Monthly Gardening Tasks – February February 1st, 2016

Gardening Task Checklist- February

• Turn off irrigation if rain more than 1.5” over 2 weeks otherwise the seasonal adjustment on irrigation controller should be set to 25%
• Remember to water plants under eaves and in containers. It’s important to deep water trees and shrubs if it isn’t raining on a regular basis. Their root systems are starting to grow now.
• Pick up old blossoms. Azaleas and camellias are both prone to diseases called petal blight .Brown lesions develop, and the flowers rot. The best way to control is to collect and discard infected blossoms and avoid overhead watering. Apply 4 inches of organic mulch beneath camellias to reduce spore survival.
• Plant bare-root roses. Set them in well-drained soil in a spot that gets six to eight hours of sunlight. If soil is sandy or heavy clay, amend it with organic matter such as fir bark or compost.
• Start Seeds for vegetables and summer annuals indoors.
• Plant perennial vegetables and fruits. You can set our strawberries, rhubarb, raspberry, blackberry and many other cane fruits, asparagus and artichokes
• If you haven’t already done so, apply dormant sprays on fruit trees and show roses to control aphids, black spot, and mildew. Use horticultural oil with lime sulfur or fixed copper.
• Lawns – Late this month or early next are good times to feed the lawn with a spring type lawn fertilizer. If moss is problem, use a spring fertilizer that contains a moss killer, so you can do both jobs in one easy application. A follow-up application of dolomite lime will help sweeten the soil.
• Fertilizing – Mid to late February is the time to fertilize trees, shrubs and evergreens. 10-10-10 for most plants. Use a rhododendron type fertilizer to feed evergreens like junipers, conifers, broadleaf evergreens, rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias. Use a rose or all-purpose garden type fertilizer to feed roses, fruit and flowering trees, plus other deciduous trees and shrubs. If you use dry type fertilizers, be sure to water-in thoroughly after application.