February Gardening Tips

1. Start planning your garden and make a list of edibles, annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees you want to install in the spring. Make sure you allocate the right space and sun exposure for each plant.  
2. Continue providing fresh water and food for birds and wildlife.
3. Order seeds that you want to start indoors.
4. Order seed starting supplies.
5. Towards the end of the month, start seeds indoors, make sure you follow directions on packets.
6. Remove spent flowers and damaged leaves from house plants.
7. Check outdoor plants for damages caused by animals, ice, wind, or snow.
8. Prune fruit trees if necessary.
9. Spray trees with dormant oil before buds break to kill overwintering insects.
10. Spray apple trees to prevent apple scab. Spray at the first bud swell and follow directions on the container afterwards.
11. Avoid walking on the lawn during a winter thaw.
12. If necessary, continue using potassium or calcium based de-icing products on walkways rather than sodium-based products. Remember to shovel snow before applying any product.
13. Apply fertilizer to houseplants as soon as they begin to show signs of growth.
14. Towards the end of the month, cut full of bud branches from forsythias, crabapples, willows, cherries, and witch hazel. Bring them indoors, put them in a vase with water and watch them bloom!!!