WE ARE NOW moving into mid-February, only a month and a few days away from spring. We all, however, do not want to be past the midway point of our ever-growing garden work list, which expands as spring approaches.
Many of these chores are very much time-dependent, so without further ado, here is your mid- and late-winter work list of gardening jobs to do in the next few days to weeks.
Northwest Flower and Garden Show
I need to be harping on this because you should not miss the second largest flower and garden show scheduled in Seattle this Wednesday through Sunday Feb. 13 at the Washington State Convention Center.
Visit gardenshow.com for all the glorious details, but make sure you go for the inspirational alone because it will fire you up for the huge workload that is coming.
Dormant oil spray
Again, I know I’ve preached about this super-duty orchard and specialty woody ornamental treatment against many overwintering pest, but now and only now is the time for this treatment, which must be done before the plant’s leaves and flowers breakout (which is very soon).
It takes at least two treatments a week or two apart, so spray now —when it is not raining for 24 hours and is above 40 degrees.
Bare-root trees
Weeks ago, we discussed the many virtues of planting bare-root anything.
Well, now, bare-root items are everywhere good gardening products are sold, so be it strawberries, roses, fruit trees, onions, shade trees, raspberries or the like, plant bare-root items soon and apply lots of bone meal.
Grass
Grass is really an acronym that stands for “grueling, repetitive, annual, seasonal service.”
Now is both the season and the time to be very repetitive concerning this annual chore. Mow your lawn short, apply lime along with fertilizer and then over-seed with a very high quality grass seed. This is a professional’s February schedule here on the Peninsula.
Fertilize
While you are at it with your lawn, do not stop there in applying nutrients and lime.
If applied now, in the next few weeks, the fertilizer will be “readily available.”
All your plants soon will be in need of nutrients to foster all that spring growth and flowers, so fertilize soon but please, use organic fertilizers, which are actually better for your plants, the environment and especially your soil.
Prune, baby, prune
Now is the time for all your fruit trees and almost past the time for all your evergreens.
The next two weekends are perfect for trimming down your roses, potentillas, spireas, certain hydrangeas, herbaceous clematis and other vigorous vines (not trumpet vines).
So sharpen up and be a pruning maniac all over your yard (but not on very soon to bloom ornamentals).
Weeds
Be careful of these garden snatchers because right now they are already sprouting and growing everywhere.
Weeding now or smothering them to death with a covering of new soil or mulch will save countless hours of arduous toil later.
Get at those weeds in the next few weeks.
Soil prep, supplies
This next month is the ideal time to both buy and store up on soil amendments like peat moss, perlite, sand, compost, leaf mold, manure and vermiculite.
Edging your beds and then tilling your soil, along with adding organic fertilizers, will make everything ready and easy for the mass plantings that are soon to come.
Vegetable garden
The veggie plot is the perfect place to start that soil prep because in a week or two, you can start planting.
Peas like a late February to early March sowing and when March is here, onions, leek, various berries, carrots and greens can be sown, along with other cool crops.
Make plans and get that vegetable area ready for a bumper year.
Bulb care
Remember as your bulbs come up to keep them weeded and moist along with fertilizing them.
Then, deadhead old flowers and trim foliage as it wilts away for an even more spectacular next year display.
We live in the best spring bulb area in the world, so tend these beauties well and again fertilize after they bloom.
Early plantings
Perennials soon will be available, for many are frost tolerant and bloom early here on the Peninsula.
Primroses are on shelves now, so start looking for early blooming perennials to add late-winter color to the garden.
Sweet alyssum
Very soon, this biannual flower will be available in stores across the Peninsula.
This plant attracts wasps, that lay their eggs in aphids, as well as early pollinators like Mason bees that need to dine before your fruit trees blossom.
Do you and your garden a world of good, Plant sweet alyssum as soon as possible throughout the yard in order to attract very good bugs.
And please … 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).
