February is the perfect time to start getting your garden ready for spring. Yes, it's still cold and wintery outside but subtle signs that spring is round the corner are starting to show.
So if you're wondering what to do in the garden this month, read on for ten essential gardening jobs for February.
Gardening in February is less about planting, and more about prepping your garden for spring. So use this month to tidy up! Garden sheds often harbour mess so use February to get rid of anything you don't need and re-organise your gardening tools. Check out this video for lots of clever ways to keep tools tidy with VELCRO® Brand Heavy Duty Fasteners !
Testing old seeds should be high on your February gardening to-do list. If you're wondering if left over seeds from last year are still viable, there's a simple test to find out. Place 10 seeds in a paper towel and slightly moisten it. Place the towel in a plastic bag. Place the bag in a warm place out of direct sunlight. Check in a week and count how many seeds have germinated. If it's less than 80%, buy new seeds.
While it's too cold to sit out in the garden for too long, February is the perfect time to give your garden furniture a revamp. Get wooden garden furniture ready for spring and summer by sanding it down and treating it with Danish oil (make sure you do this in dry weather). Your furniture will be refreshed and ready for summer in no time!
Chances are your garden tools will be pretty mucky from a year of use. So while you're waiting for gardening season to start, use this time to give them a good scrub! This is one of the more laborious February garden chores but you'll be glad you did it when it's time to start planting in the spring.
Control houseplant pests by hand picking the insects, washing the leaves periodically to remove the insects and spraying with a safe organic sprays such as Neem oil. Quarantine the plant for a few weeks to be sure the pests don't come back and infest other houseplants.
After your amaryllis bulb has finished flowering don't throw it out. Amaryllis bulbs can be grown as houseplants and made to flower again next year. Grow the amaryllis in a sunny window. In spring move it outdoors to a partly shaded location, water and fertilize it regularly. In fall, cut back the foliage, stop watering and place it in a cool, dark room for 8 weeks. Then, bring it into a sunny, warm room again and it should grow and flower.
If you're growing geraniums in a window, chances are the stems are getting leggy due to the lack of sunlight this time of year. Cut them back periodically to keep the plant stocky. Come spring there will be more natural light and the stems will grow shorter. It even will start flowering with the extra light.
February is the perfect time to give your garden some TLC by ridding your flower beds of pesky weeds before you want to start planting in the spring. Dig out weeds and make sure you remove the roots to make it harder for them to grow back.
This month is the ideal time to get your lawn in order before your grass starts growing fast in the spring. So here's one of our best February garden tips. Trim the edges and then install some lawn edging to create neat and defined borders. You'll thank us when the grass starts growing fast!
February's not really a planting month but if you want to start sewing seeds in March, we'd recommend ordering them in February so you're reading to start planting when the weather picks up.
Last but not least, make sure you're all set for spring by ordering any new gardening tools that you need. A pack of VELCRO® Brand Plant Ties will come in handy if you're planning to plant any new trees or shrubs in the spring.