February Gardening Tips
Now that spring is nearly underway, February is the perfect month to venture out in to the garden – Just remember to wrap up as winter is still upon us. However, as cold as it maybe, you should begin to see your garden slowly coming to life, with sprouting roots and bulbs emerging, even some colour spreading across your borders and beds.
This is an ideal time for some garden maintenance and preparation. As wildlife awakens, light levels and temperatures increase, it’s time to prune shrubs and climbers, such as Wisteria as well as evergreen hedges. Protect blossom on apricots, nectarines and peaches. Flowers and buds are especially vulnerable to frost and may need protection to crop well
Garden Maintenance
Listed below is our February gardening tips to keep you busy throughout the month.
- Plant snowdrops (in the green)
- Protect early flowering on fruit trees from frost
- Ensure tree ties are secure and check for any which may have become loosened.
- Plant begonias indoors
- Prune dogwoods and any other winter shrubs grown for their stems
- Plant lilly bulbs
- Organise equipment. Discard broken tools and cracked planters.
- Chit seed potatoes indoors
- Prune summer flowering and deciduous shrubs
- Give the heather a light trim
- Borders and beds need to be mulched
- Plant shallot bulbs
- Cut back ornamental grass
- Think about rotating your vegetable crops
- Sweep up fallen leaves and flowers to prevent spreading fungal disease
- Take measures to prevent slugs and snails eating emerging growth.
- Deadhead bedding plants
- Start indoor lettuce, onions, and celery.
Lawn Care
Depending on weather conditions, mowing the lawn is always a good idea. Ensure you set the height to the max, avoid cutting if grass is wet or frosty as the blades of grass can be damaged.
If winter has left you with bare patches, you can use turf from other areas in your garden to repair these areas.
Define your borders using a sharp spade or edging tool. Try to leave an 8cm ‘gutter’ around the lawn edges to prevent grass spreading into your borders.
Assess winter damage and look out for waterlogging. To improve drainage, spike problem areas with a garden fork, then brush a mix of sharp sand and loam into the holes
Start preparing the ground for sowing a new lawn in spring, If the ground is too wet, leave for a dryer day. The area will need to be forked over, raked thoroughly breaking up all lumps, remove any weeds and stones. Doing this several weeks in advance gives the soil time to settle. Once the weather is warmer, lay turf when the ground isn’t frosty or too wet. Work from planks, to avoid compacting the soil. Ensure not to walk on your newly laid turf for at least a month or so to allow the roots to establish.
Wexford Garden Maintenance Services
We appreciate finding the time to get all those gardening chores completed is difficult. If you’re looking for garden maintenance services in Wexford, contact our team at Natural Solutions today.
At Natural Solutions, our expert team will meticulously care for your garden all year round, promoting its long-term health and beauty. You can enjoy an inviting landscape without the hassle of demanding garden care and we can adapt a maintenance schedule around your needs and budget. Explore our website to find out more about how we can assist you with your garden, no matter the weather.