A GROWING CONCERN: Midwinter tasks prepare gardens for spring

HERE WE ARE — already past Groundhog Day and, of course, the rodent predicts six more weeks of winter.

This is true, whereas we are now exactly in the mid-season of winter.

If you recall, the middle of any season is the time to prepare for the next coming season.

In design, plants, tools, soils, fertilizers, pruning and maintenance, we think, plan, order and work so we can easily slide into the ensuing interval of time.

This is also the time of season to start the note process.

Record your fertilizers, their effects, and the date supplied.

Does your nutrient program need to be earlier? Does it need lime? Should it include a deep-root feed?

These are all great notations that, throughout the year, keep your garden growing ever better.

These notes can be as simple as jotting down the name of a neighbor’s bush that you want blooming in your yard next year (think all colors of heather) or as complex as staking out the puddles in your lawn, then calculating the gravel and drain pipe length for a irrigation canal to your trees.

Just observe, write down your observations, list your desires and enjoy a better winter garden next year.

But here I am again on these speculative venues.

You’ve got far too much work to do right now, so how about another list?

1. Fruit trees. This is it. I am slightly worried. I cannot believe the bud development already for midwinter.

Therefor the advice is threefold. Dormant oil spray is an invaluable procedure for the owner of fruit trees. A highly refined oil is sprayed (at every angle, up down and sideways) all over the tree. It is sprayed before any leaf buds begin to open and at temperatures above 40 degrees.

Pick a day with no predicted frost for that night, with no rain in the 24 hour forecast and calm winds. Repeat the spray 10 days later to ensure control.

2. Prune, de-sucker and center core. Let’s go. I’ve seen a multitude of cuts in the last few weeks and I hope to see no trees unpruned 3 weeks from now — unless in cold valleys or high elevations. Look at your trees.

3. Fertilize. It takes weeks for nutrients to become available to the trees, so start now.

Avoid high-nitrate fertilizers that encourage leaf growth at the expense of fruit.

Consult a trusted nursery for information and products.

4. Roses. I’m getting tired of answering rose questions these last two weeks, as people interpret the weather.

The following is my individual advice and it is contraindicated in various garden books: Do not prune your roses now.

I fear this will only stimulate growth for a hard frost in a few weeks from now.

Let them flower. Pull off the petals when the flower deteriorates, but leave the hip.

Strip off all large leaves, leaving only those new small abundant leaves.

Make sure to pick up all the leaves on the ground around the plant. We will let pruning go until next month.

5. Perennials. Again, and please, leave them alone! You should always deadhead or remove rotting debris from them, but do not be fooled by the thermometer.

Look at the calendar: It’s only the beginning of February.

If you must play with them (and you must), get those weeds pulled.

With perennials a light cultivation with bone meal and lime applied now will yield a noticeable increase in vigor and bloom.

Now would be the perfect time for transplanting ferns, hostas and especially peonies.

6. Plants and seeds. Many plants should be started now if you own a greenhouse or hot house.

Pansies, begonias, impatiens and geraniums are perfect examples of seeds to be sown now.

Begonia tubers, caladium and lilies are fine examples of bulb-type plants to begin very soon.

If propagation is your thing, you should be in full production now.

Get fuchsia, geraniums, sweet potatoes, ivies and vines all stuck soon, making sure to always use root tone and bottom heat for success.

In the next few weeks try sowing an early attempt at sweet peas. This year should be wonderful for those prolific, cold-tolerant bloomers.

7. Weeds. Get them, get them now. Have them down with a vengeance and destroy them.

Hurry, they are early this year and are all pregnant.

8. Grass. If a window of weather is available, the temperature of late has shagged all of our lawns.

Do a low cut to minimize fungal problems this spring. If you have not limed your lawn, do so now and marvel at this year’s improvement.

9. Hanging baskets and flower boxes. Find the type you like and order them before the rush is on.

This is the only request I make of my readers, and I will even let you slip by on dead-heading, if you just hang a basket or window box this year.

There are a lot more jobs, but there will also be a lot more of late winter, so we will tackle those next week.

I am going to get some BenGay and ibuprofen.

Good luck and stay well all!

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Andrew May is a freelance writer and ornamental horticulturist who dreams of having Clallam and Jefferson counties nationally recognized as “Flower Peninsula USA.” Send him questions c/o Peninsula Daily News, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362, or email news@peninsuladailynews.com (subject line: Andrew May).