The first snowdrops poke their white heads out of the ground in February. The buds of the impressive and colorful rhododendron are also getting thicker and thicker. In short: Spring sends the first tender messages and lures one or two allotment gardeners outside. And that’s good. Because in February there is a lot to do, especially for those who have fruit trees in their garden. Perennials and hedges also appreciate a little love in the end of winter. You can find out in this article what other small but important tasks need to be done in February.
The apples from the weekly market are delicious. But the ones from your own garden taste even better. And so that it stays that way and the harvest in the 2024 gardening season does not turn into a failure, so-called maintenance pruning should be carried out on apple and pear trees in February. This includes cutting off all competing shoots, cutting back all vertical water shoots and removing overhanging fruit wood. And exactly in this order. If you are unsure, you should take a look at relevant specialist literature such as “Everything about pruning” (Helmut Pirc). The most important and indispensable helper for cutting waste is high-quality secateurs. If thicker branches have to be removed, it is better to use a slightly more powerful (geared) pruning shear, such as this model from Fiskars or a small pruning saw. Maintenance pruning is intended to slow down excessive growth and stimulate fruit set.
Allotment gardeners should start working on their compost heap as early as February. Rain and other precipitation heavily compacted the rotted material around the turn of the year. For this reason, the compost should be thoroughly rearranged and thus aired. This stimulates the millions of microorganisms to become more active again. The best way to loosen up and ventilate is to use a spade or digging fork. Here is a spading fork from Spear
Tomatoes and peppers are among the most popular vegetables among amateur gardeners. And they prefer to cultivate the nightshade family themselves from the seed to the ripe fruit. To ensure this is successful, the seeds can be sown in February. Important: Nightshade plants are cold cats and should be given plenty of warmth from sowing to harvest. A heated greenhouse (here a miniature version) or cold frame is ideal. Under a transparent hood, tomatoes, chilli or peppers also develop beautifully in pots or multi-pot pallets on the windowsill at home. With the right potting soil, you usually only have to wait about ten days until the first cotyledons “see” the light of day. Here is a mini greenhouse for the windowsill with a transparent hood.
Transparency note: This article was first published in February 2022.
This article contains so-called affiliate links. Further information are available here.