The last month of winter and spring is just around the corner, snowdrops out, daffodils in bud and crocus nearly in bloom…. hopefully it might stop raining
Garden Maintenance
February can be winter one day and spring the next so use the fine days to divide perennials such as Iris, Rudbeckia, Primula etc. Use only strong fresh divisions to re-plant.
Try and complete all major pruning of any trees and shrubs bearing in mind to retain some flowering branches or shoots on varieties such as Forsythia and Weigela. Prune your roses, removing any dead or diseased growth, the addition of a rotted manure or garden compost with fish, blood and bone fertiliser will improve the quantity and quality of blooms.
Prepare vegetable plots turning over the soil and adding rotted manure or garden compost where necessary.
Other jobs to do are take indoor Geranium and Fuchsia cuttings and start Dahlias into growth. Pot up Dahlia, Begonia tubers and Lily corms for the summer. Sow Sweet Peas, you don’t need to protect them as they are very tolerant of frost.
Fruit and Vegetables
Plan to sow early vegetables such as broad beans and spring cabbage then early carrot and parsnip can sown at the end of the month.
Early potatoes and onion sets can now be prepared for planting.
Rhubarb crowns can be planted and/or divided. If you have a rhubarb forcer then now is the time to pop it on.
Soft fruit such as gooseberry, currants and raspberry should be inspected and pruned or new crops planted now. Clean strawberry beds of all dead leaves, apply fertiliser and dress with organic mulch. New strawberries should be planted now.