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February |
| Trees and
Shrubs: |
- If you have noticed some shrubs that are blooming now, you may
be seeing Flowering Quince, Weigela, or Forsythia. While they may
not be pretty enough the rest of the year to command a center spot
in your landscape, they are very early spring bloomers that give
us hope that spring is coming!
- The Dogwood is a harbinger of spring that can be hard to
establish here. They are best planted in the fall so they will
become more established by the heat of the next summer. If you
choose to plant the Florida Dogwood, be sure to give it plenty of
shade when young, allowing it to grow into morning sun when it
matures. You may wish to try Mexican Plum instead. They are
hardier and give the same very early spring bloom that the Florida
Dogwood does.
- If you are planning to add a tree or a choice shrub or two to
your landscape, now is the time to get those guys in the ground.
By getting these larger rooted plants in the ground now, they will
be more established by the coming heat of summer. It is the
perfect time to plant an antique rose.
- If you are planning to prune any of your trees this year, now
is the time. Pruning paint is not needed, as the harmful insects
are dormant. Remember to leave the branch collar intact. If your
in an area where Oak Wilt is a problem, be sure to clean you tools
between trees with a dilute Clorox solution.
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| Perennials: |
- Most perennials are not going to be available at this time of
year. The growers simply do not have them ready for sale. If you
have not done so yet, you can prune back those perennials that
have gone dormant over the winter. Wait to prune those perennials
that are semi-evergreen, such as Salvia Greggii, as you don't want
them to start their spring re-growth until spring.
- If you do plant some perennials early, be sure to cover them
for late frosts and freezes. Bear in mind that we can frosts as
late as April.
- Ornamental grasses, on the other hand, can go in now. You will
find them in the nursery, with their brown winter look. But this
winter 'dead' look is part of the charm of ornamental grasses.
- Evergreen, semi-evergreen, or deciduous vines can be planted
now. Try Star Jasmine, Crossvine, or Wisteria.
- Plant Gladiolus bulbs in late February.
- Now is a good time to move any perennials that need to find a
new home. Have the new hole or pot ready, and carefully dig them
out and move them. Soak the roots of the plant with seaweed after
moving to help them survive the transplant shock.
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| Vegetable
Garden: |
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You can plant the
following vegetable plants this month.
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-Asparagus |
-Radish |
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-Beets |
-Mustard
Greens |
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-Swiss
Chard |
-Onions |
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-Strawberries |
-Garlic |
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-Collard
Greens |
-Potatoes |
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-Spinach |
-Snow peas, English peas,
and snap peas in first half of month. |
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-Lettuce |
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| Roses: |
| February brings us
Valentines Day. Don't forget that special someone in your life and
don't forget to prune your roses! Prune the dead, the sick, and the
spindly from your roses. Be careful to prune the rose to maintain
it's natural form. Prune, stand back and study, prune, stand back
and study…You may wish to consult a rose book to decide if you
should prune your particular rose. If your rose is a one-time spring
bloomer, don't prune them until just after they have quit blooming.
A good book on the subject is The Organic Rose Garden, by Liz
Druitt, who calls Central Texas home. |
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| Bare-root
Fruit Trees: |
| You still have time to
get those bare-root fruit trees in the ground. We still have a very
good selection here at the nursery. The sooner you get them in the
ground, the more established they will be the coming heat of
summer. |
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| Miscellaneous: |
- Have a soil test done by the folks at Texas Plant and Soil
Lab. They do a very complete test and recommend how to amend the
soil organically with their analysis and interpretations.
- Use corn gluten meal as an organic pre-emergent weed killer.
It works by not allowing the germinating weed seed develop a root
system, effectively killing the weed. Works well on sticker burs.
It is also 10% nitrogen.
- Now is a great time to do your planning for your newly
designed spring flowerbeds. You can work the new beds while it is
cool and by amending the soil now, you give it time to mellow and
loosen before your spring planting dates. Do not mulch now, let
the sun warm the soil until after you plant in the spring.
- For those native and perennial beds that you will not be
changing much this year, now is a good time to work some compost
and other good organic soil amendments into the soil.
- Go ahead and prune
back the dormant perennials. Prune back until you see green growth
in the stem's vascular system.
- Rake the old mulch
and leaves back, spread one inch of compost across the top of the
soil.
- Add one of Rabbit
Hill Farms all-in-one fertilizers, such as Buds And Blooms, at the
recommended rate.
- Gently work the
compost and fertilizer into the soil with a spade fork.
- Drench the ground
with a soil activator such as the Lady Bug Natural Brand's Terra
Tonic.
- Finish off with 2-4
inches of mulch to reduce the spring weeds from coming
back.
- If you need help in
designing your new flowerbeds, now is a great time to get quality
one-on-one personal help from the staff here at the nursery while
it is still slow. Those beautiful spring days can get quite
hectic!
- If your fruit trees
had a scale problem last year, now is the time to spray them with
dormant oil. Be sure to spray them before bud break in the spring.
- Clean those tools
and find your gloves. Spring is just around the corner!
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