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Written by Sylvia Henthorn
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Annuals
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Place your catalog seed orders now for best supply. Remember—garden fever may reduce your resistance to over-ordering! Read between the lines. “Easy to grow” may mean “will march across your driveway, the street and I-540 by the end of summer”. “Reseeds freely may mean “you will be weeding this from your garden for years to come”. |
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Houseplants
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Two word. Spider mites. A blast of cold will control them. If the plant’s too large to put in a bathtub or sink, wipe stems/leaves with a cloth dipped in diluted insecticidal soap. Keep an eye out for scale and other pests/disease. Scale can be removed by wiping leaves with an insecticidal soap or dabbing the critters with rubbing alcohol. Annoyed by those shedding ferns? Remove fronds with dead leaves or tips. They won’t put on much growth for a month or two, but they won’t shed on your carpet either! Think humidity!. |
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Lawns
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Apply lime — if your soil test says your lawn needs lime. Don’t know? Submit a soil test |
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Perennials
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Most perennials can be divided and replanted starting in February. |
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Roses
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Apply dormant spray. Apply a top dressing of cottonseed meal or milorganite under a generous layer of compost or rotted manure. Dehydrated manure( available in the garden centers) eliminates danger of nut grass and other weed seeds. Keep manure and other fertilizers away form stems. Prune. |
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Trees/Shrubs
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Trees and shrubs can be planted anytime the soil isn’t frozen. February is a good time to plant dogwoods. Remember –dogwoods need good drainage and soil. Later this month fertilize trees and shrubs—except for spring blooming shrubs. This is a great time to prune wisteria and you can be merciless! If you had problems with scale or other insects last year, apply dormant oil before the leaf buds pop and new growth begins. Remove remaining holly berries to promote bloom. Prune crepe myrtles, ornamental fruit trees, shrubs and ornamental grasses.
Do not prune spring flowering shrubs. Pruning them now will remove their blooms. You can remove dead wood and cut a few branches to force for inside bloom To force cuttings, remove branches as soon as buds begin to swell. Shape your shrub as you cut but remember— this is not pruning. Once inside, cut 2” slashes down the length of the stem so the branches can take water quickly and easily. Soak the cut ends in a tall container. Arrange in jars with ample water and in a cool location. Mist occasionally. Just before the buds “pop”, move them into bright light, but not direct sunlight. Enjoy! |
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Vegetables
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Ah, this is the most hopeful time of year for vegetable gardens. Imagine the first juicy tomato of the year and the taste of just picked sweet corn! Order your seeds. Try something new this year, and report your success to our group. Asparagus can be planted as soon as soil can be worked easily. In late February/early March plant broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach, turnips. cabbage, carrots, collards, garlic, kale, lettuce, onion sets, English and snap peas and radishes. |
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Hint:
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February is a very fickle and capricious month. A string of sunny days makes us want to believe
Spring is here. Restrain yourself. We no doubt have more very cold weather to come. Wise old souls before us know “a February spring is worth nothing”. |
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Forget Me Knots
