Gardening Tips for February: Get Ready for Spring
Posted by Paraic Horkan
February is an important month in the gardening calendar. You have 28 days to look after your wild birds, sow and grow and tackle your garden moss. – Paraic
The age old question… When does spring really begin? If you’re a meteorologist, spring begins on the 1st of March.
If you’re an astronomer, spring begins on the 20th of March. But, if you’re a gardener, spring begins on the 1st of February.
Although February is the shortest month, it can also be the most important in the gardening calendar. It is a very active month in the garden. It is a great time to catch up on your gardening and prepare for spring and summer.
February is the month for awakening, renewal and regrowth; here I outline my top tips for looking after your garden in February.
Look After Your Wild Birds
Birds begin to nest in early spring so they can take advantage of the warmer months to raise their young. February is a good time to clean out your nesting boxes.
Adding some high-protein feeds to their bird feeders and tables will help give them the energy they need for the busy nesting months ahead.
- February is an ideal time to sow seeds. You can grow Tomato, Chilli and Cucumber indoors on a warm windowsill or vegepod.
They can then be replanted into the ground or larger pots in March or April. Your reward will be succulent and healthy home-grown fruits in mid summer. - Paraic’s Tip: a reusable coffee cup is ideal for sprouting seeds.
Simply fill the cup with moist compost, sow the seeds on top and cover with the lid. Place the cup on a bright window sill. The plants will sprout in 7 days. - Onions can be planted at this time. If planting from seed, keep inside until their stems reach 4-5 inches in length.
They can then be transplanted outdoors in February/March. - Seeds of Scented Sweet Peas and Cottage Garden Plants can also be sown indoors in a bright, warm location. They can then be replanted outdoors in late spring.
These plants will then add a beautiful variety of colour to your garden borders and beds during the summer. - The soil conditions at the moment are ideal for planting bare root shrubs, fruiting plants and trees. If you’re looking to plant hedging plants, bare root is a very economical to achieve a full hedge. Beech and Laurel hedging are excellent options.
However, if you live in a coastal area, I would suggest planting either Silver Edge or Elaeagnus, as coastal areas require salt tolerant shrubs. - It’s time to select and sprout this year’s early seed potatoes for a bumper crop of great tasting new potatoes in early summer. They will grow in patio pots and potato planters such as the Vegebag.
As a stable food in our diet, potatoes are a smart choice this year. The crop will provide for your family for the year ahead.
Moss Removal
Moss removal is an important job to focus on in February. The build up of moss during the winter can be problematic.
The thick green moss gathers on our lawns, driveways, patios and paths. Luckily, there are a range of products you can use to remove moss from your outdoor areas.
Lawn Moss – follow the Zero 2 Step Lawn Care Program – it’s easy, fast & it works!
Step 1: Tackle the moss. Apply a dressing of Zero Lawn Moss. This will start to remove moss down to the roots overnight.
Step 2: 24 hours after applying Zero Lawn Moss, apply Zero Lawn Feed to green your lawn for up to 3 months and further suppress moss