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February To Do List

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  • Order seeds and start seed flats. Water sparingly.
  • Cultivate the soil and weed thoroughly.
  • Lift and divide perennials, taking care not to damage new shoots as long as the ground isn’t frozen.
  • Deadhead early flowering bulbs after bloom.
  • Prune summer-flowering shrubs that flower on this year’s wood, e.g. hardy fuchsia (Fuchsia magellanica) and butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii).
  • Prune summer-flowering clematis.
  • Feed hydrangeas with well-rotted compost or manure.
  • Complete pruning of fruit trees and spray with dormant oil and lime sulphur if not done already.
  • Plant new bush and cane fruits and prune existing ones. Feed with well-rotted compost or manure.
  • Sow annual herbs in seed flats and sow parsley outdoors.
  • Prepare vegetable beds by working in plenty of compost or manure. Lime two weeks later if needed.
  • In case of a late cold spell watch that your pots don’t freeze and collect water on top.
  • Remove any irrigation posts in your pots if a big freeze is coming.
  • Start seeds of Statice, Dusty Miller, Pinks, Ornamental Peppers, Lobelia, Geranium, Gerbera, Heliotrope, & Petunia.
  • Increase light and water to geraniums and fuchsias that were brought indoors and went dormant.
  • Start seeds of lettuce, spinach, radishes and corn in cold frames.
  • Start tomato seeds indoors.
  • Bring in potted bulbs of hyacinths, tulips and daffodils for a splash of early spring colour.
  • Prune back miscanthus and pennisetum grasses to about 1 foot from the base.
  • Prune winter flowering shrubs and vines right after flowering.
  • Prune roses when forsythia is blooming.
  • Apply dormant spray to fruit trees, roses and deciduous shrubs and trees.
  • Plant new trees and shrubs as long as the ground isn’t frozen.
  • Watch out for aphids. If you find any either squish them or spray with Safers soap.
  • Keep an eye out for any weeds that are starting to grow. If you pull them now while it is still easy to do so you will have much less of a problem in the summer.

(thanks to Bob Tuckey from The Natural Gardener)