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| Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheeprus/ |
- Choose seeds, bulbs and woody plants from catalogues and order early. Some varieties sell out quickly!
- Start slow-growing seeds such as parsley, rosemary, begonias and petunias now indoors. Broccoli, cabbage and other cole crops can be started indoors in late February and transplanted outside in early April.
- Carefully remove heavy snow from evergreens and woody shrubs by tapping upwards from under covered branches to minimize damage.
- Check trees and shrubs for animal damage. Pull any mulch away from trunks where bark can be gnawed or stripped off.
- Water recently-planted trees and shrubs if there is little or no rain or snow and if the ground is not frozen.
- Prune apple and pear trees in late winter. “Seed” fruit trees such as peach, plum and cherry are pruned in mid-April.
- Monitor houseplants for spider mites, aphids, white fly, fungus gnats and mealy bugs.
- Using a purchased, soil-less potting mix, transplant rooted cuttings brought inside last fall. Keep soil evenly moist.
- Keep poinsettias out of drafts, evenly moist and in bright, indirect light to prolong their beauty.
- Check stored summer-blooming bulbs for rot or decay and discard those affected. Lightly mist any that are “wrinkled.”
- Continue adding kitchen scraps to the compost pile. Use wood ashes sparingly on the garden, lawn and compost pile.
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