February feels like a turning point in the garden. This month's gardening work is mostly about getting everything ready for spring. It's still cold outside, but there are signs of spring's imminent arrival everywhere. Well, we should finally get back to work. What are the 3 most important tasks to do in the garden in February, read on!
What shrubs and plants are you pruning this month
- Prune wisteria now by cutting the side shoots back to 2 or 3 buds.
- There is still plenty of time to prune your rhododendrons while they are dormant.
- Pay attention to your climbing plants as some of them may need pruning before the end of the month (e.g. clematis).
- Cut shrubs such as Cornus and Salix varieties (which are grown for their colorful winter stems) back to the base.
- Cutsummer-blooming clematis towards the end of the month, before active growth begins.
- Also cut back the old foliage of ornamental grasses before growth begins. Cut them to within a few centimeters of the ground.
Overwintered fuchsias should be cut back to one or two buds per shoot.
- The winter-flowering jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) also needs to be cut back after flowering in order to promote new growth for next year's flowering. Cut last year's growth back to within 5 cm of the old wood.
- Cut back winter-flowering heather plants after they have faded to prevent the plants from becoming too leggy.
- Winter-flowering shrubs such as Mahonias and Viburnum x bodnantense should be cut back as soon as their colors have faded.
- Remove spent flowers from winter pansies to prevent them from setting seeds. This will encourage new blooms as the weather warms up.
Clean up and mulch the vegetable garden
- Mulch perennial vegetables such as asparagus and artichokes with well-rotted manure or garden compost.
- Build raised beds now, before the growing season begins. Raised beds allow you to get an early start in the garden; the soil warms up quicker and raised beds also drain quickly, making them a good way to deal with clayey soils.
- Prepare the seedbeds for vegetables by removing all weeds andincorporate plenty of compost. Cover the prepared soil with black plastic sheets to keep it drier and warmer so you can start planting in the spring.
- Rub lime into acidic soil.
- Continue fighting snails.
- Remove yellowed leaves from brassicas, including Brussels sprouts, to prevent the spread of downy mildew and gray mold.
- Tidy up the vegetable beds and remove all plant debris.
The garden in February: what to sow
Start by splitting the new potatoes - place them upright in a modular tray or egg carton and place them in a bright, cool, frost-free place to prepare them for sowing.
To germinate seeds this early in the year, it is essential to provide a warm, favorable environment for germination and the early stages of seedlings. Few gardeners can afford the luxury of a heated greenhouse, so one must bring the seed trays indoors or use a heated propagation mat and place the trays in a porch or unheated sunroom.
You must place the seeds in a sealed indoor greenhouse to create a warm atmosphere that does not dry out. Once they have sprouted and established, remove them and keep them frost-free. In February the amount of light is very low, making sowing difficult and the plants need to be turned regularly to ensure even growth.
Sowing in February has the advantage that the plants will ripen earlier if everything goes well. Sowing in March and April is easier because of the extra light and warmth.For sowingThe following are suitable under glass in February: eggplant, beetroot, chilies, broad beans, lettuce and rocket as well as tomatoes. Flower seeds, many of the popular garden plants such as Ageratum, Antirrhinum, Calendula, Cornflowers, Marigolds, Nigella, Rudbeckia, Salvia, Scabious, Sweet Peas and Zinnia.
The hardier plants such as broad beans, lettuce and sugar peas are easier to sow early as they can tolerate the cooler temperatures. You should only sow the more tender plants such as zucchini, cucumbers and Ipomoea later.
Towards the end of the month and into March, it is easier to germinate and grow seeds due to increasing light and warmth. The further north you are in terms of prevailing weather and cold factor, the more you should delay the first sowing.
