Gardening Calendar

FEBRUARY

This month sees the sap beginning to rise, not only in plants but in the gardener too. It can actually be a colder month than January, but it’s rare that there aren’t a few days of wintery sunshine to tempt us outside.

There is now a noticeable difference in the length of daylight and a feeling of anticipation, too, as a new season is just around the corner. It’s a lovely month to just wander around the garden and look at the buds beginning to swell.

February is a good time to:

• Prune summer-flowering shrubs that flower on new wood – learn more here!
• Apply organic-based fertilizers
• Mulch fruit trees after feeding
• Report or top-dress shrubs in containers

February Weather Watch

February can still be windy, but less so than January. The north of the country will have on average 3-4 days of gales this month, the south only 0.1 day on average. These figures do vary according to the height above sea level and the local topography.

February Pruning and Training

There may be quite a lot of pruning to do this month, especially if you haven’t been able to brave the weather so far. Birds will soon be looking for nesting sites, so you should get pruning out of the way this month to avoid disturbing them later.

Overgrown or misshapen deciduous trees and shrubs can all be pruned to improve their health and shape. You can probably also start pruning roses this month in sheltered parts of the country. Many people start pruning roses in November, but in colder parts of the country, the winters can sometimes be harsh, causing dieback, and if the roses have already been pruned this means you will have to go over them in spring.