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Gardening Calendar
Shrubs
February is a great month for pruning, but be sure you know which plants
should be pruned now and which one should not. Anything that blooms in the
spring should be left alone or you are removing flowers. Prune them AFTER they
bloom. Plants that bloom in the summer - crape myrtles, roses, althea, butterfly
bush (buddleia) and summer spireas should all be pruned now if needed. They
bloom on the new growth, and correct pruning can actually increase summer
flowering. Non-blooming evergreen plants that simply need a little shaping or
shearing can be pruned a little at any season, but if they really need severe
pruning, do that now or early next month so that the recovery process happens
quickly. Roses need specialized pruning. Know what type of rose bush you are
growing. Hybrid tea roses need to be pruned back to within 8 – 18 inches from
the ground every February, while shrub roses don’t need the severe pruning.
Climbers should be allowed to bloom in the spring before you prune them back. On
crape myrtles, don’t butcher them. If you are growing the standard varieties,
let them become the graceful trees they can be. Try to have three to five main
trunks with branching starting five to six feet off the ground. Remove any
suckers that are at the base.
Fruit Crops
Fruit trees, blueberry bushes and grape vines also need annual pruning and
now is the time to do that. Annual pruning is needed to get the most out of
these crops. Thinning out the trees, removing any overcrossing limbs and excess
water sprouts encourages the remaining fruits to grow larger. Increasing air
circulation and sunlight penetration also helps with insects and diseases.
Muscadine grapes simply need a general shearing, while in table grapes we count
buds. A well established, older grape vine in full sun can have a total of 60
buds left on the vines after pruning. Young grape vines should only have 10-15
buds left. If you leave too many fruiting buds you end up with more fruit than
the vine can support. Instead of a ripe cluster of fruit, you end up with one
grape at a time ripening and the size is greatly reduced. Blueberry bushes
should have an equal number of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 year old canes. After five years
the canes become overly woody and production goes down.
Annuals & Perennials
Early perennials are up now and some may be beginning to bloom. Hellebores
thrive in the cool months of February and March as do columbine. They are also
quite cold hardy, so a cold snap should not bother them. The same is not true
for tender perennials that are emerging. Watch for late freezes or huge
temperature swings this month and try to have a little extra mulch handy for
protection if needed. It is time to cut back your ornamental grasses and other
perennials foliage that you let remain for the winter. Check to see if any new
growth has begun before pruning so you don’t have cut edges on this season’s
growth. Removing the foliage on even the evergreen liriope and mondo grass gives
them a cleaner start. Fertilize and deadhead your winter annuals to help them
continue to bloom. From violas and pansies to snapdragons and dianthus, winter
blooms are dependent on the winter weather, but they should be bouncing back now
and a little extra care can give you blooms that will carry you through until
spring planting.
Lawns
That greening that you are seeing in your lawn is not grass, but winter
weeds. If you did not keep on top of them in December and January, do so soon or
it will be too late. Winter weeds really kick in and grow with warmer
temperatures and longer days. Once they begin blooming, they set seeds which
will come back to haunt you next year. Winter annual weeds will then die and lay
dormant until next fall. Annual weeds are by far easier to kill than the
perennials, such as dandelions and wild garlic. Annuals can be maintained by
pulling or mowing to prevent bloom and seed set. For perennials, the more you
mow, the stronger their root system gets. Herbicides containing 2,4-D should
take care of them, but don’t delay. Don’t fertilize until the grass is totally
green in late April or May.
Bulbs
Crocus, snowdrops and early daffodils are blooming now. With good selection
you can have non-stop blooming from spring blooming bulbs from February through
April. Make sure that you allow the foliage to grow on all bulbs for at least
six weeks after they finish blooming. A complete fertilizer could be applied now
for all bulbs which will help aid in their flower set for next season. Don’t
braid or twist the foliage after bloom as this can impeded their growth. If the
foliage really bothers you, plant winter annuals around them, or daylilies. The
daylily foliage will be emerging soon and can help to mask the bulb foliage
before you cut it back.
Vegetable Gardens
As long as the ground is workable, start planting. Cool season gardens are
much easier to maintain than our summer gardens. Insects and diseases haven’t
kicked in and the plants can grow undamaged. Plant early peas, greens, onions,
potatoes, broccoli, cabbage and carrots. Mulch your plants well to keep weeds at
bay and water as needed.
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