Jobs to do in the Garden in February
February brings a mix of weather. While the days gradually lengthen and spring bulbs begin to sprout, frosts, heavy rain, and even snow are still frequent. It’s a great time to get ready for the upcoming seasons by giving your shed, greenhouse, and tools a thorough clean and organizing everything.
Here are some additional tasks to tackle in the garden this month:
– Prepare for the new growing season by purchasing fresh compost, especially if your current supply is old or its packaging is worn.
– Get your garden mowers and tools ready for the spring season by giving them a good clean and servicing them this month.
– Chit early potatoes now by placing them with the eyes facing upwards on a sectioned seed tray, and store in a light, cool, frost-free spot for 4 to 6 weeks until ready for planting.
– Sow sweet peas in deep pots, and place them in a heated greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill to get them started.
– Add vibrant spring bedding plants like forget-me-nots, geraniums, primroses, and violas for a burst of colour.
– Apply a layer of chicken manure around perennial vegetables like artichokes, asparagus, horseradish, rhubarb, and sorrel.
– Scatter sulphate of potash fertiliser at the base of fruit trees and bushes to help promote a bountiful harvest.
– Remove weeds from vegetable beds, then add a generous layer of compost. About two weeks before sowing, cover the bed with polythene or frost fleece to warm the soil.
– Continue feeding the wild birds this month to support them when natural food sources are scarce, especially in the cold weather.
– Check greenhouse and house plants regularly for pests like aphids and whitefly. Use a targeted pest control spray to treat any affected plants.
– Protect strawberry plants with a cloche or fleece to encourage earlier growth and harvesting.
– If you’re planning to grow cabbages, cauliflowers, or sprouts, add garden lime to your soil now, helping to adjust its alkalinity in time for planting in May.
– February is the perfect time to prune winter-flowering shrubs such as buddleia, clematis, cornus, hydrangea, mahonia, climbing and bush roses, wisteria, and winter jasmine after they finish flowering. You can also trim back climbers like ivy or Virginia creeper if they’ve become overgrown.
– Remove any faded or yellowing leaves from plants or vegetables immediately to prevent fungal diseases from developing.
– Check your tree ties, canes, and other plant supports for wear and tear. Replace any that are damaged or too old.
– If you plan to move any deciduous shrubs, now is the best time while they are still dormant. Also, trim any deciduous hedging before nesting season begins.
– Cover fruit and vegetable plants that are beginning to grow by covering them with bird netting to keep birds from snacking on the crops.
– Check your tender plants are still covered with fleece or bubble insulation to protect them from any lingering frosts, particularly if you’ve experienced windy weather recently.
– Sow cress or mustard seeds into a seed tray, place it on a warm windowsill, and watch them sprout!
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