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February Gardening Tips of The Month
Vegetables
Prepare
garden soil for Spring planting.Plant
Seeds.
Beets, Bok Choy, Carrots, Chard, Collard Greens, Corn, Cucumbers, Leaf Lettuce, Melons (Cantaloupe, Muskmelon, Watermelon), Mustard, Green Onions, Peas, Potatoes, Radishes, Spinach, Summer Squash, Sunflowers, Turnips.
Plant
Transplants.Artichokes (Globe & Jerusalem), Asparagus, Chard, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Onion Sets, Peppers, Tomatoes.
RosesFinish
pruning
roses by the middle of the month.
Transplant
bare root roses.Begin
fertilizing established roses with granular fertilizers about the middle of
the month. Remember to water the day before application and the day after.Fruit
and Nut TreesFinish
pruning
deciduous fruit trees and grapes by the middle of the month.Transplant
bare root deciduous fruit trees. Select varieties which require less than
400 hours of chilling.Fertilize
deciduous fruit trees with nitrogen when they leaf out.Prune
frost sensitive citrus after it begins to leaf out with new spring growth.Landscape
Plants Protect
plants from frost damage if
the temperature is projected to drop down in to the 20's for more than an
hour.Finish
pruning
nonnative deciduous shade trees, and grapes by the middle of the month. Transplant
bare root plants.Move
living Christmas Trees outside to a shaded, cool location. Transplant into
permanent location as soon as soil temperatures warm.Water
at least once a month unless rains provide adequate moisture.Control
weeds while they are young, tender, and their roots are manageable, or
before they sprout. Be sure to remove before they set
seed. Remove London Rocket and other weeds in the mustard family now to prevent large populations of False Chinch bugs in April.Winter
watering schedules should be adjusted to about 1/3 of the summer frequency
for deciduous and dormant plants, but water
deeply each time. Growing flowers may require once to twice per week watering depending on the weather.Prune
frost sensitive plants like bougainvillea after they begin to leaf out with
new spring growth.Make
plans for Arbor
Day,
April 25th.Don't List . . .
DO
NOT prune frost sensitive plants, especially if they have been damaged by
frost.DO
NOT fertilize frost sensitive plants.DO
NOT over water or over fertilize winter lawns as this will encourage rapid
succulent growth which is vulnerable to fungal
diseases.DO
NOT water turf at night. Moisture and cool temperatures invite fungal
diseases.DO
NOT mow when turf is wet. By wounding the plant (mowing) while it is wet you
increase the likelihood of fungal
infection. In
addition, you increase the likelihood of spreading the fungus on the tires of the mower and on your shoes.