Charles urges gardeners to help prevent spread of pests

The Prince of Wales will share his concerns about climate change, and urge gardeners to get as much information as possible about the source of their plants, during his appearance on Gardeners’ World this week.

Charles, a keen gardener, will appear on the BBC Two programme on Wednesday to discuss the threats posed by pests and diseases to our native plants and trees.

On the programme, filmed at Highgrove, his home near Tetbury in Gloucestershire, Charles shares a piece of advice with presenter Adam Frost for gardeners at home.

He says: “Talk to the nurseries where you’re getting your plants from and ask them, ‘Where do they come from? Have they been properly checked through quarantine? Have you got a biosecurity policy because of the risks we’re now facing of all these pests and diseases’?

“And, with climate change adding to these huge challenges and because of the warming-up of everything, more and more of these pests and diseases can flourish here, where they couldn’t have done before.”

He adds: “So we have to take this really seriously.”

Charles’s appearance on the programme was revealed last week.

Frost said: “Back in February, I was invited to a meeting at Highgrove with members from across the horticultural industry to discuss the problem of pests and diseases and what could be done about them.

“One of the outcomes was Action Oak, a campaign launched at the Chelsea Flower Show to help protect our iconic oak.

“It is made up of charities, environmental organisations andlandownerswhoareusing their combined knowledge to safeguard the beautiful trees.

“Today the prince has invited me back to Highgrove to explain why we as gardeners also need to do our bit.”

Charles has spent nearly 40 years transforming the gardens at Highgrove from overgrown and neglected land and he will tell Frost about the steps he is taking within the Duchy of Cornwall, which covers 53,000 hectares of land across 23 British counties, to avoid the spread of plant diseases and pests.

He will also talk about his first-hand experience of diseases such as Dutch elm disease, ash dieback and Phytophthora ramorum, a plant pathogen known to cause the disease sudden oak death, from his management of the estate. 0 Prince Charles along with his immediate family in the official portrait taken after the christening of Prince Louis. Seated from left: The Duke of Cambridge, Prince George, Prince Louis, The Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte. Standing from left: The Duchess of Cornwall, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Sussex, The Duchess of Sussex