted to the great outdoors. Over a period of about 10 days or so, they'll build up their resistance to the sun at which point they can go outside into full sun. Simon stresses: "It's an important job. It's not really spoken about much, but the hardening off of plants is absolutely critical." He also points out that plants that have been pampered in a garden centre will need the same care. He continues: "So many times you'll be purchasing plants from your garden centre. They have been kept under protection. You plant them out. Next day... dead." As always, make sure potted plants are well-watered, keeping in mind that leaves on pot plants tend to shield rain from reaching the container. Simon also notes that different pots lose water at varying speeds. "Terracotta pots and concrete or stone pots are porous and will evaporate moisture through the sides of the pot," he explains. "So, these lose water very quickly and will need more watering than plastic pots or glazed terracotta pots."
