| PLANT
Sow seeds in flats or containers to get a jump on plant growth before
hot weather arrives. Warm temperature plants, such as tomatoes, peppers,
marigolds, and periwinkles, can be sown in early February.
Now is an excellent time to transplant mature or established trees and
shrubs while they are dormant.
When buying trees, the biggest is not always the best, especially when
dealing with bare-root plants. The medium to small sizes (4 to 6 feet)
are usually faster to become established and more effective in the
landscape than the large sizes.
Now is an excellent time to select and plant roses to fill in those bare
spots in your rose garden. If you purchase bare-root roses, soak roots
overnight in water. When planting, add organic matter to help the soil
retain moisture as new roots become established. |
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Plant dahlia tubers in late February and early March.
Later-blooming bulbs like amaryllis, cannas, gladiolus, etc. in South
Alabama; delay planting for a few weeks in North Alabama.
(Northern and cooler Central areas) Start tuberous begonias indoors late
this month for summer-long flowering outside.
It is not too early to begin planting and/or dividing perennials.
Plant cool season crops such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels
sprouts, radishes, beets, carrots, chard, collards, mustard greens,
kale, turnips, Irish potatoes, onions and strawberries.
Plant dormant asparagus crowns without any green shoots in bed enriched
with organic matter such as compost, manure or shredded leaves. |
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Graft camellias in Central and South Alabama.
FERTILIZE
Apply a light application of fertilizer to established pansy plantings.
Use one-half pound of ammonium sulfate per 100 square feet of bed area.
Repeat the application every 4 to 6 weeks, depending on rainfall. Dried
blood meal is also an excellent source of fertilizer for pansies.
Dont fertilize newly set out trees or shrubs until after they have
started to grow, and then only very lightly the first year.
Wait to fertilize the lawn until it greens up so that you get the most
efficient use of the fertilizer.
As the new green foliage of spring blooming bulbs pokes up in the garden
it is time to fertilize. These plants are dormant during the summer
months when most fertilizer applications are made. An application of
10-10-10, or any general fertilizer, provides these plants with the
nutrients they need to increase in size providing more flowers next
spring.
Apply half of the fertilizer recommended for grapes now; apply the other
half soon after fruit sets.
Houseplants should be fed with a liquid of soluble fertilizer according
to manufacturers directions when signs of growth appear.
Feed indoor-grown annual transplants with a water-soluble 20-20-20
fertilizer at half strength every other week.
PRUNE
As winter begins to give way to spring, it is time to prune summer
blooming shrubs such as crape myrtle, butterfly bush, summer blooming
spireas and evergreens, if needed. Summer bloomers produce flowers on
new growth. Pruning in late winter gets the job done before the new
growth begins and flowering is not delayed.
Prune spring-flowering shrubs such as quince, azalea, forsythia and
spirea after they finish blooming.
When pruning shrubs, first prune out any dead or damaged branches; then
thin out by removing about one-third of the canes or stems at ground
level, removing the oldest canes only; and last, shape the rest of the
plant, but do not cut everything back to the same height. |
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Before new growth begins, remove the old dead foliage of ornamental
grasses in the landscape. Once growth begins, this becomes almost
impossible without damage, so put this gardening chore on the top of
your to do list. Even though not a true grass, the old foliage of
liriope or Monkey grass can be removed. For large areas use a string
trimmer or lawn mower. Removing the old growth is not essential, but
removing the old damaged foliage does insure that the plants will look
their best throughout the season.
Fruit bearing trees such as apples, peaches, plums, pears and grapes,
unlike ornamental trees and shrubs, need to be pruned every year.
Opening up the canopy increases air circulation and is important in
helping to reduce diseases. It also increases light penetration, which
is important for ripening and fruit quality. |
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If over wintered coleus have become leggy and gangly-looking, clip off
the ends to take cuttings, and root them to produce short, stocky plants
for planting in the spring.
Take cuttings from indoor over wintered geraniums to root.
Hanging baskets of philodendrons, piggyback plants or pothos may have
leaves clustered at the ends of their stems. Cut them all the way back
to the rim of the pot. During the new growth they will trail back down
the sides of the pot. Use the trimmings to root new plants.
WATER
Water foliage plants as well as other containerized plants only when
needed and not by the calendar.
Winter annuals and dry soil areas should be given a drink as needed.
If a freeze is forecast, water outdoor plants. Well-watered roots are
less susceptible to freeze damage.
Lightly water forced bulbs to keep potting mix moist.
Water houseplants more frequently now and watch for onset of new growth.
Newly set trees, shrubs, vines and roses should be watered at planting,
keeping the soil moist but not excessively wet.
PEST
CONTROL
Check junipers and other narrow-leaf evergreens for bagworm pouches. The
insect eggs overwinter in the pouch, and start the cycle again by
emerging in the spring to begin feeding on the foliage.
It may seem early to begin controlling summer weeds, but crabgrass and
other warm season weed seeds begin to germinate as soil temperatures
rise. By applying pre-emergent or preventative herbicides mid to late
February, these weeds are killed as they emerge. Wait too late and these
products are no- longer effective.
Toward the end of the month as temperatures rise above 40 degrees for
several days at a time, but before buds begin to burst, an application
of horticulture oil will safely kill over wintering soft-bodied insects
such as scale, whiteflies and aphids. Since horticulture oil is not a
poison and works by coating insects, good cover is important. Make sure
the spray covers both the upper and lower surface of leaves and gets
into bark cracks and crevices. As with any spray read and follow label
directions.
Watch for aphids, scale insects and mites on forced bulbs and
houseplants.
Treat bulbs that were removed from a fungus infected bed before
replanting in new bed or treated bed (if not too badly infected).
ODD
JOBS
Make flower and vegetable garden plans now before the rush of spring
planting.
Start or use a gardening journal to help plan the landscaping of your
garden. |
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Once you plan your plantings, you can design an irrigation system that
can save you time and money.
Build frames for new raised beds.
If youre planning a colorful garden, think of the variety of
pollinators out there and which colors they prefer. Moths tend to feed
at night on white flowers. White flowers reflect the most light, and
therefore are most visible to night-time feeders. Butterflies have a
keen sense of color. They flock to bright colors from yellow to blue to
red. Hummingbirds like red and orange flowers; hence feeders are usually
made in this color. Red is the least favorite color of bees, however.
Just like UV light and infrared light that is out of our human range of
vision, the red spectrum of light is not visible to bees. They tend to
favor purples and blues. |
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Winter is the perfect time to inspect the underlying "bones"
of the garden and make any necessary changes to enhance its appeal. This
structure includes permanent architectural elements such as walls,
arbors, trellises and fences, but also trees, shrubs and woody
perennials which add form, texture and color when deciduous plants are
bare of leaves.
Good time to look over your work area and supplies in preparation for
work later in the month and following months. Organize and take
inventory of garden tools, seeds, fertilizers, chemicals, etc.
If you have a garage or workshop, repair and repaint garden furniture
this month. You can also take this time to build trellises for your
indeterminate tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, gourds and vining flowers.
Change oil in mower and sharpen blades for cleaner cut. (Improves health
of grass.)
Calibrate your spreader to insure proper disbursement.
When soil can be worked, turn under last falls cover crops. Never
work wet soil this causes hard, compacted and unproductive soil.
Solarize (process of covering with clear plastic in order to smother
existing weeds) beds that are freshly tilled.
Add compost and top-dressing mulch to all unhealthy soil areas. |
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Turn the compost pile regularly.
It is not too late to do a soil sample! The sooner the sample is
submitted, the better.
Purchase or order gladiolus corms for February/March planting. Plant at
two- week intervals to prolong flowering period.
Bring forsythia, quince, spirea, peach and redbud branches indoors for
an early blooming bouquet. Cut stems that have swollen flower buds at an
angle, and place them in a container of tepid water in a cool place out
of direct sunlight until blooming begins.
Continue to cleanup any remaining leaves, frozen plants, debris, etc.
(including those in the water garden).
Install a water garden when ground can be worked.
Check the tender aquatic plants over wintered indoors. Make sure they
are still covered with water.
A potted plant, tree, shrub or cut flowers make excellent non-fattening
Valentine gifts.
Feed the birds. Keep in mind that some feed almost exclusively four feet
or more above ground level on elevated feeders. Others feed on the
ground or on a slightly elevated platform. Still others will feed
wherever they can find food. In general, birds attracted to elevated
feeders prefer sunflower seed, while ground feeders prefer millet. |
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