February Landscape Garden Tips
Select a tip for the month of February below:
Tip #1: Apply pre-emergent weed control to lawns now.
Tip #3: Seed or overseed fescue lawns.
Tip #4: Apply pelletized lime at this time to fescue, Bermuda, and zoysia lawns.
Tip #5: Fertilize established fescue lawns.
Tip #6: Fertilize roses after pruning in late February.
Tip #7: Prepare or refurbish annual flowebeds or vegetable gardens.
Tip #8: February is the last month of Winter to safely transplant/relocate shrubs or trees in the South.
Tip #9: February is a great time to plant most all shrubs and trees.
Tip #10: Heavy pruning of shrubs and trees can be done at this time.
Tip #11: Check out many of the early spring blooming shrubs and trees.
Tip #1: Apply pre-emergent weed control to lawns now.
February is a good time to broadcast weed preventer granuals, such as Lebanon Team 2G Weed Preventer over your Bermuda, zoysia, Centipede, or fescue lawn to control crabgrass and many other spring-emering weeds by killing the seeds of these weeds before they germinate. One bag of Team 2G covers 22,000 square feet.
***Caution: If you are planning to overseed your Fescue lawn this month, or in March, do not apply pre-emergent weed preventer at this time.
Tip #2: Apply pre-emergent weed control to mulched beds, islands and other landscaped areas.
Broadcast Treflan Weed Preventer Granules in shrub beds, islands, and other non-lawn areas to control weeds for up to 1 year! Treflan works by killing weed seeds before they have a chance to germinate. SEE: Weed Control in Landscape Beds & Islands.
Tip #3: Seed or overseed fescue lawns.
If you plan on seeding or overseeding a fescue lawn this Spring, the earlier you do so the better. There are two basic categories of fescue seed: "turf-type", and KY-31 Fescue. We recommend using turf-type fescues or a mixture of the two. Keep in mind that Ky 31 is best suited for use in pastures and thrives best when cut at 6 inches or higher. It is best to broadcast fescue seed with a rotary-type walk behind or shoulder spreader. Feed newly seeded fescue lawns with a lawn starter fertilizer conatining plenty of phosphorus (middle number). SEE: Overseeding a Lawn
Tip #4: Apply pelletized lime at this time to fescue, Bermuda, and zoysia lawns.
Lime is not a fertilizer, however, you may notice after applying it that your lawn greens up quickly. This is due to the correction of the ph, which can unlock and releases fertilzers that have been applied in the past. If you have never applied lime to your lawn, a one-time application of 40 lbs per 500 -1,000 square feet usually corrects soil ph to a level sufficient for these grasses to thrive and for fertilizers applied to activate. Make sure to use "pellitized" lime as it activates instantly. Once ph is corrected no further applications of lime are necessary for several years. There are soil ph testing kits available at most local nursery and garden centers and your local extension service may also provide soil testing services.
Tip #5:Fertilize established fescue lawns.
Feed established fescue lawns now with a high-nitrogen lawn fertilizer.
To determine how much fertilizer to apply measure your lawn area(s) for total square footage by multiplying the length x width of area(s) to be covered. SEE: How to Fertilize a Fescue Lawn
Tip #6: Fertilize roses after pruning in late February.
In the South, you can hard-prune your roses in late February or early March. After pruning, fertilize with a well-balanced rose food. Alternatively, you may feed with an all-purpose natural or organic fertilizer. How to Prune Roses
Tip #7:Prepare or refurbish annual flowebed and/or vegetable garden soil.
January is a good time to prepare your vegetable garden and/or annual flowerbed soil for the upcoming Spring planting season. If you do not make your own compost, most local nursery and garden centers carry products such as mushroom compost or composted cow manure that are good to replenish your soil with the rich organic matter necessary to successfully grow healthy vegetables and flowers.
SEE:
SEE ALSO: Organic Vegetable Gardening
SEE ALSO: ,a href="/How-To/Planting-Instructions/How-To-Plant-A-Flower-Bed.aspx">How to Plant a Raised Annual Flower Bed
Tip #8:February is the last month of winter when you may safely transplant/relocate shrubs or trees in the South.
If there are some shrubs or small trees that you would like to transplant/relocate in the landscape, the winter dormant season is a good time to do so. How do we know plants have gone dormant? When all the leaves have fallen from the trees we know the dormant season is here. Even in the Deep South all ornamental shrubs and trees have gone into dormancy. SEE: How to Relocate and Transplant an Established Shrub or Tree
Note: Some plants, such as established conifers and junipers, simply do not respond well to relocation.
Tip #9: February is a great time to plant most all shrubs and trees.
Contrary to popular belief, February, and in fact the entire winter season, is a great time to plant most all shrubs and trees. Winter planting of most dormant shrubs and trees is very safe and allows them to acclimate to their new home before receiving the huge benefit of an early-spring root flush. There is absoulutely no danger to most shrubs and trees planting them in February. We successfully plant through the entire winter!
Tip #10: Heavy pruning of shrubs and trees can be done.
February is the best month to prune Crape Myrtles and many other plants and trees. SEE: Pruning Instructions
CAUTION: DO NOT prune spring-flowering shrubs such as Forsythia (Yellow Bells) and Azaleas until after they have finished blooming in Spring.
CAUTION: DO NOT prune Lantanas until the new growth begins to emerge in Spring.
Visit Wilson Bros Nursery or your local nursery to check out many of the early spring blooming shrubs and trees such as forsythia (Yellow Bells), camellia japonicas, tulip trees, flowering quince and many others.
Choose from a month below to view gardening tips and reminders: