John Hethrington has been gardening since the age of 9. He spent his early life gardening in Toronto and earned his certification as a Master Gardener before moving to Meaford where he cultivates 2.5 acres with 20 different gardens. He writes monthly garden tips.
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There are still gardening chores to be done in dreary Februrary. Here's what a master gardener recommends doing for your spring shoots this month:
- Now, there is lots of snow cover. But if we get a February freeze/thaw, mound up all the available snow and any new snow that falls, around tender plants like roses. If you have a few boughs left from your Christmas tree, put them over tender plants to catch the snow. It is the freeze/thaw that kills plants, not just the cold.
- Start planning your garden projects for 2021. Make a list for the spring. Then you will know what you didn’t get done when you check it in June. I have mine done and I am tired already. A garden is never finished!
- Start propagating stem cuttings of geraniums, fuchsias, etc. by the end of the month.
- Plant slow germinating seeds inside, like impatiens, peppers, eggplants, etc.
- As the weather warms, you can start pruning shade trees, fruit trees and shrubs, if you can get to them through the snow. Leave trees that “bleed” like maples and birch until after they have leaves.
- Visit local nursery greenhouses when we are allowed and smell the coming spring.
- You can forget about the big garden shows like Canada Blooms and the Peterborough Garden show this spring, they have all been cancelled because of COVID. Think spring 2022.
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