February in Your Garden

OBAGS

FEBRUARY IN YOUR GARDEN

At the time of writing this article the weather is exceptionally cold. If this continues into February you will need to protect early flowering or tender plants by covering them with some type of cloth material, i.e. fleece, removing the covering as soon as the weather moderates.

Growing from seed is a simple and economical way of raising new plants for your garden, half hardy seeds benefitting from being sown indoors to give them a head start. Sowing indoors is also useful for extending the growing season of tender bedding plants and vegetables. Later in the month hardy annual seeds can be sown outdoors if the weather permits. Prick out seedlings before they get too crowded, potting them on as soon as they are large enough.

At the end of the month prune back the stems of pot-grown overwintered fuchsias and place in a well-lit warm place to encourage new growth. Dahlia tubers that were stored over winter can be started into growth in the greenhouse. Pot up gladioli for early flowering and plant lily bulbs and lily of the valley crowns in beds and borders. Divide and/or plant bulbs-in-the-green such as snowdrops and winter aconites.

Move Christmas roses immediately after flowering if necessary. Clip over summer-flowering heathers removing old flowered growths. Do not cut into the base of the flowering spike as they do not shoot readily if you cut into old wood. If the soil is not too soggy plant corms of Anemone coronaria of the du Caen and St Brigid strains. At the very end of the month, plant ranunculus tubers. Continue to plant roses incorporating as much humus as possible in the ground before hand. Prune established roses, but leave ramblers until September. After pruning, spray against black spot. Also prune winter jasmine, wisterias and ornamental grape vines. At the end of the month prune back Jackmanii and Viticella groups of clematis to within 1 ft of the ground. Leave early spring flowering clematis such as Montana, alpina or amandii until they have finished flowering. If the ground is not frozen or waterlogged, finish winter digging as soon as possible, and towards the end of the month top dress beds and borders with a balanced fertiliser.

Place cloches or fleece over outdoor strawberry plants for an early crop. High potassium feeds such as tomato fertiliser will help to encourage flowers and fruit. Cut back autumn fruiting raspberries to within 15cm (6 in) of the ground and trim summer fruiting canes to within 6 inches of the topmost supporting wire. Prune stems of blackcurrants infested with big bud mite. Cut back tips of blackberry canes and tie the stems to supporting wires. Protect outdoor peaches, nectarines and apricots from frost. This is the last month to complete the pruning of fruit trees. It is also a good time to plant new fruit trees and bushes if the ground is not too wet or frozen, incorporating lots of well-rotted organic matter into the ground. Mulch all fruit crops with well rotted manure or garden compost.

Sow tomatoes, parsnips, spinach and broad beans, also Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce and leeks. Plant shallots and garlic. Plant rhubarb and lift, divide and replant established clumps that need rejuvenating. Plant Jerusalem artichokes. Chit seed potatoes in shallow trays, rose end upwards.
If the lawn is soggy pierce it with a fork at 6-inch intervals and then sprinkle a dressing over it. Try not to get on it any more than you have to, especially in frosty weather.

Reproduced from the BASINGA, Parish Magazine of Old Basing and Lychpit, by kind permission of the Editor and Author, Irene Allaway.