Your February Garden Tasks
THE VILLAGE GARDENER
Thompson & Morgan February Tips
- Install a water butt, especially good for watering ericaceous plants.
- Shred or chop up woody prunings to help with composting.
- Trim hedges before birds start nesting.
- Cut back ivy and Virginia creeper to prevent your windows and gutters being covered.
- Force rhubarb for an early crop.
Suttons Seeds Tips of the Month
- Thin out snowdrops and use spares to generate new clumps while they are still in the green.
- Cover prepared ground with cloches or polythene to warm up the ground for early planting.
- Use those yellow insect tapes in greenhouses to identify which pest is most prevalent.
- Check overwintering plants for any with disease.
- At the end of the month start off begonia tubers.
The heavy rain at the end of December caused flooding over most of East Wales. Closer to home, Wenvoe had flood water at Nant Isaf and the junction of Walston Road and Old Port Road by St Mary’s Church also had flood water problems. Although the rain fall was exceptional, we can expect this to become a common occurrence. Householders can help by using permeable surfaces when creating new accesses or making garden improvements.
Dahlia tubers stored over winter can be started into growth by placing them in a light warm place to sprout before planting. Misting with a spray bottle will stop them drying out. Place gladioli corms in seed trays and find a light warm spot for them to shoot before planting out to ensure an early display. Prune buddleia and elder down to the base to stop it taking over your plot. Mahonia and winter flowering jasmine can be trimmed after flowering.
If you have a greenhouse or some space on windowsills it’s time to get those seeds started, following instructions on the packet. Don’t worry if you’re a couple of weeks late in getting started as they will soon catch up when warmer weather comes. You can then look forward to some great garden displays throughout the summer.
Growing fruit on a frame [espalier] is a great way of being able to harvest the produce at whatever level you wish. It also makes an excellent windbreak, especially if you have an allotment on the Twyn where anything not fixed down gets blown into next week.
The Wenvoe Wildlife Group have asked if gardeners could see their way to assist the wildlife in our village by cutting hedges as soon as possible so as not to disturb nesting birds and by not turning over their fresh compost heaps until April if possible as some small animals may still be hibernating.
Take care and happy gardening.