As soon as you see weed seeds germinating you will know that the soil is warming up so you can make a start sowing hardy seeds outside. Don’t plant all the seeds in the packet at once as a cold snap will easily catch you out, be ready with the frost fleece to protect your seedlings and if the worst comes to the worst you will have more seeds left for another go. The vegetable gardeners among you may have leeks still to harvest, if frost is forecast you can dig them up and heel them in to make it easier to get them. If you have parsnips, turnips or swedes still to harvest be ready to cover with fleece in a cold snap.
Things to do during February
- Prune autumn fruiting raspberries and established blackcurrants, also prune apple and pear trees and other fruit bushes.
- Keep vegetable and ornamental beds clear of weeds.
- Onion/shallot sets can be planted out now.
- Broad beans, carrots and parsnips can be planted under cloches.
- Cut back overgrown shrubs and feed with Bonemeal.
- Annual flower seeds (Alyssum, Busy Lizzies and Petunias for example) can be sown under glass.
- Take hard wood cuttings of shrubs.
- Spruce up your containers with a top dressing of the appropriate compost.
- Dig farm manure into beds and borders.
- Clean patios, decking and paths of any algae etc.
- If you have a greenhouse check that the glass is secure and replace any damaged panes. Clean it out ready for use.
- If you have pots and seed trays to be re-used give them a thorough clean and sterilise them.
- To get the soil warming up a little early cover with black plastic sheeting, cloches or fleece.
- Look out for early flowering plants such as Snowdrops, Cyclamen coum, and Hellebores.
Wildlife Gardening for February
- Put up nest boxes for the birds
- Don’t forget to keep your feeders topped up and put some food out for ground feeding birds.
- Keep your bird bath topped up and clean.
- Continue to put food out for hedgehogs.
- If you haven’t already done so now is a good time to build a log/rock shelter for wildlife.
Plant of the Month
Heathers
What to grow from seed during February
Flowering plants which can be sown indoors or in a heated propagator are –Antirrhinum, dianthus, geraniums, lobelia and sweet Peas
For an early start in the vegetable garden sow:
Indoors: Beetroot, brussels Sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, onions, chicory, cucumber (heated), early carrot, leeks, lettuce, mixed salad leaves, peas, radish, spinach, spring onions and sweet peppers (heated)
Outdoors: Broad beans and parsnips
We now have a ‘sow now seeds’ stand in store which will keep you up-to-date with what you can be sowing each month.
