Gardener's diary - February gardening

February Gardening
Our Guide to February Gardening. February is the month when you can really start preparing for the upcoming year.

It is an ideal month to prepare your soil and also an important month to ensure your existing plants and trees are healthy.

Hardy Perennials

Fork over established beds, removing perennial weeds and applying a general fertilizer around the plants.

Prepare soil for the planting of new plants, marking out your plan. Planting can begin by the end of the month in milder climates.

If the weather was too severe in autumn to plant carnations and pinks then this should be done as soon as possible.

Sowing of perennial seeds can start this month, ready for autumn planting.

Hardy Annuals

When the soil is starting to dry out you can start to thin out seedlings from last year.

Biennials

Weather permitting, start to weed around plants and replace any that have died.

Grow Polyanthus seeds under glass.

Half-Hardy Annuals

Many half-hardy annuals such as Lobelia and Impatiens can be sown now. Prick out seedlings sown from last month.

Shrubs

Continue to protect plants from harsh weather. Delay planting until weather improves.

Climbers

Shake snow off regularly. Cut back Jackmanii and certain Clematis to 30cm (1ft) high.

Make sure supports are in place ready for planting before March. Pruning applies as for shrubs. Prune plants such as Clematis patens hard, to rejuvenate.

Trees

Tree pruning and surgery should be completed before March. Flowering cherries and Prunus species are different and it is best to leave them until the summer.

Most trees require some pruning. Certain trees, such as pear trees, may be trained into shape and style.

Planting can continue in well drained, frost free soil.

Hedges

Bare rooted plants that couldn't be planted due to cold weather can now be planted in prepared soil providing the climate is not too cold and the ground is not waterlogged.

If you are limited for time, plant flowering species first.

Complete any pruning and cleaning up of established hedges.

Heathers

Increase your plants from straggly old ones using a method known as "dropping". Replant in a hole big enough to take the whole plant with only the tips showing. Fill in using equal parts of peat and gritty sand, arranging stems around the edge of the hole, Leave them for a year, carefully lift the plant, cut away the old roots and plant new plants in position.

Bulbs and Corms

Indoor plants that have finished flowering can be fed with a potash-based fertilizer and moved to the greenhouse or frame.

Also feed naturalized bulbs with a small amount of bone meal, but not too much as it will also stimulate growth of the grass.

Plant anemones ready for summer flowering.

Alpines

In houses and frames clean up pots and frames, removing weeds and dead foliage, using a fungicide on damaged plants to reduce further die back. Pot up seedlings and cuttings and increase watering and ventilation in milder areas. Check for aphids and spray if needed.

Outside continue with routine cleaning of beds and cut back herbaceous material but leave woodier stems until later to reduce damage from further cold spells.

Lawns

Complete laying of turf by the end of the month. If this is not possible it is better to wait until after the summer.

Finish preparation of the site for new lawns ready for sowing in the spring.

On established lawns destroy worm casts regularly using a long, thin bamboo cane. If there is a particular problem with worm casts then water the turf with chlordane, which should prevent the problem until the following year.

Now is the ideal time to buy a new lawn mower or clean and repair your old one, before the lawn needs frequent attention.

Plants that are in flower in February

Annuals and Biennials:

  • Viola

Border Perennials:

  • Helleborus niger
  • Helleborus orientalis
  • Iris stylosa
  • Viola odorata

Rockery Perennials:

  • Hepatica nobilis
  • Primula edgeworthii

Bulbs:

  • Anemone blanda
  • Anemone (Poppy-flowered)
  • Chionodoxa
  • Crocus
  • Cyclamen coum
  • Eranthis
  • Galanthus
  • Iris (Reticulata)
  • Leucojum (Spring-flowering)
  • Scilla tubergeniana

Shrubs:

  • Corylus avellana
  • Daphne mezereum
  • Daphne odora
  • Erica carnea
  • Erica darleyensis
  • Hamamelis japonica
  • Mahonia 'Charity'
  • Mahonia japonica

Trees:

  • Prunus davidiana


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