It’s time to review our checklist of gardening tasks for February which include:
Whole Garden:
1) There’s still time to look through catalogs and place orders.
2) Thoroughly clean any flats or pots for seedlings.
3) Set aside a potting area for seed starting and gather the necessary equipment.
4) Sow those seeds that will need 10 to 12 weeks indoors before they can be transplanted outside.
5) Make sure your bluebird boxes are clean.
6) Continue looking for plant damage in your landscape.
7) Test seeds left over from last year for viability.
Trees and Shrubs:
1) Prune off broken twigs and branches on shrubs.
2) Brush off excess snow to avoid breakage. 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.
3) Force branches of spring-blooming shrubs and trees once buds have begun to swell (pussy willow, forsythia, apple, cherry).
Fruits and Vegetables:
1) Plan your vegetable seed-sowing strategy.
2) Begin sowing leek seeds indoors.
3) Prune fall-bearing raspberries in late February
Nuisance insects: 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. As you encounter nuisance insects, just vacuum them up. Avoid smashing them as some leave stains or odors when smashed.
Don’t be a procrastinator about ordering those special seeds that you were admiring in the seed catalog. You should have completed your order by the end of January, or you might be disappointed because the supplies were limited.
Interested in learning more about Pollinators and how to protect them? Mark your calendars for March 20 and plan to attend our first-annual Horticultural Banquet. Joe Boggs, OSUE Hamilton County Educator, and Brooks Warner, OSUE Clinton County Educator, will present useful information for gardeners about Plant diversity, Pollinators, and Pest Management. Watch for more information about cost and registration in Brooks’ weekly article.
