Time seems to be progressing at an unbelievable pace and, once again, it is the start of a new month which means another list of things to do in the garden. February is a difficult month, varying from cold wet and windy days, to more mild and sunny days, but there are still things that need to be done outside, whatever the weather. If you need some guidance on what you should be doing in the garden this month, this guide could help.
Prepare Vegetable Bed Seeds
Spring is just around the corner, which means that you need to begin preparing for it. Turn the soil of the vegetable beds with a garden fork to break up any clumps and be sure to remove any rocks. You should also feed the soil with organic matter to maximise the nutrients in it: compost, manure and sea soil work excellently.
Encourage Dahlias To Grow
February is the perfect time to bring out any Dahlias that you have been storing over winter, or simply bought this year. Place them in a bright and warm space in order to encourage them to sprout before you plant them, but be sure to spray them lightly with a bottle of water on a regular basis to prevent them from drying out.
Deadhead Winter Flowers
At this point, winter flowering bedding will begin to die out, which means that you should be vigilant when it comes to deadheading them. Deadheading may actually increase the longevity of the plants, encouraging them to continue to flower for a few more weeks. In many cases, winter pansies will flower into late spring if taken care of.
Lay New Turf
Given the somewhat mild weather for this time of year, you can actually begin to plant any new turfs that you have been planning, providing that the soil is not too wet. When doing so, you should work from planks to avoid compacting the soil. Once you have laid the new turf, try to prevent people walking on it in order to allow the new roots to establish fully.
Look Out For Moles
Mole activity tends to increase in February as it is the start of their mating and nest building season. However, this can ruin the appearance of your garden. You should remove any hills that do appear in your garden, especially the larger ones, and re-firm the area before re-seeding it with grass seed in Spring.
Clean Greenhouses
Ensure to keep the glass on your greenhouse clean. Carefully remove any snow, algae or any other debris as these could put strain on the structure and possibly lead to damage. Keeping the glass clean will also maximise the amount of light that can enter to encourage the growth of plants.
Counteract Humidity Problems For Houseplants
Whilst not an outside gardening task, even those with limited outdoor space can still grow plants indoors. Central heating at this time of year can severely dehydrate plants, but you can avoid this by placing their pot on a tray of damp gravel.
Do you have any more tips on gardening tasks for February? Share your ideas.
