Breaking ground
FEBRUARY
Once again, we are riding a roller coaster of weather. This past week we had a high in the mid-70s in some parts of the state and a low in the upper 20s. If you think we are confused, consider your plants.
I have been getting a lot of questions and pictures of plants getting started way too early. I have seen roses with blooms, daffodils blooming, Japonica camellias, flowering quince, loropetalum and more. We can’t push the flowers back in, but we do need to pay attention to the weather.
We typically are not frost-free until early April, so we have a lot of “winter” yet to come. If extremely cold weather is forecast for your area, consider covering susceptible plants for a day or two, or pick an early bouquet to enjoy indoors. Cardboard boxes, inverted flower pots, frost blankets or sheets can give plants a few degrees of protection. It helps to set up the covering several inches above the plants to make an air pocket.
February is a busy month in the garden, with planting opportunities, clean-up and pruning.
■ We can start planting cool-season vegetables. English peas and snow peas can go in the ground from seed, along with greens, spinach and carrot seeds.
■ If you can find vegetable transplants, you can start planting cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and other cool-season vegetables.
■ Those of you who planted a late cool-season garden are reaping the harvest. I have been getting broccoli, kale, Swiss chard and lettuce. The flavor is enhanced with cool weather for these vegetables, and in most gardens, they have made it through so far with little if any protection.
■ If you have vegetables growing, fertilize them on a mild day. We have had ample rainfall, so we haven’t had to supplement watering, but do pay attention to moisture levels, particularly if cold weather is forecast.
■ Late this month is the time to prune roses, crape myrtles (if needed) and most summer-blooming shrubs and trees — with the exception of gardenias and big leaf and oak leaf hydrangeas. If you have evergreen nonblooming shrubs that need severe pruning, try to do so before the flush of new growth appears. Knowing the expected outcome and why you are pruning is the first step before you actually start pruning.
■ Winter annuals are also doing well. Fertilization is important to help pansies and violas flower. If you are growing plants in containers outside, they might need additional water. Plants that are too dry are not protected from cold.
■ Gardens are waking up, some more than we would like. It is the right season for flowering on hellebores, and they are giving us lots of color in the shade garden. Winter jasmine is blooming, and winter honeysuckle is not far behind. Mahonia is a shade-loving shrub that is putting on its winter blooms. I have seen a lot of bee activity around these winter-blooming plants, even on some cool days.
■ Winter weeds started early and are continuing to grow. I have seen some lovely yellow blooms on dandelions in yards and gardens across town. Bees like these blooms as well, but try to prevent the seed set or you will see more weeds next year. Henbit and chickweed are starting to flower, and spring beauty will follow soon. While some gardeners use their weeds as “wildflowers,” remember they do multiply each season.
If you just have a few weeds here and there, consider hand pulling or hoeing them out. If your yard is covered in weeds, and you don’t want them, you can apply a broadleaf herbicide now to kill them. Read the label directions before applying. Consider wind conditions and temperature, and avoid getting them near vegetable and flower gardens.
■ Spring bulbs are popping up in gardens, and a few early bloomers actually have open flowers. The majority are just showing green. This, too, is natural. Don’t damage the foliage, since they only have one set of leaves. If you are seeing flower buds, now is a good time to fertilize to make sure the nutrition is there after blooming because that’s when bulb plants generate energy to set next year’s blooms.
CHERRY TREES
In honor of George Washington, let’s talk about cherry trees. I don’t think you could find a prettier springflowering tree than a flowering cherry.
While we don’t do well with edible cherry trees in the South, flowering cherries will grow, albeit not for a long lifetime. Cherry trees are susceptible to insect damage and some diseases, but if planted in a well-drained soil in full sun, they can give you years of enjoyment.
They are small to midsize trees with single or double blooms in shades of white to pink. There are weeping forms and upright forms.
All of them originated in China and Japan. The most common ones you will find are the Kwanzan and Yoshino cherries, but there are other varieties out there. Kwanzan have pink double blooms that are stunning in full flower. Yoshino have pinkish-white blooms and are the most common variety in Washington.
Okame is a newer variety with single, deep pink flowers that is earlier blooming and possibly more reliable in the South.
Mulch around your cherry trees to avoid lawn mower or weed-eater damage.