February in the Garden

LET’S GO ahead and start this month by talking about the Christmas freeze. We are getting daily calls about “dead” plants and what to do about them, so here is what you need to know.

First of all, it was not the low temperature that damaged the plants - it was how quickly the temperature dropped. Our temperatures had been very moderate in early December, and many of us had new growth and even bulbs emerging. When the temperature dropped almost 50 degrees in the span of 24 hours, the plants simply did not have time to adapt. If cold comes gradually, plants will pull the water from their leaves to their roots and send sugars in as somewhat of a plant antifreeze. Since they didn’t have time to do that, the water froze in the cells, causing them to rupture. Plants can’t fix that, so they have to push all those leaves off and grow new ones. Some have pushed their leaves off already, and some will hold on to them until new ones grow. In either case, those plants are not going to be pretty for some time.

What should you do? Wait. It will be late May or even later before we see the extent of the damage. In the meantime, you should leave them alone. Only prune plants that you would normally prune this time of year (more on that later) and be patient with everything else. Nature takes time to heal.

Now let’s get back to our regular to-do list. As always, go out and walk around your yard to see what is going on. This is especially important considering the freeze damage. Remember to look up, down, and all around. Look up at tree branches to see if you have sparse canopies, broken or damaged branches, loose bark, woodpecker holes, or mushrooms. Look down for weeds, mole tunnels, vole holes, or shallow holes where possums, skunks, or raccoons are digging for grubs. Note shrubs that are heavily damaged in case you must replace any, but don’t give up on them too soon. Here are some other things that you can do this month:

• If you are growing vegetables this year, now is a good time to get your beds ready. Work leaf mold, processed manure, and compost into the soil. I also like to use worm castings as an amendment. Adding amendments now will give them time to break down to add nutrients to the soil.

• It should be warm enough to sow greens,

BY LISA GRUGIN

lettuce, peas, radishes, and onions by the end of February. If you have a cold frame, you can start cold weather veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.

• A 3” layer of mulch on gardens and flower beds helps keep soil temperature and moisture levels more stable. Remember to make donuts and not volcanoes around trees - piling mulch around the trunk damages it.

• February is a good time to prune summer blooming deciduous shrubs and broadleaf evergreens, but I urge caution. If your plants were badly damaged by the freeze, pruning will stress them further. It would be a good idea to go a little lighter on the pruning than usual until you see what survived and what didn’t. No Crepe Murder! Please do your research before you start whacking away. We are planning a Pruning workshop for late February, so watch for that. It is fine to wait until then to do your pruning.

• If you haven’t cleaned out your beds, this is a great time to cut out the privet, honeysuckle, and wild grapes that hide in your shrubs. You can also vent some frustration pulling weeds. Stay current with your weeding or you will have a much bigger problem to deal with in the spring!

• Do not forget the birds. They are having a hard time in the cold and really appreciate a full, clean feeder. High fat foods such as black oil sunflower seeds and suet will help them stay warm. A heated birdbath will create a spa!

• Indoor plants can also use a little love this time of year. Check them for diseases and insects and make notes about which ones need to be up potted or divided. I usually give my smaller plants a shower in the sink to rinse off the dust that has accumulated and use a cloth or Swiffer to clean off the larger plants. It is also time to resume fertilizing if you took a break while they were dormant. I prefer to use an organic product like Espoma on a bi-weekly basis.

I know you will soon have lots of questions about your plants, so don’t hesitate to give us a call or stop by. We want to help you have a beautiful yard!

Meadow

9885 Highway 11E Lenoir City, TN 37772 865.986.7229

MeadowViewGreenhouse.com