February is one of the most exciting gardening months of the year.
The days are getting longer, and the last average freeze and frost
dates are approaching. Also the days are cooler and it’s more com-
fortable to work outside.
1. Clean up the landscape. Cut back perennials and apply a mulch-
compost blend. Add green sand and sulfur to plants that prefer their
soil to be a little more on the acidic side. Check leaves for signs of
iron deficiency. Light green leaves with darker veins indicate a lack
of iron. Green sand and sulfur will help to cure this.
2. Plant fruit trees. Peaches, pears, persimmons, plums, apricots,
pomegranates and apples do well in this area. For those with
limited space or with an appetite for novelty, try a ‘four-in-one’
grafted apple or pear. They have four different varieties grafted on
the same tree. For those without a yard, you might try a dwarf
peach... easily grown in a pot or whisky barrel.
3. Plant vegetables in kitchen garden. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts,
cauliflower, cabbage, pod peas (sugar snaps), swiss chard, carrots,
lettuce, and asparagus crowns. Also onions, such as the white Texas
Supersweet Contessa.
4. Plant winter-hardy herbs. Thyme, oregano, Italian and curled
parsley, rosemary, winter and summer savory, garden sage, and
chives. Herbs like to have at least half a day’s sun in a well-drained
location.
5. Plant flowers in the garden. Calendula, pansies, stock, cyclamen,
violas, dianthus, bluebonnets, nasturtium, flowering cabbage and kale,
and larkspur. For a great show, plant snapdragons now for April and
May color.
6. Plant a rose. Besides some good old standbys like the peace rose,
Mr. Lincoln, climbing Don Juan, and Blasé, there are some interesting
newcomers to look for, such as the Knock Out series, Home Run and
Belinda’s Dream. But let’s not forget our charming antique roses as
well. Antiques are disease resistant, hardy, and can shower our land-
scapes with very beautiful, showy flowers.
7. Prune your roses. A mid-month activity. A word of caution:
make sure you know what kind of rose you have before you begin
to cut them back. Most shrub roses bloom on new wood, so a pruning
will help to force new growth and blooms. Climbing roses bloom on
old wood, so this means a pruning back of climbers will remove all
the flowers before they have a chance to bloom. Please give me a call
if you have any questions about this. I have some lots of rose books
that have most of the answers in them.
8. Control lawn weeds. Spread a pre-emergent weed killer over the
yard and water it in. We recommend corn gluten. This is an effective
organic pre- emergent that will not poison waterways and aquifers.
If you spread it over the lawn, it will control those spring and summer
weeds before they have a chance to germinate. You can safely use
it in the garden or in flowerbeds.
9. Maintain garden tools. Repair and maintain garden tools. Change
the oil on the lawnmower, and have the blades sharpened.
10. Garden plan. Put something down in a book, a diary, or even
on a scrap of paper that you tape to the wall. This will help you plan
your weekend activities and get your plants in the ground at the correct
time of the year.
Happy gardening everyone!
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