Instead of chocolates this year, give your Valentine an Azalea, Hydrangea or Miniature Rose which can be transplanted into the garden when it finishes blooming! We also have a large selection of standard roses and orchids.

February Garden Tips from the Wegman Professionals....

ANNUALS

• Winter annuals can still be planted through late February. For shady spots, use English primrose, fairy primrose, primula obconica, cyclamen or cineraria. For sunnier spots, try pansies, Iceland poppies, stock, snapdragons, calendula, flowering kale and cabbage or violas.

• Sow seeds for Forget-Me-Nots directly into the garden.

• Don't forget to apply Sluggo or Master Nursery Pest-Fighter for Slugs & Snails after planting annuals. Watch for slug and snail damage as winter progresses and continue to bait as needed.

• If an unknown and mysterious creature is eating your Cinerarias, sweet peas or Iceland poppies, look for white or gold-crowned sparrows. These little birds will hide in bushes and then dart out to feed on fresh greenery and young vegetables--especially lettuce. If birds are the problem, cover the plants with plastic bird netting until they are about 12 inches tall. After that size, the birds will leave them alone. Or, Mr. Ed and one of our customers were discussing this problem and she said that she just inverted a gopher basket over her lettuce and that took care of the problem. We love to share information.

BULBS

• Summer blooming bulbs are here! Check out our selection of gladioli, dahlias, calla lilies, Crocosmia, and more. Come early for the best selections!

• Plant gladiolus bulbs about 6 times as deep as the bulb's thickness. If you plant the bulbs 4 to 6 inches apart, the individual plants will support one another.

• The key to strong and sturdy dahlias is planting them in 12 inches deep holes and covering them with only enough soil to cover the tuber and leave one-half inch of the new sprout showing. Let them grow and as the sprout elongates, keep covering it with soil until you fill the hole.  A one by one inch by six foot stake should be driven into the ground next to the tuber at planting time. Planted this way, dahlias will develop strong and sturdy flower stalks.

• When planting tuberous begonias, remember to leave exposed about one-quarter inch of the growing tip and the surface of the bulb to prevent rot and grey mold.

• Divide canna bulbs and transplant or share with friends.

• Prepare soil for bulbs by broadcasting a compost product such as Gold Rush one or two inches deep and work it into the soil. Once you have planted bulbs, you can also broadcast a starter fertilizer such as Master Nursery Master Start. Alternatively, you can add about 30% Gold Rush and 1 tablespoon of Master Nursery Bulb Food to the soil removed from individual holes, being sure to mix in well with native soil in the bottom of the hole.

• Apply Master Nursery Bulb Food when bulbs break ground and again when they finish blooming, especially for those bulbs planted last fall or winter. DO NOT use bone meal.

FRUITS

• Bare-root fruit tree season ends Sunday, February 28^th!  For the best selection, come early. Click here to link to our list of our vines and berries.

TO PLANT BARE-ROOT FRUIT TREES: Click here for a printable copy with expanded information.

• Dig a hole about 2 feet wide and as deep as the longest root so that the graft union remains 6 inches above the soil line once the soil has settled. (Top most roots should remain an inch or less below soil line.)

• Set soil aside and mix with one-third to one-half Gold Rush or with Bumper Crop.

• Place one-half cup starter fertilizer such as Master Nursery Master Start at bottom of hole. Begin backfilling with soil mix. Situate tree so that graft union faces north. When about halfway filled, firmly pack soil around roots with foot, but do not compact! Continue filling.

• Use extra soil mix to construct a berm around the periphery of the hole.

• Water in if soil is dry.

• If you do not live in deer country, bare root fruit trees should be pruned to about 3 feet so that primary scaffold branches develop low and ripe fruit is easily reached within the tree's maximum 8 to 10 foot height.

• Bare-root fruit trees have been sprayed with copper before shipping: no need to spray again.

• Watch for "bleeding" or oozing of sticky sap from stone fruit trees which may indicate Brown Rot or bacterial canker. If the sap is clear, there is usually no problem, but amber-colored sap indicates a potential problem.

• Test your citrus for flavor before picking the entire crop. Sweetness and flavor depend entirely on the amount of heat the tree has received during the growing season and varies within the county. There are no supplements or amendments (Zinc, Epsom salts, chicken manure, old bones, etc.) which can be added to the soil to sweeten the fruit...only more heat.  Or, leave the oranges on the tree for two years.

• Grafting should be done mid-February.

• Prune all deciduous fruit trees by the end of February and spray once with Microcop or Liqui-Cop and Master Nursery Pest-Fighter Year-Round Spray Oil (see next for peaches and nectarines). Be sure there will be no rain for 24 hours after spraying. Do not spray oil once trees are in flower; other fungal diseases may necessitate copper or Chlorothalonil spray(s) during bloom.  You may not get to prune your fruit trees until March, which will be fine. If you can see an 8 to 16 hours or longer dry period, spray your fruit trees now and finish pruning later.

• The first week of February is the latest time to perform the third and final spraying for peach and nectarine trees. Use Microcop (90% fixed copper) plus Master Nursery Pest-Fighter Year-Round Spray Oil. Do not spray once trees are in flower.

• Spray your apples for coddling moth (wormy apples) with Seven after the flowers have fallen (see our Apple and Pear Tree Care Guide).  If you are avoiding chemical insecticides, you can use Monterey Garden Spray containing Spinosad. You use the Spinosad in conjunction with a coddling moth trap.  The purpose of the trap is to let you know when the coddling moths have arrived so that you can spray at the right time.  Sevin does not require the trap.  Spinosad is approved for use by organic growers and is non-toxic to mammals and birds (people too).

• Prune blueberries through the end of February. Remember, they need full sun and an acidic soil.

• Prune and tie up all grapes and blackberries through the end of February.

• Citrus should be pruned during late February or early March if needed. Check now for scale, a sucking insect that usually clusters along fruit stems, new growth and the undersides of leaves. If found, UC recommends spraying the tree with a mixture of Master Nursery Pest-Fighter Year-Round Spray Oil and with Sevin or Malathion.  Wait two weeks before giving a second application. Never spray oil more than 4 times during the growing season.

• In cold winter areas or for extra winter protection, spray citrus with Cloudcover, a polymer which prevents desiccation during frost. You can also cover citrus with Easy Gardener's Plant and Seed Blanket if you are expecting a frosty night.  If you expect a hard frost, run an extension cord with a 60-75 watt bulb into the center of the tree for heat.  Then cover. 

• Pick up fallen fruit, remove dried fruit on trees ("mummies"), and rake leaves, placing all debris in trash. Do not compost! Fruits and leaves may harbor overwintering insect pests and fungi; removing both decreases the incidence and proliferation of pests and diseases the next growing season.

• If you missed fertilizing your fruit trees around Labor Day or subscribe to the old farmer's philosophy, then lightly apply Master Nursery Fruit Tree and Vine Food about Valentine's Day.

• If you have room for one more fruit tree in your garden orchard, put in a French or Italian Prune. These European Plums produce the sweetest fruit of any fruit grown in this area. They are disease and insect resistant and require only one spraying per year.

GROUNDCOVERS

• Mow low-growing groundcovers such as ivy, periwinkle and Peruvian verbena; then fertilize with Master Nursery Formula 49 and water well.

• Those slightly taller groundcovers: Lowfast Cotoneaster, Ceanothus and Asian jasmine can also be trimmed back to about one foot tall.

• Slugs and snails are especially abundant and troublesome this time of year, reproducing and resting in groundcovers. Baiting now will help minimize extant populations and also minimize damage in the coming spring. Use Sluggo, safe for pets and people, or Master Nursery Pest-Fighter for Slugs and Snails, available in powder and pellet form.  Avoid snail bait containing metaldehyde if you have pets or children who may come in contact with the poison.  (Corry’s, Bugetta, etc.)

LAWNS

• Spread seed or lay sod at the end of February. Timing planting with the beginning of spring will help seed germinate faster and sod root in more quickly. Sod orders placed with Wegman's usually take 2 to 3 days for delivery. Call us for details!

• Remember that seeded or sodded lawns require the same preparation: rototilling, amending and weed removal. Click here for our Lawn Preparation Care Guide for details.

• If lawns look a little peaked, feed them with Master Nursery Fall & Winter Feed for Lawns.

• If you have had problems with crabgrass (an annual) switch from Winter Feed to Master Nursery Pre-Emergent Crabgrass Control Plus with Lawn Food or use Concern Weed Prevention Plus, which also targets broadleaf weed seeds.  Remember, these products do not control established weeds. 

• To control oxalis (the one that looks like clover); use Turflon Ester, a liquid that can be sprayed over the entire lawn. Because oxalis is so tenacious, several applications may be needed.

• Winter is a good time to aerate and dethatch your lawn but not when the lawn is soggy.

• The "dead spots" in your lawn may be Bermuda grass which becomes dormant in the winter.  It will green up next spring. if it is an obvious dead patch (or numerous patches) it is probably crab grass. Pull out the dead grass and reseed.

• Set mowers to 2 inches for fescue and bluegrass lawns through February.

• With the onset of rain and more moist weather, bluegrass lawns may show yellowing or spots of yellow caused by rust. This should disappear towards the end of February, when temperatures warm.

REMEMBER: YOU CANNOT USE HERBICIDE OR PRE-EMERGENT PRODUCTS FOR 3 to 4 MONTHS PRIOR TO SEEDING OR RESEEDING A LAWN OR LAYING SOD!

PERENNIALS

• Perennials (such as Shasta Daisies, Agapanthus or Penstemon) which may have become crowded or which do not bloom as vigorously as in the past should be divided now. Dig the whole clump and gently separate into parts or hose off all the soil and divide. Amend soil one-quarter to one-third with Master Nursery Gold Rush or Bumper Crop and replant the divisions. Fertilize the new plantings after 2 to 3 months with Formula 49.

• Fertilize all other perennials with Master Nursery Formula 49 or Dr. Earth Rose & Flower Fertilizer.

• Start mum cuttings now.

• Ornamental grasses should be cut back by the middle of the month and fertilized with lawn fertilizer or Formula 49.

• Evergreen perennials such as Penstemon, lavender, Salvias, Buddleia, and Artemisia should be pruned back now if they haven't been. Pruning your evergreens keeps them compact and dense and new growth makes plants appear fresher.  Do not prune lavender all the way back into wood with no leaves.  It will not recover.

• If you pruned or cut back your perennials last month, succulent new growth should begin to appear at the bases of these plants-ripe feasting for slugs and snails! Bait now with Sluggo or Master Nursery Pest-Fighter. Especially vulnerable are perennials such as columbine, Hosta and Delphinium.

ROSES

• Prevent weeds in rose beds by applying Concern Weed Prevention Plus (8-2-4). This product contains corn gluten, which prevents seeds from germinating and contains 8% Nitrogen, providing a slow-release fertilizer.

• Roses should be pruned by the end of February. Spray with Microcop, Liqui-Cop or a lime-sulfur product and horticultural oil before leaves emerge. If new leaves are already sprouting, they may be burned by the spray but will soon be replaced by new leaves.

• After pruning and during the cutting season, remember to cover all cuts over one-quarter inch with Tree Seal or similar material to prevent cane borers from laying eggs in the soft pith.

• As new leaves emerge, begin monthly feedings with Master Nursery Rose & Flower Food. For an organic alternative, apply Dr. Earth Rose & Flower Fertilizer every other month. You can supplement either routine with two applications of Alfalfa meal: once in late February or early March and again in June. Alfalfa contains the chemical triacontanol, which spurs the formation of new canes.

• University experiments have determined that Epsom salts have no value or a negative effect on roses.

• If you plan to grow roses in containers, don't try to grow Hybrid Teas or Grandifloras.  They will try to get too big and will not bloom well.  Stick to Floribundas or small shrub roses.  Roses such as Cecile Brunner, Bonica or one of the ground cover roses work well.

SHRUBS & VINES

• Watch for our big spring Rhododendron shipment, due mid-February. We carry an exceptional selection of sizes and colors, including orange and yellow bloomers. These rhodies are field-grown near Portland, Oregon, by Dierenger Nursery, noted for their organic, IPM and water-reduction practices.

• Consider planting vines in those narrow places which don't provide enough space for regular shrubs and trees. Carolina jessamine, evergreen Clematis, Hardenbergia, pink jasmine, or trumpet vines make excellent choices, though they hardly exhaust the possibilities! Consider interplanting spring bloomers and summer bloomers, such as pink jasmine and passion vine or Hardenbergia and potato vine. An espaliered Apple or Pear tree is another possibility for those narrow places.

• The garden wakes up about mid-February as many of the Mediterranean climate natives begin to bloom. Check out Astartea, Grevillea, Eriostemon, Coleonema, Hardenbergia, Boronia, and Leptospermum. While you may not be familiar with these plants, they make excellent additions to the landscape with their early bloom, deer-resistance, and tolerance to wet winters and dry summers. Many are fragrant as well!

• Wait to prune spring bloomers until after they bloom. This includes the evergreens, such as pink jasmine, Hardenbergia, Bank's rose, pink breath of heaven, and deciduous shrubs such as Forsythia, Spiraea and common snowball.

• Wisteria should be pruned before it blooms. Establish a main framework of canes or branches and cut all secondary growth back to two or three buds.

• If your Toyon and Pyracantha shrubs have suddenly lost all of their berries, you may have missed an annual northward migration of Robins and Cedar Waxwings. They stop in this area 'to refuel' and these red berries are one of their favorites.

• Now's a good time to select Japonica camellias and azaleas, as their flurry of color unfolds. Both evergreen and deciduous azaleas are available.  Also check out Sarcococca and Helleborous, two of the few plants that bloom reliably in deep shade and the Sarcococca adds a delicious fragrance to the garden.

• Both camellias and azaleas are susceptible to petal blight, which appears as brown splotching on petal margins of open flowers, partly open flowers and flower buds. A fungus causes both petal blights. Camellia petal blight can be partially controlled through sanitation: Remove infected flowers and buds and try not to let infected petals hit the ground. If they do, gather and place in trash immediately; do not compost! Azalea petal blight is controlled by spraying with Daconil or Funginex (Rose Pride rose and shrub disease control) before the buds turn color.

• Hardy shrubs such as rosemary, Escallonia, Abelia, common myrtle, Texas privet, and Pittosporum should be pruned now.

• Prune tender shrubs and vines (25-30°F), such as potato vine, Bougainvillea, Abutilon, geraniums, Lantana, and Fuchsia after Valentine's Day.

• Because of their fast-growing roots, Fuchsias grown in containers should be repotted yearly, usually by late February. Plant up into larger containers or root-prune. If you prune the roots, remove about one-quarter to one-third of the top of the plant and repot.

• For more information on Fuchsia Care, please click here.

• Prune garden hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) now if you haven't already. This species blooms on new growth from one-year old wood: aim your pruning cuts just above the largest pair of buds on this wood. If powdery mildew has been a problem during the summer months or to prevent it, spray hydrangeas with copper after pruning and/or sulphur during the growing season. Click here for our Care Guide.

• This month marks the next to last application of aluminum sulphate (blue) or lime (pink) to intensify hydrangea flower color. Use oystershell lime, which contains calcium carbonate, an excellent addition to our soils. Dolomite lime, on the other hand, contains magnesium, of which we already have plenty in our native soils.

• Be sure to rake up leaves from deciduous shrubs, especially those infected with powdery mildew. Discard in trash containers rather than compost piles. Most of our home compost piles reach sufficient temperatures to break down food and yard waste, but they don't reach temperatures (140°F+) required to destroy harmful fungi and bacteria.

TREES

• Come check out our selection of deciduous Magnolias as they begin to bloom! We carry the classic saucer Magnolia as well as some more unusual varieties that stay at 15 to 20 feet and feature distinctively different flower forms and colors.

• Wait to prune flowering cherries, plums and pears until after bloom. If you have had problems with Shot-Hole fungus on cherries or plums, spray before flowering with Microcop or Liqui-Cop.

• Bare-root season extends through February! Come in now for a great selection of flowering trees, such as flowering plums and cherries, and shade trees, such as European birches. To plant, follow directions for planting bare-root fruit trees, listed above under the FRUIT Section or download the printable instructions.

• The first shipments of Japanese maples will arrive towards the end of February. These trees are field-grown in Oregon, then planted in containers and held for one additional year to root-in and be pruned to shape. This year's selection includes Bloodgood, Bonfire, Burgundy Lace, Fireglow, Emperor I, Oshio Beni, Red Dragon, Shaina, Seiryu, Shishigashira, Sango Kaku, Crimson Queen, Garnet, Inabe Shidare, Tamukeyama, Viridis, and Waterfall.

• Be sure to rake leaves from deciduous trees, discarding diseased leaves in trash containers rather than compost piles. If leaves are healthy, consider mulching your garden beds with them. Not only does mulch reduce soil compaction during the rainy months, it adds valuable organic material to the soil as it composts directly on the beds. In turn, this organic material conditions our clay soils, improving drainage and making nutrients more accessible.

• Look for broken and torn branches after storms. Prune to healthy tissue, using heading cuts if parts of branches have broken or torn and removing entire branches if needed. Consulting a simple, informative book such as Ortho's All About Pruning will help you determine where to prune and how to make the proper cut. If severe damage is done to older, mature trees, we strongly encourage you to seek the services of a certified arborist. While you may pay more for their work, you can be assured that the health and longevity of your trees will not be compromised by poor practices such as topping and incorrect cuts.

VEGETABLES

• Plant asparagus, horseradish, rhubarb, and artichokes now.

• Continue planting onions from starts and garlic from cloves.

• Plant seed potatoes now.

• From seeds start tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squash, melons, and corn indoors or in greenhouses. Remember, corn needs at least a 6 foot by 6 foot block for proper pollination.

OTHER THINGS TO DO

• Check your potted plants to see whether they will need repotting this season. If so, repot at the end of the month. You can plant up into larger containers or root-prune and replant in the same container. When root-pruning, prune away one-quarter to one-third of the root mass and an equal amount of top growth.  Then repot in Gardener's Gold Potting Soil.

• Begin fertilizing containerized plants with an appropriate granular fertilizer at the end of the month. Continue monthly through October.  Liquid fertilizers and those you dissolve in water last only a week or two.

• Repot Cymbidium orchids every two or three years when they have finished blooming.

• Clean the leaves of your indoor plants twice a year with Jungle Rain Clean Leaf to remove dust and dirt and to kill any insects on the plant.

• Don't forget to leave sugar water for the hummers, which stay all winter.  Also. don't forget to water the potted and other plants under the eaves of your house. Even when it rains, they can dry out and die.

• Mr. Ed learned that all parts of Lily plants are poisonous to cats. If they eat even small amounts of any Lily part, they can suffer kidney failure and die.

• Every month or two, water your houseplants with water (1 gallon) to which a couple of tablespoons of vinegar have been added (2 tablespoons per gallon of water or 1 teaspoon per pint.  This will lower the pH of the soil and help dissolve excess fertilizer.

• Sharp pruning tools make clean cuts that heal quickly. Check out our Pruning Tool Renovation Service, which includes cleaning and sharpening and replacing missing parts for most pruners. If you're unsure whether we can service your tool, bring it in for assessment.