What to do in your garden in February

Daffodils are starting to bloom, and that means one thing – spring is right around the corner! If you have the itch to start getting your garden ready, here are a few things you can do during the month of February.

Planning

• Decide on plants you would like to have in your spring garden and flower beds.
• Consider buying new plants that you have not tried before.
• Determine how many seed packets you need, remember to order extra seed if you are planning to replant for a second crop of flowers after the heat of the summer.

Equipment

• Check tools for rust. Clean rust from spades and hoes. Prevent future rust by coating tool heads with mineral oil or used motor oil.

Planting

• Plant cold weather annuals Nasturtiums, Pansies, Snapdragons, English Daisies, Sweet William, and Calendulas
• Start cold weather vegetables in cold frame broccoli, cauliflower, onion sets, English peas, kale, carrots, collards, beets, radishes, kohlrabi, and Chinese cabbage.
• Plant asparagus in prepared beds.
• Start herb seeds indoors for transplanting outdoors.
• February is an ideal time to set out dogwoods. Planting site should be well drained and plants should be planted shallowly. Dogwood prefers acid soil.
• Broad-leaved evergreens such as magnolia, holly, and photinia can be set out at this time.
• Plant new roses, or move old roses soon after February 15.

Fertilizing

• Roses -- Apply top-dressing of organic fertilizer under thick layer of compost or rotted manure.
• Fertilize trees and shrubs (not spring flowering shrubs) if not fertilized in January.

Pest Control

• Spray garden with dormant spray. This will kill many eggs and spores of insects and diseases. Do not apply if temperatures will dip below freezing within 4 hours of application.

Pruning

• Prune evergreens for size and shape. Cut out dead wood of flowering shrubs. Dispose of clippings to prevent disease or insect spread.
• Prune hydrangeas during the last week in the month.

Home Accent

• Winter blooming shrubs can be forced to bloom indoors by cutting stems when buds begin to swell and placed in water indoors. Warmer temperatures will stimulate blooming. Place sprays of forsythia, flowering quince, Oriental magnolia, or fruit trees in a vase in a sunny window.

In Bloom

• Crocus, early daffodils, helleborus, hyacinth, pansies, scilla, snowdrop, snowflake, violet, camellia, forsythia, flowering quince, loropetalum, pussy willow, thumbergia spirea, and winter jasmine.

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Happy gardening! Stay warm out there!