What to do in your garden in February.

February, the shortest gardening month of the year. A late summer gardening month, and more often than not high summer temperatures are drying out your garden and pots. Flower and vegetable harvests are peaking. Growth is still at an optimum with a very tiny hint of the upcoming season change.

Flowers

• Deadhead plants like Roses, Cannas, Agapanthus, Daisy bushes and Pelargoniums. This will keep your garden looking tidy and encourage more flowers.
• Start preparing trenches for Sweet Pea sowing.
• Sow flower seeds like Ageratum, Foxgloves, Petunias, Marigolds and Zinnias for autumn flowering.
• Spray Roses with RoseCare 3 to control black spot, mildew and aphids.
• Feed Roses regularly with Wonder Vitaliser Rose and Flower fertiliser 8.1.5 (17) SR.

Lawns

• Raise the mower setting to cut the lawn higher so it can withstand hot, dry weather during the height of summer.
• Fertilise your lawn every four to six weeks with Wonder Vitaliser Lawn & Leaf 7:1:3 (15) SR or Bio Ganic for Lawns.
• Water very well and often after fertilising to prevent chemical burn.

Vegetables, Herbs & Fruit

• Sow vegetable seeds such as Beans, Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Lettuce, Spinach, Carrots and Onions.
• Grow a variety of salad leaves that can be harvested throughout the summer.
• Strawberry runners can be pegged down into soil or pots.
• Pick Rasberries regularly.
• Feed all vegetable and herbs with an organic fertiliser like Talborne’s Vita-Veg 6:3:4 (16).

General Tasks

• Keep on top of the weeding. Luckily weeds don’t grow as quickly in mid-summer.
• Divide easy-to-grow perennials and ground covers like Agapanthus, Wild Iris, Red Hot Pokers, Ornamental grasses and Day Lilies.
• Stake young plants and standard roses well to prevent summer storm damage.
• Don’t forget to water your trees and shrubs, as they need adequate moisture to weather the heat. This is especially important for any new trees and shrubs you have just planted this season.
• Water hanging baskets and containers at least once a day and feed once a week.
• Use Ludwig’s Insect Spray Plus to control ants naturally in the garden.
• Control snails and slugs using Biogrow Ferramol for Snails.
• Clean gutters regularly to prevent build up of leaves.