Annuals and Perennials
Start flower seeds indoors now for Ageratum, Asters, Calendula, Campanula, Candytuft, Carnations, Chrysanthemums, Coleus, Columbine, Coreopsis, Dahlia, Gerbena, Geraniums, Impatiens, Petunia, Salvia, and Snapdragon.
Our guide to starting seeds indoors.
Kids will enjoy planting seeds as a winter project. You can find more information about starting this activity with kids on our blog.
Hellebores, crocus, early daffodil, glory of the snow, snowdrops, winter daphne and winter jasmine bloom this month.
Fruits and Vegetables
Begin seeds indoors for summer vegetables including broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, onions and spinach in mid to late February.
Our guide to starting seeds indoors.
Kids will enjoy planting seeds as a winter project. You can find more information about starting this activity with kids on our blog.
Topdress your vegetable garden bed with an organic soil conditioner to protect it from erosion, add nutrients and improve the soil structure.
February is an ideal time to prune fruit trees. Remove suckers, crossing and rubbing branches to open up the canopy which improves air circulation and allows more sun to penetrate into the tree. This in turn reduces disease pressure and increases fruit production.
House Plants
As the days become longer, it’s time to start feeding houseplants. In late February begin with a good quality indoor plant food such as Jack’s Classic (water-soluble powder) or Osmocote (slow-release granular).
Wipe the dust of the foliage of your houseplants periodically with a moist cloth. This will help them absorb more light.
Repot root bound houseplants to a larger pot. If the roots are sticking out the top or bottom of the pot, the plant is root bound.
If it is time to repot your orchid, you are welcome to bring it into our greenhouse for assistance, or you can check out our step-by-step tutorial video on orchid repotting.
Check houseplant leaves for insect problems like scale, mites and mealy bugs. If you detect a problem, bring a sample to our plant clinic for diagnosis and treatment solutions.
Lawns
February is a great time to seed lawns. The seed will lie on the ground until the soil temperature is warm enough for it to germinate, and late winter/early spring rains will provide moisture for germination.
If the grass seed begins to germinate this month, apply a seed starting fertilizer.
Avoid walking on your lawn on frosty, frozen mornings. The crunchy sound and feeling under your feet is caused by the breaking and crushing of brittle grass blades.
Trees and Shrubs
Late February / March is the time to spray roses and other trees and shrubs with a dormant oil spray, particularly if the trees or shrubs had hemlock woolly adelgid, pine bark adelgid, euonymous scale, spruce mites or other pests in the past year. Wait to apply the spray until the temperature is above 40 degrees and there is no rain in the immediate forecast.
January and February are the best months for pruning many deciduous trees and shrubs. Remove suckers, crossing and rubbing branches, taking care to avoid injuring the branch collar. For more pruning resources, you can visit our general post on pruning trees and shrubs, or our post on pruning tools.
Heather, witchhazel, winterhazel and paperbush bloom this month.
Wildlife
Protect your landscape from hungry deer. You can use repellents or netting, or try planting highly fragrant plants which deer dislike, to keep them away. Organic repellents such as milorganite and blood meal produce strong scents and some are combined with a nasty taste to deter deer from browsing in your garden. Continue to apply them on a regular basis.
Seasonal Care
Use a good quality ice-melting product such as Mag (magnesium chloride) on sidewalks and driveways rather than salt or rock salt, which can damage the concrete and shrubs.
Turn over unused containers to prevent them from collecting water that could freeze and crack the container.