February

February can sometimes be a mild month and bring an early spring, or it may remain very cold. The activities in your garden will be decided upon by temperature.

• As the soil begins to warm outside the weed seeds will start to germinate. This is mother natures advance notice that spring is starting.
• Beware of a sudden cold snap though and protect any early sowings. Always make sure you have a plan b, never sow the whole packet just in case you have a crop failure.
• Overgrown shrubs can be cut back and fed with some bone meal fertiliser.
• Prune trees and summer flowering clematis.
• Sow annual flower seeds under cover eg. Busy Lizzies, Petunias and Sunflowers and Alyssum.
• Top dress containers by replacing top inch with new compost.
• Snowdrops can be divided and planted.
• New plants can be propagated from hardwood cuttings of Buddleia, Honeysuckle and Dogwood.
• Plant summer flowering bulbs.
• Improve your soil by digging in some top soil or organic farmyard manure.
• Don’t forget the birds, they will still need feeding and now is the time to put up some bird boxes.
• Patios, paths and driveways can be cleaned in preparation for spring.
• Forcing jars can be place over clumps of rhubarb.
• Buy and chit early potatoes.
• Onion sets can now be planted out.
• Sow vegetable seeds such as cut and come again lettuce, early carrots, parsnips and broccoli.
• Peppers, aubergines, chillies and tomatoes can be sown indoors to give you the earliest plants for growing in the greenhouse.
• Sow broad beans individually in 3inch pots and leave to germinate on the window sill.
• Don’t forget crop rotation. Prevent the build up of pests and diseases in the soil by rotating your crops around the veg patch.