What to do in the garden this month: February gardening tips
The last few weeks may have been a washout, but with daffodils and snowdrops starting to sprout, you can rest assured that spring is on the way.
February is a pivotal month to prepare for the lush growing season to come. Begin with a general tidy up, gathering the remains of falling leaves and stockpiling them in a compost patch where possible. Prune winter-flowering shrubs and renovate hedges where appropriate but keep an eye on the forecast and watch out for frost before pruning too hard. Begin your first weed of the year and add mulch to beds to provide much needed nutrients for the season ahead.
If you didn’t have time to plant spring bulbs in the autumn, don’t worry. Your local garden centres will be well stocked with colourful containers which will provide plenty of cheer in gloomy weather. Now is a great time to start thinking about what bulbs you would like to sow for summer. From dahlias to gladiolas and begonias to crocosmias, there is plenty to choose from and garden centre staff will be able to advise on the best bulbs to plant depending on your location and the orientation of your garden, balcony, or doorstep.
You can start sowing bulbs in containers this month but keep them indoors until the last frost has passed. Bulbs can rot in wet soil so be careful not to overwater; add grit or gravel to your containers first to ensure the soil is well drained.
With the considerable rainfall we have experienced in recent weeks, it is a good idea to check on your outdoor pots and planters to make sure they are draining adequately too. Take action if they are waterlogged; elevate or tilt pots, clear drainage holes, move to a sheltered spot if possible, and repot or replace soil if necessary.
If you haven’t started sowing your summer crop, now is a great time to plant fruit and vegetable seeds. This is a fun, rainy day activity with children – all you need is a handful of seeds, a seed tray, and some seed compost. You can find seed packs in garden centres or online with planting instructions on the packaging. Once sown in seed trays, water gently and place them in a sunny location, such as a windowsill or propagator. Your seedlings should appear within a month and can be transferred to a grow pot when approximately 2cm tall.
Keep them indoors until late spring/early summer to avoid the frost and gradually introduce them to the outdoors. Once minded carefully, they should give you an abundant crop to be enjoyed by all the family this summer.
