It may still be chilly and gloves are definitely needed, but the gardening jobs in February have their own gentle charm. This is a month for pruning , preparing and coaxing. By doing just a little now, you set the whole garden up for a wonderful year ahead.
What gardening can I do in February?
There are many important gardening jobs in February that need doing to set your garden up for the summer months. Shrub roses will thank you for a little attention this month. Removing dead, damaged or crossing stems will roses channel their energy into strong, clean growth once the weather warms up. Cut back healthy stems by about a third to a half, making cuts at a 45-degree angle just above an outward-facing bud to direct new growth outward, the aim is for an open, vase-like shape for good airflow, which prevents pests and diseases. If you planted your rose last year, a heavier prune (to 30-45cm) is necessary to encourage a strong framework for the years to come.
What jobs can gardeners do in winter?
We gardeners in Gloucestershire can always find gardening jobs in February to do and some must be done before the winter is over. Apple and pear trees can be pruned now to avoid disease. It can be a little dauting, especially if you have a large tree, so take your time, use a light hand and focus on improving the overall shape and letting light into the canopy. A gentle morning spent with sharp secateurs in hand, taking off between 10-20% of the overall canopy will reward you with a healthy tree. Don’t be too drastic, you can always go back next year and do some more.
Is gardening all year round? More Gardening jobs in February
Yes! Gardening in Gloucestershire is year round and the work you put in now will pay dividends in the summer months. There are some jobs that must be done in February…wisterias usually flower more freely and regularly if pruned twice a year, once in August and again in February. Simply cut back the growth to two or three buds to ensure that the flowers will not be obscured by leaves. The idea is to have a skeleton frame of well- spaced branches. On an overgrown Wisteria, this may require some time and patience but it is well worth the effort to enjoy the spectacle of flowers later in the year. The RHS have done a useful video showing exactly how to do that here.
What is the best month to start gardening?
If you have an established garden February is the best month to start gardening in Gloucestershire. Towards the end of February you can prune the late flowering Clematis, for example the C. orientalis group or the late flowering C. ‘Jackmanii.’ They may have already started to produce new shoots, so be a little careful when pulling away the old growth from last year. Apart from this, they are very easy to prune, just cut down all the old growth to about 30cm or a foot from the ground. Cut each stem back to just above a healthy bud and give a little feed with an organic fertiliser.
What to do in the garden in February
There’s plenty to do in Gloucestershire gardens in February! It’s too early to apply synthetic or chemical fertilisers, these are useful later in the season to act as a quick tonic getting plants off to a quick start, but organic fertilisers release goodness into the soil at a slower rate and now is the perfect time to apply them. Blood, fish and bone, seaweed meals and pelleted chicken manures have some soil conditioning properties and are available to plants over a longer period than chemical products and ensure plants grow steadily and sturdily.
What to do in your garden in January and February
If your garden has become overgrown, this is the best time of year to clear it, before the birds start nesting. February is the best month for pruning hardy shrubs that flower on new wood later in the summer, for example the butterfly bush, Buddlejia davidii, can be cut right down hard to the base. It’s amazing just how well shrubs respond to this, putting on rapid growth over the spring and summer months to flower later on in the year. Just ensure that you leave a few shoots at the base to form the basic structure of the plant. I use the left over twigs as supports for plants such as Delphiniums in March but for now you can keep them in a corner of the garden ready to act as stakes later in the gardening year.
What to do in the garden in February
If you have loved seeing the snowdrops this year and want to have some or to increase snowdrops in your garden, re-plant them later this month by lifting a clump of bulbs with a fork and dividing them to plant in a different area. If you are planting your bulbs in a heavy soil, add a little sharp sand or grit to the planting hole to improve drainage. A great combination for the winter garden is to plant them under the red barked Dogwood – Cornus alba ‘Sibirica Variegata.’
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