February’s here, and the first hints of spring appear, with snowdrops, aconites and even a few early daffodils in flower. When the weather’s good, grab your gardening tools and get outside! Here are our top gardening tips for February.
Top 8 garden jobs for February
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Prune fuchsias, cutting last year’s growth back to two buds from the main stems. Cut Buddleja Davidii (Summer Lilac) back hard this month to 30cm above ground level.
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Once your snowdrops have finished flowering, lift and divide large clumps, replanting the resulting smaller clumps. This is a great way to encourage snowdrops to spread, giving you a fantastic spring display.
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Cut back epimediums, removing all old leaves. This makes the delicate flowers easier to see and encourages a flush of strong new leaves.
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Tidy up evergreen grasses like Carex and Festuca by combing through with your fingers to get rid of old dead foliage (wear gloves to avoid cuts).
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First early potatoes do best if they are chitted before planting. To do this, leave the seed potatoes somewhere cool and bright for a few weeks to start sprouting. They should be ready to plant in 4-6 weeks.
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Get your veg beds ready for the growing season by clearing any weeds and stones. Put down wooden planks to walk on when working on the beds to stop the soil from becoming compacted.
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Spring clean greenhouses and cold frames, washing down the glass with warm soapy water to get rid of the winter grime and prepare for the new growing year!
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Spraying fruit trees with our plant-based winter washes will reduce aphid eggs and infestations of these troublesome pests in spring and summer. If any aphids survive,
Get ready for the gardening year with a visit to our centre, where you will find all the seeds, feeds, plants and tools you need to make your garden bloom!
