Garden Muse Montage by Chickens in the Trees…
If you’re looking for things to do in your garden in February, TheGardenLady has 10 ideas for you to try.
1. Check to see that your garden equipment is ready and tools are sharpened if need be.
2. Check seed packages to see that they are not outdated and organize those you want to use by dates as well as decide what seeds you will need or want to order for planting. Go through tubers and bulbs to see if any have rotted or dried out and discard.
3. If it is not too cold outdoors or the snow isn’t too deep, cut dead or diseased branches off trees, shrubs and vines and put them out for yard collection if your city or town offers it. (Diseased branches should not be composted.)
4. Have soil tests run – separate tests for lawns, vegetable and flower gardens, shrub borders (soil mailing kits are available at your state Cooperative Extension office)
5. If the soil test results come back and say your yard needs lime, apply lime as needed (except when ground is frozen).
6. Keep adding organics (garbage other than bones or fat) to the compost pile or bin
7. You can get a taste of spring early by forcing some indoor blooms! Cut branches from shrubs like lilacs, and forsythia. Put them in a vase with water and you will enjoy the flowers a few weeks later. For directions on how to force flowers and a list of plants to force into bloom check out this site.
8. If winter has been mild and the ground is not frozen, you can transplant trees, shrubs, and roses.
9. When you see the first crocus open, consider it time to set out transplants of lettuce, cabbages, and onions; cover them on freezing nights.
10. When the forsythia and daffodils bloom it is the time to plant peas.