February Gardening Tips from Pike Family Nurseries

Temperatures and weather patterns are unpredictable at this time of year. Although we can't depend on the whims of Mother Nature, the plants in our landscapes always seem to know what season it is. To prepare for the upcoming growing season, there are several gardening activities that should be undertaken this month.

• Time to give your houseplants a makeover. Remove discolored and dead leaves, repot overgrown plants, and remove dust from leaves with a damp cloth or sponge.
• Apply a pre-emergent weed control (crabgrass preventer) to all types of turf grass between mid-February and mid-March. Don't wait too late. Once the crabgrass sprouts, crabgrass preventers will do not good. If you plan to sow Fescue seed this spring, do not apply a crabgrass preventer. It will prevent both the crabgrass and the fescue seed from germinating.
• To control cool season weeds (henbit, chickweed, dandelions) that have already sprouted in dormant Bermuda and Zoysia lawns, apply a post-emergent weed killer. Check the label to make sure that the chemicals in the product are safe to use on your particular type of grass.
• February is an excellent time to plant trees, shrubs and ground covers. Planting now enables the root system to become established before the plants start to actively grow again.
• Now is the time to do any major pruning jobs. Pruning initiates and modifies plant growth. Wait to prune spring flowering plants and trees until they finish blooming.
• Prune roses in late February or early March when the "eyes" on the canes start to swell and turn red. Climbing roses bloom on older wood so prune them sparingly.
• If the weather is warm, spring flowering bulbs may start peeking through the soil ahead of schedule. To protect the buds and blooms, cover the "early risers" with a thin layer of pine straw or newspaper when freezing temperatures are predicted.
• Put down the first application of fertilizer on Fescue lawns at the end of the month. Wait to fertilize Bermuda and Zoysia lawns until they are at least 50% green.
• Trim Liriope (Monkey Grass) back to just above ground level. Use your lawn mower or weed eater for quick results. Ornamental Grasses, like Pampas Grass, can also be cut back to make room for the new growth.