They say that February is the last month of winter, or if you prefer the gateway to spring. There is no doubt that it is a month when we can experience severe changes in weather, snow, rain and icy winds, all of which are a hindrance to our gardening activities.
If you have overwintered container plants and/or tender perennials it is time to think about waking them up. If you have a heated greenhouse try to keep the night temperature to about 45F (8C), if you stored your pot plants on the windowsill of a cool room in the house move them to a windowsill with good light and increase the temperature a little. Throughout the winter months watering is kept to a minimum, with pots almost dry, but as we increase light and temperature start to water more regularly, particularly as growth increases. The next decision is whether you intend to grow the plant on to plant out later or to use it to produce cuttings for pots and borders. In particular if you have overwintered geraniums (Pelargonium) or Fuchsia’s, it is good practice to grow plants from new cuttings as the resulting plants have much more vigour and grow much stronger. Keep the plants growing and keep an eye out for pests such as greenfly, whose eggs can overwinter on stored plants. If you spot any nip to your local garden centre for a suitable spray, there is always someone there who can advise which to use, I prefer the ‘ready to use’ ones which are much easier and I believe safer for the gardener. Dahlia tubers can be started into growth too, check the overwintered tubers are firm, and any damage or rot should be cut away and disposed of. A light spray of tepid water a couple of days before potting up will help them establish more quickly. Use a good quality potting compost and choose a container (pot) that will accommodate the whole tuber and gently trickle compost between the roots firming gently as you go. The tuber should sit about half an inch (1.5cm) below the surface. As the tuber starts into growth strong shoots will emerge near to where the old stems attach to the tuber. We will deal with taking cuttings of your plants next month but in the mean-time keep them watered, and pest free. It’s a good idea to purchase a pre-mixed fungicide spray and give your emerging plants a light spray a week after potting up. It is more effective to spray for prevention rather than try to cure a fungal attack.
If there is a mild dry day in the month it’s a good idea to start preparing the vegetable plot, simply fork through the soil removing any weeds that have emerged and breaking down the soil clods. Early sowings under glass of lettuce will be ready to plant out late march under cloches. Broad beans can also be sown in pots under glass. It’s a good idea to draw up a sowing schedule for the vegetable garden as time seems to fly and it is easy to miss a critical sowing date. Most seed packets have information on the reverse that can be transferred onto a chart including sowing date/s and expected cropping time.
February is a critical time for pruning, as woody plants are preparing to break dormancy it’s essential that any pruning is carried out before growth starts, although in the case of early flowering shrubs wait until the flowers have finished. The pruning of apple and pear trees needs to be completed in the early part of the month and is dependent upon the age, cultivar and rootstock. If you know these details then it is easy to find the pruning requirement from publications or horticultural websites. In general and with established fruit trees the aim is to encourage the tree to produce fruiting spurs by reducing the previous season growth, and encouraging the tree to form an open frame by limiting the number of branches.
The Northern Fruit Group (Website) provides excellent information and contacts for further advice especially suited to northern gardeners.
Next month; Spring lawn treatment, propagating Pelargoniums, Fuchsia’s and Dahlias, Complete planting bare root trees, shrubs and perennials.
Martin S Walker – Head Gardener, York Gate Garden Adel, Leeds.
Happy gardening,
Martin
York Gate Garden is owned and maintained by the charity Perennial (Gardeners Royal Benevolent Society) which provides advice help and support in times of need or difficulty for people who are working in, or have retired from any of the gardening trades. (Registered Charity no. 1155156). Opening times and further details can be found on our website at www.perennial .org.uk
