February Gardening Tips

• Seeds are beginning to show up in the stores. At Wallmart they are way back in the corner at the far back from the garden register, almost hiding.
• You can cut early flowering shrubs to force to flower indoors now; such as forsythia.
• Begin pruning rose bushes this month. Prune to about 18 inches from the ground. I also prune those rugged rugosas. It helps them get thicker.
• Take soil samples to the Clemson Extension to have it tested. The local office is out Hwy #701 just before the DMV office. It is several miles out.
• Clean up flower and garden beds, sharpen the edges, and remove dead branches, twigs, pine cones and winter weeds.
• If your grass is a cool season grass, fertilize this month.
• Spot treat broadleaf weeds, and apply pre-emergent herbicide to control crabgrass.
• Vegetable seeds can be sown now: peas, Chinese cabbage, snow peas, onions, broccoli, carrots, lettuce and white potatoes.
• Be cautioned about using leftover seeds from last year. Many will not sprout after that period of time. To test them, put a few seeds on a damp paper towel, roll it up and store in a warm place. After a week or so, check to see what percent have sprouted. That may well be the amount that will sprout in the garden. For instance, if half (50%) sprout, half will grow in the garden.
• If you have fruit trees, prune them this month. When you prune, try to choose a spot just above a bud. Choose a bud that is facing outward.
• Herbs, such as Rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley and marjoram need extra lime. Fertilize them lightly.
• Prune back all ornamental grasses before the new growth begins. If you cut off new growth, you will have to look at the scalped section all summer.
• Herbs are a great joy to have fresh, however, some are very quick to outgrow their space, and mint is one of these. Plant mint in a container and you will be much happier with it. Also fennel and dill will reseed and reseed and reseed until everything is dill and/or fennel.