February Monthly Calendar

HORTICARE COMPANIES

MONTHLY CALENDAR: FEBRUARY

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If exceptionally cold weather is forecast, provide protection to early flowering or tender plants by covering them with some type of cloth material. Remove the covering as soon as the weather moderates again.

SHRUBS and TREES

Deciduous shrubs and trees are still dormant enough to transplant this month, once the buds have begun to swell, it will be to late. Click these links for information on transplanting azaleas or moving specimen plants.
Trees that weren’t fed last fall should be deep fed by punching a series of 1-2 inch holes two feet apart around the drip line and filled with an appropriate food. A mulch of well composted manure is also an excellent treat for your tree.
Mid to late February is the time to fertilize shrubs and evergreens. Use an acid type rhododendron fertilizer to feed evergreens, conifers, broad leaf evergreens, rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias. Use an all-purpose fertilizer to feed roses and other deciduous trees and shrubs. If you use dry type fertilizers, be sure to water it in thoroughly.
Prune your summer flowering shrubs now but be aware that spring bloomers have already produced their buds last fall, and pruning them now will result in the loss of flowers. Forsythia, quince, spirea and other early spring flowering shrubs should be pruned a little later, after they have finished flowering. Pruning to improve the shape of the plant, as well as to open up the center of the plant to good air circulation and sun exposure. Always start your pruning by removing all dead, decayed or broken branches.
Trim back any branches that were damaged by the ravages of winter.
Apply dormant oil fruit spray.

PERENNIALS, ANNUALS and BULBS

Plants, which may have been pushed out of the ground by frost heave, should be pressed firmly back into place.
Plant daylilies, bleeding hearts, and plantain lilies this month.
Deciduous vines such as honeysuckle should be pruned and shaped.
Most perennials may be divided and moved up until they begin to show new growth.
Check your stored plants such as fuschias and geraniums, and if they are shriveled water them lightly.
Summer flowering bulbs may try to start into growth if they are subjected to heat. They should be kept very dry, and stored at 45 degrees F. If they are shriveling, put them into slightly damp peat moss, but keep them cool!
If you plan to grow lobelia, ageratum, verbena, petunia, vinca, or other slowing plants from scratch, the seeds should be started indoors in the later part of the month. For more information see growing plants from seeds.
Thin last years tangled growth on your climbing roses, fruit trees and vegetables.
Water all bulbs during times of growth and especially during foliage and bloom development. Irrigate summer-flowering bulbs during dry weather. Keep water off foliage and blooms.
Fertilize tulips as foliage appears and make another application after flowering. Fertilize all other spring-flowering bulbs after flowering. Apply 2 pounds of 5-10-10 or 6-12-12 per 100 square feet. Daffodils and tulips should be fertilized again in early to mid-August.
If you heavily mulched marginally hardy bulbs to survive winter, pull back the mulch toward the end of winter. This prevents premature growth as the sun warms the soil.

FRUITS and VEGGIES

Rhubarb, horseradish, asparagus and artichokes can be planted this month.
Kiwis and grapes must be pruned by Valentines Day to prevent sap 'bleeding'.
Strawberries can be planted as soon as they become available.
Cane fruits (raspberries and blackberries), with the exception of ever bearers should have all the canes that produced fruit last year removed.
If you grow currants, remove all trunks that are over 3 years old.
The vegetable garden should get its first tilling (if weather permits) to allow the weather to aid you in breaking up the dirt clods. Exposed weeds and seeds hopefully will perish

ODDS and ENDS

Houseplants may notice the longer days, and begin growing. You can begin feeding them again, but use a dilute 50% fertilizer mix until the growth is robust.
Continue feeding our feathered friends, you'll want them to stick around to help you in insect control when the weather warms again.
Prepare your garden tools. Get your mower back in shape as well.
In the event of snow, be sure to shake or brush off the white stuff from the branches of your evergreens and shrubs.
Turn the compost pile.

Winter Tips

* Just because the weather is cold, doesn’t mean the ground has frozen. The ground takes longer to cool off than the air does. As long as the ground is not frozen and can accept water, you should water at least your evergreens. Most of the other plants are fairly dormant by now and not using much water. Evergreens, on the other hand, keep their needles all winter and can lose water through those needles. Keeping water supplied to the roots on a weekly basis as long as possible into the fall and winter season will help reduce stress on those evergreens.

* As we get into winter, the threat of damage from snow and ice is always near. When snow piles up on evergreens, try to gently brush it off. Don’t shake the branches as this may cause them to break. If the snow is frozen on the branch and will not brush off easily, it is best to let it melt naturally, to avoid damage to the tree or shrub.

* If tree limbs break due to the weight of ice or snow, it is advisable to have the broken limbs removed as soon as the weather permits. Hanging branches can be a danger to passing pedestrians. Also, the tree will be able to heal the wound better in spring if the wound has clean edges instead of ragged tears.

* Sometimes in the middle of winter, we suddenly get a few warm days. For the most part, this is not a big problem, but you may need to check on a couple of things. If you covered your roses with rose cones, you may need to ventilate the cone to prevent heat from building up inside. The same should be done with coldframes. If it is a warm, sunny day, the temperatures may be rising in the cold frame more than you expect. Remember to close vents as the temperature drops again at night.

* Turning to the indoor environment, we need to keep our holiday plants fresh and blooming. Most of our blooming holiday plants prefer to be in a cool room. This keeps the plant in flower longer. Most holiday plants also need a bright room (some do well with direct sun, others do not). Keep these plants out of drafts to keep them in good health.

* If you order seeds from a catalog, get your order in by the end of January. Early orders help insure that you get the seeds you want and that you have them in time to start them indoors if you want.

* It is very common to find insects meandering around the house in winter. All kinds of critters come into the house looking for a place to rest for the winter. Common nuisance pests are boxelder bugs, houseflies, squash bugs and the multicolored Asian ladybeetles. As you encounter nuisance insects, just vacuum them up. Avoid smashing them as some leave stains or odors when smashed.

* Don’t store firewood in the house. Insects can come in with firewood. Leave the wood outside until you are ready to build a fire. Firewood should never be treated with insecticides and insecticides are often not needed for most home invaders.