Sara Swanson

Let’s Dream About Gardening!: February Gardening Advice for Manchester – 2015

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by Jennifer Fairfield

Editor’s note: Manchester resident, Jennifer Fairfield, owns and operates the Garden Mill in Chelsea, serves on the Manchester Community Garden Committee, and volunteers with the school gardens at Klager and the MECC.

It may be hard to believe, looking around today, but February 2nd generally marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.  That means that, as of today, we’re halfway through winter!!  I need to hold on to that fact when I see my garden buried under so much snow.  Something else that makes me feel better today is that we had almost exactly 10 hours of daylight yesterday (even though we couldn't really see the sun here in SE Michigan), but by the end of the month, we will have more than 11 hours of daylight.  That gives me hope that gardening season is coming.  For now, I'll have to settle for dreaming about it as I look out at all the snow.

Have you started gathering your seeds for your garden this year?  I have!  I already have my garden mostly planned out, and have gone through the seeds I have left from last year to see what I still need to get.  We will have our seeds in at The Garden Mill starting this week, and savvy gardeners know to get theirs early to be sure to get what they want!  Spring will be making an appearance this year (honest!), so make sure you’re ready for it!

This month is the best time to prune many trees and shrubs, as well as roses.  You want to get this task done while the plants are still dormant.  By pruning at this time of year, you encourage lots of new growth in the spring, but you may also want to prune to remove dead or damaged branches, to create better growing conditions for other plants in your landscape, or to make mowing or walking around your trees or shrubs easier.  The USDA Forest Service has a great little pamphlet with all kinds of information on pruning available HERE.

Pruning Tools

Pruning Tools

It is especially important to prune oak trees while they are dormant, as they are extremely susceptible to oak wilt if pruned in warmer months.  Other trees that do best when pruned now include flowering crabapples, mountain ash, and hawthorns.  Trees that shouldn’t be pruned now include dogwood and redbud, since their flowers bloom on last year’s growth.  Pruning them now will reduce the number of flowers produced this spring.

Towards the end of the month, if we are getting temperatures above freezing, consider an application of dormant oil for your trees.  Dormant oils can kill over-wintering insects, spores and fungus that can harm your trees.  Proper application of dormant oil is important, so be sure to read directions carefully to make sure that you are using the oil meant for your plant, and that you are using it at the right time and under the right conditions (usually not on a windy day!).

Even though you and I may not appreciate all the snow over the last 24 hours, we really need it – or more specifically, our plants do.  When all that snow melts, it will give the ground a good soaking, and our plants will get a much-needed drink.  Up until now, we were low on precipitation for the winter, which can leave our plants very thirsty in the early spring.

Keep birdfeeders filled at this time of year, as natural sources of food are getting scarce by now.  It’s especially important after a big snowfall, since their food sources are all covered at the moment.  Besides, it’s fun watching them as they gather around your feeders!

Mixed_MarthaAllen_08

Also keep bird baths full and thawed, so that your birds have a good supply of fresh drinking water.  A heated birdbath or a deicer in your birdbath are perfect for this purpose.

On days when it’s just too cold (or snowy) to even think about doing anything outdoors, there’s still plenty to do inside!

Clean and sharpen your tools, if you didn’t in the fall, so that they are ready to get to work when you are.  Get some good tips on cleaning and sharpening from this article by Fine Gardening Magazine.

Go through seeds leftover from last year – many of them will still be perfectly fine for planting this year.  Once you’ve figured out what you have, determine what you need and go get it.  If you wait too long, you may not get the varieties you want.  And going through the seed packs at your favorite garden store is a great way to forget about winter for a little while!

If you are going to start plants indoors this year, make sure you have everything you need – seed starting mix, pots, working lights, heating mats, etc.  It’s no fun finding out you’re missing a critical element when you are ready to get started.

Though most vegetable and herb plants don’t get started indoors until March, rosemary is one plant to start now, since it takes quite a while to germinate and then grow to a suitable size for transplanting outside.

Rosemary in flower.

Rosemary in flower.

Starting perennial flowers indoors this month also gives them more time to get to transplanting size, and makes them more likely to bloom the first year.  It’s also a great way to save money, as seeds and soil generally cost a lot less than perennial plants!

Be sure to clean out any previously used pots you want to use for repotting of house plants or for outdoor container gardening.  Disinfecting your pots before using them again ensures that they are not harboring any harmful bacteria.  Do this task now so your pots will be ready to use when you’re ready for them.  Use a 1 to 9 ratio of bleach to water and a wire brush to be sure to get all the leftover dirt, and then thoroughly rinse the pots to get rid of the bleach.

If nothing else, close your eyes and day-dream about gardening.

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What does your dream garden look like?

 

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