University of Vermont Extension
Department of Plant and Soil Science
Winter News
Article
PINCHING HOUSEPLANTS AND
OTHER FEBRUARY
GARDENING TIPS
Charlie Nardozzi, Senior
Horticulturist
National Gardening
Association, and
Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension
Professor
University of Vermont
Pinching
back houseplants, getting ready for and sowing some seeds, and checking
stored
summer bulbs are some of the gardening activities for this month.
With the stronger sun and longer
days, houseplants will be putting out more new growth that can become
leggy.
Also these succulent shoots are very appealing to aphids. Keep pinching
the
growing tips and move plants around if needed to give them all some
time in the
sunniest windows. Rotating plants a quarter turn weekly will help keep
them
growing straight.
When
a break in the cold brings temperatures above 40 degrees, it's a good
time to
spray dormant oil on landscape plants infested with scale and other
overwintering pests. The oil will smother the insects.
You'll want to get to your pruning
tools in February and March for dormant-season pruning, so dig them out
and
clean them up if you didn't get that chore done in the fall.
Disassemble hand
pruners if easily done, loppers, and shears; sharpen the blades, oil
the
levers, and remove any rust. Pruning trees will go much faster and be
easier on
your hands and on the plants if you use sharp, well-maintained
equipment.
If you've stored dahlias and other
tender bulbs in a cool spot for the winter, check on them now and then
and
remove any that are moldy or rotted. Also they may begin sprouting
prematurely if
they've been a bit warm, and then you'll need to pot them up and grow
them indoors (in as
cool an area as possible, but not freezing) until spring. If you let
the stems
grow without being planted, the bulbs will soon die.
For seeds that need warmth to
germinate, a heat mat underneath the flat can make a big difference.
Once the
seedlings are up, move them off the mat and grow them on at a cooler
temperature to encourage strong, stocky growth.
It's not too soon to start annuals
that get off to a very slow start, such as pansies, violas, petunias,
snapdragons,
and lobelia. While garden centers offer some favorites, the choices are
seemingly endless when your grow your own, and the quantity will be too
if you
save all the little seedlings. Just remember when sowing to sow a few
extras,
but not too many. Keep in mind all those
plants will need planting and weeding, and do you really have space for
them
all?
If you just need some color to
brighten up winter days, consider a pot or two of forced bulbs (if you
didn't
start your own), or some cut flowers.
Buy cut flowers in bud, just opening, for longest life. Keep cut
flowers protected on the way home
from freezing, and put right in water containing a flower preservative
(available at most florist shops and garden stores).
Another way to get some color indoors
is to cut some branches of pussy willow, forsythia, crabapples or other
spring
flowering plants to force into bloom indoors.
Soaking in a bathtub overnight may help, but you don't need to pound
the
ends of branches as some recommend to "loosen" them up. A clean
cut with sharp pruners is
sufficient.
Other activities for this month
include keeping birds fed regularly, pruning fruit trees and grapevines
and
blueberries, checking houseplants for pests weekly and fertilizing
them.
Return to
Perry's Perennial
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