February is the perfect time to get out in the garden and do some essential maintenance and planning for the spring.
Finish off winter digging (digging or forking over bare patches of ground, mixing in organic matter as you go).
Look out for aphids, they start to become active again as it begins to warm up. Try using a pest control spray if you notice unwanted garden visitors. We would always recommend using organic products which aren’t harmful to the environment.
Fruit & vegetables
- Cut back your autumn fruiting raspberry canes to the ground.
- Prune dormant pear and apple trees.
- Force rhubarb by removing any old leaves, then covering the crown with a pot. Insulate the area with straw or bubble wrap.
- Chit your seed potatoes.
- Net your fruit and vegetable crops to keep the birds off.
- Beds & borders.
- Prepare the ground for new beds and borders as early in the season as possible so the ground is in decent condition by the time you’re ready to start putting plants in.
- Remove weeds from beds and cover them with black plastic to help keep the ground dry and warm.
Lawns
- Cut back ornamental grasses to ground level.
- If it’s mild and dry, mow the grass and prepare the ground for a new lawn.
Trees and shrubs
Prune evergreen and deciduous or topiary hedges to promote fresh growth.
Tidy up and deadhead winter flowering pansies in tubs and hanging baskets.
Prune and rejuvenate old trees, shrubs and climbers, but don’t cut them right back. Just cut out the oldest branches (the ones that are thickest with the darkest bark). Leave the other branches for now. Just remove a few each year and in three or four years you’ll have replaced the whole plant.
Plant bare-root roses. These are not grown in a pot, so offer excellent value for money. Don’t forget to still protect these from the waterlogged ground.
So, for all your garden products and timber, look no further than the team at Johnsons Timber Supplies. Call us today on 0121 706 0404 or email sales@johnsonstimber.co.uk.