GARDENING TIPS FOR JANUARY AND FEBRUARY

OUTDOOR
> Shrubs, roses and deciduous trees can be transplanted as long as soil is workable and the ground is not waterlogged. Use 2-14-0 Bone Meal when planting.
> Use lime sulphur and dormant oil on all your fruit trees and roses to control overwintering insect pests and diseases. Be sure to do it on a mild, windless day.
> Tidy up the garden. Pick up branches brought down by snow or winds. Remove leaf litter under rhododendrons.
> Fill spaces in garden beds or containers with winter bloomers such as heathers, hellebores, primulas and pansies.
> Prune hydrangeas in February. Remove dead flower heads and shorten stems to a pair of healthy buds.
> Check trees and shrubs. Prune out dead, diseased or damaged branches. Disinfect pruners between cuts to avoid spreading disease. Wait for forsythia to bloom
before pruning roses.
> Cut dying leaves from hellebores to expose the emerging flower buds.
> Apply dolomite lime to lawns to prevent winter moss growth, then rake the lawn vigorously on a sunny February day to remove any remaining moss and thatch.
> Turn the compost pile.
> Garlic and broad beans can be planted outdoors in mid-February. Peas & radish can go in towards the end of the month.
> Lift, divide and replant late blooming perennials in February.
> Sow sweet peas, bachelor buttons & California poppies in February where they are to bloom.
> Pull weeds before they become hidden by perennials or have a chance to spread or reseed.

INDOOR
> Begin feeding flowering houseplants in February with 20-20-20. Start fertilizing your foliage plants once spring growth begins.
> Start artichoke, endive, onions and some lettuce varieties in January.

from gardenworks.ca

Categories: Garden Tips

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