What to do in your Garden in February

The weather here and across the nation has been rather strange and erratic this winter.  When Alabama gets 5 inches of snow and Washington, D.C. gets the most snow in decades, the idea of doing things in your garden seem so far away.  But here in Colorado there are some things you can do while the winds blow and the snow falls.  Performing these few tasks will give you a head start once Spring arrives, plus it will help with that cabin fever brewing inside of you.

I know those seed catalogs have arrived since the beginning of the year making you more anxious to get your hands in the dirt.  Take time and think about what you want to plant this year.  While you are all snuggled up in your blanket with your hot chocolate, decide what you are going to plant, by browsing through your seed catalogs and order the variety you have chosen.

If your garden soil is not frozen, now is the time to plant bare-root stock.  Plants like grapes, raspberries, and ornamental fruit and shade trees fall into this category.

Believe or not now is the time to start shopping for summer blooming bulbs.  A lot of local nurseries start stocking their shelves with summer bulbs.  The early you shop, the better selection you will have to make your choices.  Summer bulbs and tubers like gladiolas, cannas and dahlias store in a cool, dry place until May when you can plant them in the ground.  You can start them earlier indoors in March if you like.

Four weeks prior to you last frost date in your area start you cool weather crops, such as broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower indoors or in a greenhouse.  This will give you a jump on the season instead of waiting to plant them by seed directly in the garden.

Throughout the winter make sure you gently brush the heavy snow from your shrubs and trees.  This simple preventive maintenance will prevent broken or permanently bent branches.

If you grow aspens or other trees that sucker a lot, now is the time to prune them while the ground is still frozen.  Pruning the suckers will help keep your main shrub or tree healthy.

Now is the time to spray dormant oil on your ornamental trees and deciduous trees to kill the overwintering insect eggs.  Completely wet all surfaces, including the underside of the leaves and branches.  By doing this you will have less headaches once the weather gets warm and the eggs would begin to hatch.

Proper maintenance of your garden tools makes digging in your garden more enjoyable.  Make sure you sharpened and remove any rust on your garden tools.  Also apply a light coating of oil.

With all the wind we have had, make sure the mulch on your perennials has not blown away to Kansas.  We still have a lot of cold weather ahead, so keep those perennials well mulched.

If you grow transplants from seed now would be a good time to get out those grow lights and make sure they still work.  Your seedlings need between 12-16 hours of good light each day.  Replace any lights that are not  performing well for new ones.