Into the Garden - February
February may be one of the coldest months, but it’s the perfect time to plan ahead for what’s to come in spring. Whether it’s sowing seeds, summer-flowering bulbs or bedding, Longacres has everything you need to get started.
Planting Ornamental Grasses
Late February or early March, (before the plant comes into new growth) is the time to cut back some deciduous grasses to tidy them up, such as miscanthus and calamagrostis. Be careful not to damage any new growth you may see coming through.
Evergreen grasses like carex and festuca just need to have dead fronds removed at the base. Wearing rubber gardening gloves, “comb” through the grass to pull out old, dead stems.
If a clump of ornamental grass is getting too big you can divide it now using a large spade to slice the plant down the centre and re-plant spaced apart.
Rose Pruning
Late February is an ideal time to prune your rose bushes, as they are coming into new growth. Make the best of your roses by pruning, which encourages new growth and better blooms, plus helping to reduce diseases.
Always prune to an outward facing bud, using clean, sharp secateurs. Floribunda (cluster flowered) roses are pruned by cutting out any dead or diseased branches, and removing any that are rubbing or crossing over.
For hybrid tea roses, cut back shoots to 10-15cm from the base of where last year’s growth began. Floribunda roses should have their shoots cut to 25-30cm of soil level.
Repotting Houseplants
Now that the days are getting longer and brighter, houseplants can be repotted using houseplant compost. Make sure you only pot into the next size pot (or one slightly larger than the size of the plant’s root ball).
Over potting into too large a pot can make the roots rot and cause plant death. You can feed your houseplants now, using a suitable houseplant feed.
It’s also a good time to repot your orchid if it has become too large for its pot, or hasn’t been re-potted for the last two years. Choose the next pot size up, or even reuse the same pot if previously re-potted and it just needs a re-fresh. Use a bark-based orchid compost, to ensure good drainage and aeration of the roots.
Carefully remove the orchid from its pot, trim off any dead roots (those that are dark brown and shrivelled) and old compost. Carefully hold the plant in the pot at the right level and gently add fresh orchid compost around the roots, making sure you firm it so that the orchid stays upright but not too compact.
Do not bury any aerial roots (grey in colour and often growing horizontally out of the plant) as this can make them rot. You may need to use a cane to support the plant until it becomes established.
Feeding Plants
Feed shrubs, roses and container plants with a general-purpose fertiliser such as Vitax Q4, Growmore, Fish, Blood & Bone or chicken manure pellets to give plants the nutrients they need once weather warms up. Specialist fertilisers for many plants are available, such as ericaceous fertiliser for acid-loving plants like azalea, camellia and rhododendron.
Cleaning & Maintenance
After increased rainfall, patios and paths may become slippery due to growth of moss and algae. Tidy up your patio and paths by using a hard bristle brush to remove any signs of growth or build up.
You can help with this by using products specially designed outdoor cleaners such as Algon Path & Patio Cleaner, Jeyes Fluid or Patio Magic.
