Gardening Jobs for February

Time to plan, prune and prepare

The heavy snow in mid-January will have pushed many jobs earmarked for January back and as it snows well into February, many of you may feel you are falling behind. The good news is that it is still not too late to plan your season, final prune your trees and shrubs or prepare the ground for spring – you might just need to wait a little longer.

January and February tend to melt into one when it comes to the garden as we have to flex to the weather. Heavy rain and snow have left many gardens saturated, but it just provides an opportunity to clean out the greenhouse, shed and garages.

There’s still plenty to do in February, so let’s get gardening!

Soil:

• The key to bountiful crops and flowers is the soil. If you haven’t already, enrich with organic matter and a soil conditioner such as 6X Natural Plant Feed.
• Following the recent weather many gardens will be water-logged, if this is the case, use boards to keep off the wet soil.
• If you have heavy, clay soil add Claybreaker to help break up the soil and improve drainage. 
• Acidic soil can benefit from a sprinkle of Garden Lime, not only is this a good soil conditioner, it can also improve the drainage of heavy clay soils.

Flowers:

• It’s time to prune! Prune back wisteria, winter-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering clematis and over-wintered fuchsias.
• Cut backs vines such as ivy before the nesting season begins.
• If you haven’t already, sow cosmos, sweet peas etc indoors. Use grow tubes to give them structure as these can be planted straight into the ground in spring. 
• Sprinkle a slow-release fertiliser around the base of roses and flowering shrubs to improve the structure of the soil to allow nutrients to be released slowly. Organic Rose Food is ideal.

Vegetables:

• If the soil is warm enough and not too wet, think about planting out early crops such as parsnips and broad beans. Make sure you cover for warmth and protect against birds.
• Chit early potatoes and place indoors in a cool, frost-free location.
• Chillies, cucumbers, tomatoes and tender veg can all be planted in a warm propagator or greenhouse.
• Order asparagus crowns.

Fruit:

• Prune, prune, prune! It’s the last chance to prune apple and pear trees, and autumn-fruiting raspberry canes can be cut back. Once pruned, add sulphate of potash to encourage strong, healthy growth.
• Prune blackcurrant and gooseberry bushes.
• Check stored fruit for decay or pest invasion.
• Check tree ties and tree stakes to ensure trees are securely tied. Replace broken stakes.
• Protect the early blossom on trees such as cherry and nectarines.

Hedges, grasses & lawns:

• Do not walk on wet grass, this can damage the structure.
• Prune hardy evergreen hedges before nesting.
• Cut back ornamental grasses to about 10cm from the ground and remove any debris.

Plan:

• Get those seeds at the ready. By now you will have already planned or almost planned your garden for the coming season. If you haven’t ordered any seeds, now is a good time.
• Add or repair trellis and make repairs to the shed.
• Continue to fill bird feeders.
• Invest in an organic slug deterrent such as Slug Gone to protect your seedlings and new shoots.

The warmer weather is just around the corner and all the hard work put in over the winter months will reap benefits in spring.