Gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh has shared a “secret method” for growing vegetables throughout the winter months, as he took to his YouTube channel to provide some top gardening tips

As the days grow shorter and temperatures begin to fall with summer giving way to autumn, gardening guru Alan Titchmarsh has revealed that now is the ideal moment to venture into our gardens and sow vegetables in preparation for them to mature come spring.

In his most recent gardening guidance shared on his YouTube channel, Alan took a trip to his kitchen garden while detailing how the deteriorating weather conditions during autumn and winter typically aren’t good for cultivating fresh vegetables. Nevertheless, he has now disclosed what he believes could be a “secret” remedy.

While he mentioned that the majority of his vegetables are usually sown in April and harvested in August, he observed that onion sets are available which can be grown at this time of year.

Yet he cautioned that planting them in a conventional outdoor plot might cause them to “rot away”, but emphasised his “secret method” to ensure they flourish perfectly during the winter period.

Demonstrating how he utilises a raised bed rather than the standard outdoor plot to cultivate the vegetables, he outlined why it proves such an efficient alternative, stating: “I’m just going to do a few rows of each in here because the fact that it’s raised up means it drains rapidly and gives them that much more chance of getting through the winter.”

Nevertheless, while he shared the advantages of the raised bed, he suggested that should we have a particularly severe winter, they might find it challenging to withstand the conditions.

But he revealed there’s a clever “insurance policy” that could prove a lifesaver, explaining: “Get a seed tray and put a few in here. And you can leave these outside in a sheltered spot.”

He continued: “When it gets really rough, really cold, really wet, you can just bring them into a shed or garage, and that’ll give them that little bit of protection.”

Beyond his most recent guidance, Alan’s passion for gardening began during his teenage years when he started as an apprentice gardener.

Over time, his enthusiasm for horticulture flourished, leading him to earn a Diploma in Horticulture at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in 1969.

He subsequently merged his gardening expertise with media work, beginning to feature on radio and television programmes.

Many will remember him best for presenting Gardeners’ World from 1996 until Monty Don took over the role in 2002.

In recent years, he has fronted several of his own programmes, including Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh, which airs every weekend on ITV.