I’ve got lots of little things planned for my garden this year, and after what seemed like a long winter, I’m eager to get back outside. I know it’s only February and the bulbs haven’t yet bloomed, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a whole bunch of things you could be doing in your garden this month! Here is a list of chores I’ve been working on in my own garden.

February Gardening Tasks:

1.Clean up garden tools with a 10% bleach solution. Sharpen blades, oil hinges and start up your mower and weed eater to make sure they are in top working condition.

2.Rake dead leaves, sticks from lawn and garden beds to help promote growth in your winter dormant plants this spring.

3.Spray dormant fruit trees.

4.Aerate your law and apply a scant layer of sand to help with drainage.  You can also apply lime to increase your soil pH levels.

5.Turn your compost and till your garden if weather allows. Let the weather work for you by breaking up dirt clods. Hopefully exposed weeds and seeds will die off.

6.Keep your bird feeder well stocked with food as you want these little feathered friends around to help with insect control in the warmer months.

7.Sow (Indoors):

a.lobelia, ageratum, verbena, petunia, vinca

b.seedlings of onions, broad beans, leeks and potatoes.

c.Begonias- start tubers in 4 inch pots, concave side up using, a well drained soil mix. Fill your pot up with soil 3/4 of the way and cover the tuber with 1/4 to 1/2 inch of soil. Place the pots in a well lit area with a temperature of 18 - 20 degrees Celsius in and keep moist - not wet.

8.Plant or Transplant:

a.Deciduous shrubs and trees

b.Ornamental trees

c.Winter flowering favourites such as pussy willow, winter jasmine and honeysuckle.

d.Rhubarb, horseradish, asparagus and artichokes can be planted this month.

9.Prune:

a.Deciduous trees, shade trees, small fruit and fruit trees, ornamentals, evergreens (except pine and spruce which should be pruned closer to May) and non-flowering broadleaf evergreens.

b.Summer flowering shrubs, but don’t touch the spring bloomers! Their buds were formed last fall, and removal of those will result in loss of flowers.

c.Deciduous vines and climbers such as honeysuckle, grapes or roses should be pruned, thinned out and shaped now to prevent bleeding.

d.Deadhead fall planted pansies, violas, English Daisies and primulas to encourage new blooms.

e.To improve shape of the plant as well as to open up the centre to allow for air circulation. In most cases, pruning after flowering will head the best results.

10. Fertilize:

a.Feed trees by punching a series of 1-2 inch holes two feet apart around the drip line and fill with appropriate food or a mulch of well composted manure.

b.Shrubs and evergreens. Use an acid type rhododendron fertilizer to feed evergreens, conifers, broad leaf evergreens, rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias.

c.roses and other deciduous trees and shrubs using an all-purpose fertilizer to feed. If you use dry type fertilizers, be sure to water it in thoroughly.

Note: The above list refers to areas within zone 7 and 8.

    Last year, (before we got Doggy #2) I had big plans for our backyard and I made a couple blueprints of our property. Nothing crazy, just an estimate of dimensions so I could imagine what I wanted where. I highly recommend doing something similar to this, and now is the perfect time. It is much less work changing your mind in this stage then once the plants are already in the ground!

    I also like to sort through my bulbs and seeds around this time of year to see what I have to worth with. I usually organize by colour, then check the growing conditions and go from there. This is where my blueprints come in really handy.

    I hope this helps, I know a couple of you were wanting this article up sooner, and I’m sorry its taken so long! But according to the Farmer’s Almanac, we will all be right on track!

Farmer’s Almanac

February 2010

18th-19th. Seeds Planted Now Will Grow Poorly And Yield Little. 20th-21st. Fine For Planting Beans, Peppers, Cucumbers, Melons, And Other Above Ground Crops Where Climate Is Suitable

22nd-23rd. Any Seed Planted Now Will Tend To Rot.

24th-25th. Fine For Planting Beans, Tomatoes, Corn, Cotton, Cucumbers, Peppers, Melons, And Other Above Ground Crops Where Climate Allows. Plant Seedbeds And Flower Gardens.

26th-28th. Clear Ground, Turn Sod. Kill Plant Pests.”

note: this article contains text and photo images not available in all readers or email subscriptions. To view the complete article in its original format, please click here.

You may also like these articles:

            Icelandic Poppies          Winter Jasmine         Food Preservation