February Gardening To-Do List

Add some natural color to your decor by cutting branches of spring flowering trees and shrubs to bring indoors for forcing. Good candidates include forsythia, flowering quince, redbud, star or tulip magnolia and flowering pear. Create a stunning arrangement by gathering stems of birch, alder or corylus, which form catkins, little dangling batons. Don’t overlook pussywillow stems, which readily root in water and can later be transplanted into your garden.

Dress up your outdoor areas with pots or beds of cool-season annuals. Good choices include pansy, sweet alyssum, wallflower, flowering stock, snapdragon, lobelia and dianthus. The right time to plant these blooming beauties is when you see them for sale at local garden centers. If a late hard frost is in the forecast, you may need to cover plants. Also keep an eye out for slugs, which love feasting on flower petals.

Clean out bluebird boxes and tighten any loose screws. If squirrels have been gnawing at the entrance hole of a box, buy and attach a predator guard, a metal ring that surrounds the hole and deters squirrels and woodpeckers from trying to enlarge the hole. Add a baffle to the pole supporting the birdhouse to keep critters from raiding the nestbox. Bluebirds like to use pine straw in their nests. Create a ready supply by mulching with some on your garden beds.

Treat spring fever by snapping up pots of forced bulbs, which are readily available at many retailers this time of year. Hyacinth will flood your home with fragrance, while grape hyacinth offers a more subtle floral perfume. After flowers finish, snip spent stems, and place pots near a bright window. Keep plants alive until all danger of spring frost is past, then tuck them into the garden. Next year’s flower show might be slight, but blooms will multiply in years to come.

If potted bulbs bring fungus gnats into your home, treat them with Bti, or Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, a naturally occurring soil bacteria.

Clean up hydrangeas by removing old, faded flowers. On large-flowered French or macrophylla types (shown above), clip stems beneath the blooms all the way down to the next flower bud. It’s also time to cut Hydrangea paniculata (examples: Limelight or PeeGee), native Hydrangea arborescens (examples: ‘Annabelle’ or IncrediBall) and oakleaf hydrangea (H. quercifolia). Snip stems on these hydrangeas to curtail height and floppiness, cutting branches to as low as 6 inches tall, or simply removing faded flower clusters.

Between snows, check prized landscape plants. Use pieces of bird netting to cover vulnerable plants that have visible leaves, like Lenten roses and heuchera. Deer and rabbits usually leave these plants alone, except when they’re the only live leaves in the winter garden. Clean up Lenten roses while you’re in the garden, cutting back old leaves, which are darker green and often tattered. This allows blooms to shine.

While woody plants are dormant, apply a horticultural oil spray. This treatment helps kill eggs, disease spores and insects that are overwintering on plants, including mites, aphids and scale. Follow label directions carefully. Most dormant oil sprays specify spraying when temperatures are above 40 degrees F and the next eight hours stay above freezing and lack precipitation. Good candidates for dormant oil sprays include fruit trees, ornamental trees, roses and other pest-plagued shrubs.

Get a jump on spring weeds by applying a pre-emergent herbicide like Preen on planting areas. This type of herbicide kills plants by interfering with seed germination. It stops weed seeds from germinating, but won’t impact established perennial weeds like dandelion, clover or thistle. Follow instructions carefully; many of these herbicides need to be watered after application. Accomplish that by applying it just before a spring rain (not a downpour, which will wash the product away).

Get cool-season crops going by sowing seed. The list includes flowers like sweet pea, bachelor buttons and snapdragon, and vegetables like broccoli, kale, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. In the warmest regions, sow these frost-tolerant plants directly into the garden. Otherwise, plant seeds indoors three to six weeks prior to planting seedlings outdoors, which can be before your region’s last average frost date. Wait to start warm-weather crops like tomatoes and peppers until six to eight weeks before the last expected spring frost.

Dry winter air means houseplants need to be watered more frequently. Inspect plants thoroughly at least every two weeks to check for pests. Late winter is also an ideal time to repot houseplants in preparation for spring’s longer days, which trigger new growth. Move pot-bound plants to containers that are 1 inch larger in diameter than the one they currently call home. As you repot, gently remove the topmost layer of soil and add fresh potting soil to that area.

Keep bird feeders filled, especially suet feeders that tend to see heavy action at this point in winter. Consider making your own suet-type blend. A little online searching yields recipes that often use a base of cornmeal, lard and peanut butter. Clean bird feeders every two weeks with a solution of 9 parts water to 1 part bleach. Clean and fill birdbaths as needed.

If you haven’t already, get your seed order in, especially for spring crops like radishes, peas and lettuce. Everyone else has the same idea and there’s only so much seed to go around, so it’s best to be an early bird. Go ahead and order for summer and fall crops, too. Use this slow time to think about your garden goals and make a plan.

If you have seeds from previous growing seasons, test them to see if they’re still good. To test seeds, space several out on a few layers of moist paper towels, roll it up so seeds don't touch and enclose the bundle in plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out. Place in a warm bright location (65-70 degrees is fine) but away from direct sun. Check the seeds every couple of days. If they haven't germinated — or only a few have sprouted — in a couple of weeks, chances are they're no good.

When moving snow, use the white stuff to your advantage, placing it where it can help insulate plants like roses or perennials. Place snow carefully around the base of roses, taking care not to break canes under the weight. Make sure you’re adding salt-free shovels full of snow around the plants. Salt-laden snow can do just the opposite, harming plants.

Sweet potatoes need warm temperatures — so warm, in fact, that many gardeners plant them a month after their last average spring frost date. If you’re growing your own slips (sweet potato starts) to fuel your sweet potato crop, start the process at least six weeks before planting time. Earlier is even better. It takes six weeks for most sweet potatoes to produce useable slips, and another couple weeks for them to root fully in water. Speed up the process by placing your slip-producing potato in a soil-filled container and on a root zone heating mat.

Prune dormant ornamental grasses before new growth begins. Cut dead stems back to 6 to 10 inches tall, cutting small clumps by hand. Electric hedge trimmers slice readily through large grass clumps with tough stems. To make cutting easier, wrap stems with a rope or bungee cord so they come off in a bunch. Cut stems (not seedheads) into smaller pieces to use as straw in your vegetable garden, on garden paths or added to compost. In colder regions, wait for spring's early days to tackle this task.

In the warmest regions of the South, Texas and the Desert Southwest, start fertilizing trees and shrubs late this month, before they’re fully awake in spring. Feed citrus trees with a fertilizer containing micronutrients, such as manganese, magnesium, boron, iron and zinc. Water deeply after feeding. For palms, use a product specifically labeled for palm trees. It should contain manganese, potassium and iron.

Late winter is the time to tackle pruning many flowering shrubs, including roses, summersweet (Clethra), caryopteris, butterfly bush and chaste tree (Vitex). Remove any dead or damaged branches, and thin interior stems to open up the center of the shrub to airflow. This helps to reduce disease. Wait to prune spring flowering shrubs until after they bloom. In more northern regions, wait until next month to prune.

Cut back liriope and mondo grass before new growth appears. Use a string trimmer or, if the planting is accessible, run the lawnmower over old growth (adjust the mowing height first). Be sure to attach your grass catcher bag to gather clippings as you go. Add clippings to your compost pile or use them like straw mulch on your vegetable garden. Take care not to damage plant crowns as you cut plants.

Not all weeds take a break during the winter. Many sprout in fall, then grow and set seed in the colder months. Deadnettle, chickweed and bittercress are a few weeds that thrive in chilly temps. When manually digging out weeds, dig deep and get all roots and runners. Take care not to shake or disturb the weed too much; you may inadvertently spread more seed. If you opt to use all-natural or chemical herbicides, research to find what type works best for the weed you have. Some gardeners leave a few clumps of Oxalis and clover as a cool-weather flowering plant for early foraging bees.

When the weather warms, but it’s too wet or chilly to dig into soil, tend to power tools. Service power tools you use regularly, such as your lawn mower and string trimmer. Typical maintenance tasks include adding fresh fuel, changing the oil and spark plug and replacing the trimmer string. It’s also a good idea to sharpen the mower blade and remove dried grass on guards or mower decks. Start up all tools. If simple service like changing a spark plug doesn’t help you rev the engine, schedule service so tools will be ready to go when you need them.

Some camellias are winter stunners, unfurling gorgeous blooms in the heart of winter. Keep camellias healthy with a dormant oil spray to reduce tea scale infestations for the rest of the year. Look for products like All-Seasons Spray Oil, Dormant Oil or Neem oil. All can be used for a dormant oil spray. Be sure to spray the undersides of leaves well and also where branches grow from main stems. Follow label instructions carefully to achieve the best results.

Apply deer repellents to landscape plants, especially if browsing is occurring. If you’re having problems with rabbits chewing shrubs, choose a repellent spray that also keeps bunnies at bay. Remember to spray fruit buds and any other deer favorites in your yard. You might improve your success by rotating anti-deer sprays throughout the growing season. Deer Defeat, Plantskydd and Bobbex are three gardener favorites.

Some of the most cold hardy succulents are hen and chicks (Sempervivum), which stay green all winter from Zones 3 to 8, even as far north as the Canadian border. These tough succulents need special attention once the last snows melt. Carefully remove any mushy stems and leaves. Low-maintenance Sempervivum needs to be fed just once a year (and that’s only if plants are struggling), and the time to do it is early spring. Apply a light layer of compost around plants or top dress with a slow-release organic fertilizer to fuel new growth.

Before gardening season bears down like a freight train, consider what tasks you’ll be doing and what kind of equipment you need. Check out the kit you have on hand: tools, sprayers, stakes, pots, soil, pest treatments, watering wands and whatever else you might use. Shop before the spring rush to get what you need and have it on hand. If you keep a garden journal, add a page for gear, where you can jot down things that need replaced as they break or wear out.

Get an early start on spring planting or extend your gardening season with this DIY cold frame. A type of “mini-greenhouse,” a cold frame built with a glass or plastic lid allows plants access to sunlight. It also traps heat to prevent cold weather from putting an early end to your winter-hardy crops, and it comes in handy when it’s time to harden off spring seedlings. Follow these simple steps to construct a cold frame using just a few tools, lumber and a reclaimed window frame.

Longer days help improve success with indoor crops grown using natural light. Ditch February doldrums with fresh flavors you grow indoors. Root vegetables like carrots, beets and radishes, as well as greens like spinach, Swiss chard and lettuces, can all be grown indoors. Growing fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro, oregano, mint and thyme can help elevate your cooking and add some charm to your kitchen decor.

Start searching now to find a source of purple and other unusual potatoes for planting in spring. The most fun ones typically sell out early. For purple spuds, consider heirloom ‘Purple Majesty’ or ‘Adirondack Blue.’ ‘Masquerade’ boasts bicolor beauty, having yellow skin with purple blotches. 'Desiree' pairs rosy-red skin with yellow flesh. Research to find the right tater varieties to fit your growing conditions, kitchen use and storage needs.

It's not too early to start thinking about your vegetable and herb garden plan for spring. Make sure to rotate vegetable plant families to protect them from diseases and pests, and to help the soil’s fertility. Draw out your plans and keep them in a notebook. Once you have three or four years of plans in hand, you can simply repeat them in succession in future years.