02.2022 - February Gardening Tips
Our Tips for February
February may still feel wintery, but venture into the garden and you'll begin to see new growth and shoots appearing. Everywhere we look, there are signs of the approaching spring: light levels and temperatures are increasing, bulbs are emerging en masse and wildlife is waking up. The long winter is waning and spring is all but here - leaving us with no time to rest.
Indoors, it's time to start thinking about sowing seeds and getting organised for the growing season ahead. Whereas outdoors, it's time to prune shrubs and climbers, such as Wisteria. If you've missed your garden, then we guarantee that your garden's missed you more! Now is the time to make the most of any dry days and reacquaint yourself.
Get a Head Start in the Garden Before Spring Arrives
This month take stock of what you've got - tidy up herbaceous borders and get on top of pruning. The effort that you make now will ensure that your garden rewards you all year long.
If you're not feeling motivated then gently ease your way back into the garden by raking through some soil, and cloche some ground to make way for some early crops. This will ensure that your planting area stays warm, allowing you plant out early.
You can keep your pond from freezing up by adding a floating football / tennis ball which will ensure the attraction of slug-eating toads and frogs. These little friends will give you a head start on controlling the slug population before the weather warms up.
Hopefully these few little jobs will get you back into the garden, get you feeling more productive and give you a head start before the spring arrives.
Top Gardening Jobs For This Month
- Start sowing summer bedding plants.
- Towards the end of the month, you can sow tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and chillies
- Get seed potatoes in for chitting now.
- Get shallots, onion sets and garlic in for planting.
- Deadhead any winter flowers and shrubs.
- Towards the end of the month, think about lawn restoration and returfing if necessary.
- If you have any trees or shrubs that need moving, then now would be a good time to do so, before any new growth occurs.
- Prune ornamental grass and late flowering Clematis.
- Trim ivy, vines and other climbing plants to stimulate new growth.
- Cut back any newly planted hedges in order for them to become well developed such as young privet, hawthorn and hornbeam.
Note: flowering hedges should only be cut back after they’ve flowered.
