February’s here, and the first hints of spring appear, with snowdrops, aconites and even a few early daffodils in flower. When the weather’s good, grab your gardening tools and get outside! Here are our top gardening tips for February.
Top Garden Jobs for February
-
Once your snowdrops have finished flowering, lift and divide large clumps, replanting the resulting smaller clumps. This is a great way to encourage snowdrops to spread, giving you a fantastic spring display.
-
Prune group 3 clematis (the ones that flower in late summer). Cut all stems to 30cm from ground level, above strong buds.
-
Prune winter jasmine once it has finished flowering, cutting back all flowered shoots to strong buds close to the main stems.
-
Cut back epimediums, removing all old leaves. This makes the delicate flowers easier to see and encourages a flush of strong new leaves.
-
Tidy up evergreen grasses like Carex and Festuca by combing through with your fingers to get rid of old dead foliage (wear gloves to avoid cuts).
-
First early potatoes do best if they are chitted before planting. To do this, leave the seed potatoes somewhere cool and bright for a few weeks to start sprouting. They should be ready to plant in 4-6 weeks.
-
Prune autumn-fruiting raspberries, cutting all last year’s canes to ground level.
-
Get your veg beds ready for the growing season by clearing any weeds and stones. Put down wooden planks to walk on when working on the beds to stop the soil from becoming compacted.
-
Deadhead winter pansies to encourage a flush of new flowers for spring.
-
Provided the soil isn’t waterlogged or frozen, February is a good month for planting new shrubs and trees.
-
Prune Wisteria, shortening side growth to about to or three buds
-
Spring clean greenhouses and cold frames, washing down the glass with warm soapy water to get rid of the winter grime and prepare for the new growing year!
Get ready for a great gardening year with a visit to our centre, where you’ll find all the seeds, plants and tools you need to make your garden bloom!
