February Gardening Tips

In my garden I have daffodils rising above the soil, an extra inch it seems every day, and my Chaenomeles (Japanese Quince) is already showing pink buds. The Viburnum is out too and the Witch Hazel (Hamamelis) is joining in, with its diminutive flowers packing a scented punch. So do make use of February to prepare, anticipate and hope. I certainly shall. Here are a few ideas for getting outside this coming month…

At the risk of inviting controversy you can prune your roses in February. This is a bone of contention in our house. I plump for early March but my husband believes in pruning in February. He has a point as we are in a fairly sheltered spot and there can be quite a lot of new growth by March.

For all roses, take out dead and any diseased wood. For shrub roses, cut stems back by a third to a half. For Floribundas and Hybrid Teas, take them down to no more than 30cm above the soil (yes I know it seems quite brutal). For climbing roses take the shoots that flowered last year down to about 15 cm. Rambling roses need no attention unless you are trying to manage their shape or growth. Mulch around your roses in March with some well-rotted manure and feed in April. I promise this simple regime is well worth it and you will be paid in beautiful blooms.

Divide clumps of snowdrops that have already flowered while they are still in the green. This is the best way to reliably increase your stock of these delightful flowers.

Trim deciduous hedging before nesting season. Keep bird feeders full and a source of clean water available for the birds and maybe even think about introducing a nesting box.

It is difficult to get out onto squishy flower beds and a sodden lawn without compacting the soil but once the soil is a little drier, fork over the borders and incorporate homemade garden compost or some well-rotted manure. Use boards if you need to do much work that involves standing on wet soil or grass to minimise soil compaction.

Think about which summer bulbs you might want to plant a little bit later on. Who can resist the heady scent of lilies and the splash of colour of dahlias and gladioli?

Autumn fruiting raspberries are in need of a chop back to a few inches above the soil and a mulch.

Choose some seeds for edible and flowering plants and think about the compost you may need in anticipation of planting. Look out for peat-free and peat reduced alternatives to traditional formulations.

Clean out heated and unheated propagators. Cleaning is very important when re-using pots and trays to prevent the spread of pests and disease. Then it is time to start to sow some seed which is always exciting.

Give your tools a good clean too.

Chit seed potatoes in advance of planting in the spring. This means placing them in a light, cool place with the eyes to the top and allowing them to chit or sprout until the shoots are about 2cm. As I have mentioned before, always use seed potatoes which have been specially grown and are certified disease-free rather than using some old spuds from the vegetable rack.