Judy's Garden Calendar February
The main focus for the gardener in February is
on keeping everything alive on those hot days.
Don’t forget the future, though, because
February’s an important month for planning for
winter and spring in the garden.
Vegies to sow in February
Spring onions
Spring onions are terrifically versatile – use
them in salads, dips, stirfries, soups and a host
of other dishes – but they’re often only needed
in small quantities. This is why it’s such an
advantage to grow your own. Spring onion
seeds can be sown directly into garden beds
and the stems harvested as required.
Look for Yates Straightleaf Spring Onion with
upright-growing leaves that stand well clear of
the soil, making harvesting clean and simple.
Chinese cabbages
If you’ve had problems in the past with Chinese
cabbages bolting to seed, think about sowing
them now. Start them off in pots in a cool part
of the garden. Transplant the seedlings
carefully during the milder autumn weather
when there’s less chance of them bolting.
Flowers to sow in February – Cornflowers
Amazingly, this attractive plant was given its
common name because it’s a weed in the
British cornfields. With its tall stems topped
with pretty, raggedy-petalled blooms, it’s hard to
think of cornflower as a weed. Most New
Zealand gardeners would think themselves
blessed if they grew this pretty plant in weed-
like proportions! Sow seeds of Yates Mystic
Blue cornflower into pots of Yates Black Magic
Seed Raising Mix and transplant carefully in
autumn when conditions are cooler.
Prune in February
You can prune hydrangeas now, or wait until
the depths of winter. Pruning at this time of
year gives the plant more time to develop next
season’s flowering wood but, by waiting until
winter, you get to enjoy the lovely, old-chintz
colours of the aging blooms. No
matter when you decide to prune your
hydrangeas, make sure of two things: only cut
those stems that have flowered this season,
and make the cut just above a pair of healthy,
plump buds.
Also, February can be a good month to prune
summer fruit trees, especially the disease-
prone apricots and cherries.
Pest watch in February
Two-spotted mites cause bronze discolouration
of leaves and, when the infestation is severe,
produce fine webbing that covers the leaves.
Plants in dry spots are particularly susceptible.
Watering over the leaves will reduce mite
numbers, and a spray with Yates Nature’s Way
Insect & Mite Spray – both sides of leaves – can
also help. Badly-infested flowering annuals
should be destroyed – they’re not worth saving.
Keep an eye out, too, for caterpillars, especially
on cabbages and relatives. Nature’s Way Derris
Dust is fast acting and easy to apply.
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