Garden Jobs for February

Gardening Jobs for February

This is the month we tentatively get out into the gardens Snowdrops and some daffodils have already made a start , hellebores with their dropping heads but the newer varieties will look you in the eye.

Clear plots and gardens of debris putting it all in the compost heap I bet you wished you  cleared the compost heap last Autumn

Shallots can be put in this month Spring greens under a clotch or netted to stop pigeons rampaging your crop

Sow early lettuce, cabbage, onions, in trays under cover, Broad Beans and Parsnips outside

 Carrots can be sown in pots thinly don't overcrowd the seed also under protection, Chillies, Aubergines and peppers can be sown now its good to make a silver foil cardboard wall to put around your seedlings this will help with extra light for the seedlings and stop them becoming leggy

Rhubarb can be forced put some well rotted manure with a bin over this will force your rhubarb and give you nice pink stems keep an eye on slugs as they love this environment. This will effect next years growth so leave the second year for the plant to recoupe.

By the end of the month you should complete all the pruning of  all Top fruit apples and pears  and Clematis and shrubs flowered on current seasons shoots Prune climbing roses leave the framework on the trellis, cut back all side growths to two buds, the flowers mature on these for June, leave any strong growths from the base these can be used to replace your old main structure stems

Sow seeds anturhiniums and other bedding plants like Rhubeckia, asters, Amaranth, Nemesia, Nicotiana Alyssum and Lobelia etc just to name a few

Lift and divide herbaceous plants, if moving dont forget to feed the plants good old fish,blood and bone and for the veggans, vegetable matter /compost

Recyclable plastic pots are now available  these are made from 100 % recycled Polypropelene they are grey coloured can be disposed of in the recycled bin also detectable with scanners at recycled centres and carbon free still rather expensive but moving in the right direction. 

Cucamelons can be grown outside are becomming popular  eaten raw or cooked in stir- fry but also apparently ideal to include in pickle. Although they look small they will actualy produce a good crop. taste similar to cucumber/melon 

House plants will have there own section at the Chelsea flower show this year. A tip  to get your leaves to shine use a tiny bit of mayonaise on a soft cloth to wipe the leaves they will shine and this will also feed the leaves and. water from the base and not the top and dont let them stand in water.

Mike Ellard