February Garden Chores

Febuary Garden Chores

February is all about prepping for spring.  Now is the time to finalize your garden plans.

Flower Beds, Trees and Shrubs

  • Temperatures can drop to freezing this month; annuals that can take the chill include pansies, viola, and dianthus.
  • Clean your annual and perennial flower beds. Add compost to the soil and add more mulch to the beds.
  • Bulbs can still be planted. Fertilize, water well, and apply mulch for protection.
  • Continue to deadhead flowers, such as pansies.
  • Cut back ornamental grasses before spring growth.
  • Divide and replant crowded perennials after they emerge.
  • Finish planting shrubs and trees. Fertilize.
  • Prune
    • Dormant trees – avoid pruning citrus until the spring.
    • Shrubs – wait to prune spring-flowering shrubs until after they bloom.
    • Roses – remove damaged canes. Then fertilize and apply mulch for protection.

Kitchen Garden

  • Fertilize established fruit trees if not done in January. Continue planting dormant fruit trees.
  • Plant more cold hardy vegetables, such as lettuce, cabbage, collards, onion sets, brussels sprouts, broccoli, carrots, spinach, kale, mustard greens, radishes, turnips, peas, asparagus, and beets.
    • Plant Irish potatoes now! Plant 3 inches deep.
    • Harden off ready brassica seedlings outdoors in a cold frame.
  • Replenish mulch on strawberries.
  • Start your indoor seed boxes of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cauliflower, and herbs indoors.
  • Divide and transplant perennial herbs.

Lawn

  • Regularly mow your lawn at recommended heights (St. Augustine and Bahia: 3 to 4 inches; Centipede: 1.5 to 2 inches; Dwarf St. Augustine: 2.5 inches).
  • Consider servicing your lawn mower in February.

Weeds

  • Put down mulch across all garden beds to control weeds.
  • After temperatures rise to 65 degrees F for 4 to 5 days, apply a pre-emergent weed killer to prevent warm-season weeds.

Other tips

  • You can fertilize your houseplants with a water-soluble fertilizer when they show new growth.
  • Give your tools a good cleaning and sharpening.
  • Don’t forget to turn your compost piles.
➤