Your garden may still seem dormant and frosty but we all know how quickly spring creeps up on us. Although there may be sunny days, don’t be fooled by these mild spells and begin certain jobs too early - February is often the coldest month of the year!
Light levels are increasing and temperatures should begin to drop towards the end of the month, causing wildlife to stir and giving us a signal that spring is on the way.
A Hill & Sons want you to get ahead in your garden before you fall behind, so we’ve rounded up the top 5 garden related tasks that you should plan to complete this month.
- Sow vegetable seeds under cover
Obviously it’s still too cold to sow most seeds without protection, but as the month goes on and the temperatures rise you can begin sowing salad crops and tomato and cucumber seeds in greenhouses.
When the temperature become milder, normally towards the end of February, you can sow carrots, parsnips, salad onions, radish, and summer cabbages outside under cloches.
Garlic and shallots can be sown in light soils, which take less time to warm up than heavy soils.
- Prune winter-flowering shrubs and wisteria
All early-flowering shrubs need routine removal of damaged, diseased or dead wood in late winter to early spring. If your shrub is newly planted it will only require trimming and shaping.
Your wisteria should be cut back to around two or three buds to ensure that flowers are visible when in bloom. It also promotes good growth through better air circulation and sunlight, and it helps keeps the size under control.
- Cut back uncut deciduous grasses
You can trim most deciduous back to ground level. Try to avoid damaging any new growth that may already be coming through the crown. It might be more efficient to pull out stems and debris by hand from the centre of the clump. Remove any weeds that you come across and pick out any dead leaves.
Don’t forget to feed the freshly cut area with some good quality fertiliser to freshen up the appearance and promote good growth!
- Sort your seeds by sowing date and order your seeds ahead of spring sowing
It’s time to get organised and ordering – we suggest drawing a garden plan so you don’t over estimate how much space you have or waste any good growing areas!
It’s a good idea to sort your existing seeds by sowing date. This will ensure you don’t mix them up or even forget to sow them (what a shame that would be!)
Order your onion sets and asparagus crowns so you have them in time for spring. If you were planning on planting a new fruit tree this year now would be a good time to order one.
- Clean your greenhouse, trays & pots
Make sure your greenhouse is spotless by the time spring arrives and the busy seasons begin. Ensure you give the inside of the glass a thorough clean, just as good as the outside, using a mild disinfectant. This should help eradicate of any harmful garden pests who might be burrowed in the smallest nook and crannies.
Following this, wash your pots and trays to prevent any harmful diseases affecting your young plants. Give your greenhouse a few days to air out before proceeding beginning your planting!
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So there you have it, A. Hill & Sons’ round up of the most important jobs to complete for the garden in February. If you’ve got any other advice or tips, feel free to write them on our Facebook post to inform our other lovely customers!