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Preparing Your Garden for the Upcoming Growing Season: February Tasks
As February rolls in, it's time to gear up for the upcoming growing season. Here are some tasks that a 'grow your own' gardener can do to ensure a bountiful harvest:
Starting Seeds Indoors
February is the perfect time to begin sowing seeds for onions, leeks, shallots, and various cole crops like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts, either in a greenhouse or indoors with grow lights and good soil.
Pruning
Pruning is another important task for this month. Prune wisteria, roses, woody shrubs, grapes, fruit trees, blueberries, raspberries, clematis, and other vining ornamentals. Late February is ideal as it helps avoid encouraging early tender growth that could be damaged by cold weather.
Dividing and Replanting
Divide snowdrops and replant them to help perennials stay vigorous.
Planting Outdoors
If the soil is workable and dry enough, plant peas, sweet peas, asparagus (if soil is warm), and fruit trees or deciduous shrubs for best spring establishment.
Applying Organic Mulch
Mulch borders to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.
Soil Preparation
Test soil pH and apply lime if needed to adjust acidity before spring planting. Also, incorporate cover crops or organic matter to improve soil fertility.
Tool Maintenance
Clean, sharpen, and oil garden tools to keep them in good condition for active use during spring and summer.
Planning and Organizing
Finish your planting plans and make a list of transplants to buy later in the spring to keep on budget and focused.
Planting Windowsill Herb Gardens
Grow herbs like chives, parsley, and cilantro indoors as container gardens for early fresh herbs.
Utilizing Jerusalem Artichokes
Jerusalem artichokes can grow up to 1.8m tall and provide shelter to lower-lying crops. They should be planted 15cm deep and given space of 45cm between the plants in each direction.
Protecting Soft Fruit Bushes
Soft fruit bushes should be protected with bird prevention cages to prevent damage from finches.
Feeding Fruit Bushes
Feeding fruit bushes is a quick job that will give a relatively quick return. For blueberries, use an ericaceous fertiliser, and for fruit in pots use a high potassium liquid plant food.
Sowing Aubergines
Aubergines should be sown in module trays filled with seed-sowing compost, with two seeds per module and covered with a layer of vermiculite.
Growing Strawberries Early
To get an early crop of strawberries, force a few potted plants into growth in an unheated greenhouse, conservatory, or well-lit porch. February is also a month when aubergines can be sown in a greenhouse or polytunnel.
Caring for Garlic
Garlic can be planted now if the soil is dry enough, with the tips of the cloves 2.5cm below the soil surface.
Tidying Up
Leafy brassica debris should be tidied up by pulling off yellow leaves and any showing signs of disease, clearing up old leaves, and removing old Brussels sprout stems to free up space for something else. Fruit trees should be tidied up by removing perennial weeds, grass, and any suckers or shoots close to the trunk, and applying a 5cm thick mulch of well-rotted compost around the trunk (avoiding the bark).
These tasks leverage the relatively mild February weather to get a head start on the season, ensuring seeds are germinated indoors, plants are pruned for healthy growth, and soil and tools are ready for planting. Happy gardening!
- To prepare your home-and-garden for the upcoming growing season, consider starting seeds indoors for onions, leeks, shallots, cole crops, and herbs like chives, parsley, and cilantro.
- In your lifestyle as a 'grow your own' gardener, don't forget to prune wisteria, roses, woody shrubs, grapes, fruit trees, blueberries, raspberries, clematis, and other vining ornamentals in late February to promote healthy growth.
