February To Do List

Water Garden:
There’s not too much to do this month! Potted Lotus can be, and should be, divided and repotted this month. We recommend repotting every other year for most varieties.
Warmer temperatures are waking up our fish, but we are resisting the temptation to feed.
Adding new fish at this time is ok.
Collect/ net out string algae as needed. Spot treat with Green Clean if needed.
Plant water iris.
We’ll be cleaning our ponds and repotting plants later this spring.

In the Edible Garden:
It’s go time!
Add compost & mulch to planting beds (Recommended in both Spring and Fall). Pine straw is now available! View our soil offerings.
Plant seed potatoes now! View our Planting Guide here. Please call for availability.
We are still planting cool-season veggies at this time. Later this month we’ll plant our tomatoes weather permitting (certified organic tomato starts available now!). Cool season vegetables include Artichokes, asparagus, beets, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, collards, kale, leeks, lettuce, onions, peas, radish, shallots & spinach. Some cool-season herbs include Dill, Fennel, Garlic Chives, Horseradish, Lemon Balm, Mint, Parsley, Rosemary, and Summer Savory, Call or stop by for availability. We are receiving weekly deliveries right now. View the Travis County Planting Calendar here.
Some flowering plants for the garden; Alyssum, Snapdragons, Calendula, Coneflower, Chrysanthemum, Delphinium, Dianthus, Daisy, Gaillardia, Cardinal Flower, Nasturtium, Penstemon, Ornamental Cabbage and Kale, Pansy, and Violas.
Plant fruit trees! Available now! Apples, blackberries, grapes, figs, peaches, pears, persimmons & plums. We’ll recommend planting pomegranates next month.
Transplanting can happen now with bare root and container-grown roses, shrubs, trees, groundcovers, and vines. Any hardy seedlings can begin to go outside. Perennial herbs and summer and fall blooming perennial flowers can be divided and transplanted.
Keep row cover ready for surprise freezes! We have 12-foot N-Sulate ready to go. $1.99 per linear foot.
Prune fruit trees, grapes and blackberries. Keep your tools sharp and clean (sanitized between plants)! Check out our favorite pruners here at the Garden Shop. Pro tip: DO NOT seal wounds with paint/sealer (that’s for Red Oaks only). Dormant oil sprays should be used now to fight overwintering pests and diseases.
Start seeds indoors for planting next month. Seeds are available now.
Pull weeds and or spray with an organic weed killer. Please don’t use home recipes from the internet!
Start a compost pile!
Clean last year’s containers if you’re a container gardener. A 1:10 bleach-to-water solution works well. Compost old potting media and start fresh.
Build new garden beds now! Remember, there is no such thing as “too many gardens”!

Lawn Care:
Please discontinue the use of weed-&-feed fertilizers!!! We would sell them if they worked (and were environmentally friendly). They often don’t work, damage trees, and pollute our drinking water. Tell your friends.
Spot treat weeds with AgraLawn’s Crab Grass Killer. Stop by the store for more details on this product. Larger weeds can be pulled by hand or a weed-popper. Mow to remove flowers (soon to be seeds for next year).
It’s time to put out Corn Gluten to prevent warm season weed from germinating. Available now!
Keep an eye out for fungus! Get ahead of the game by adding Microlife’s MicroGro(Can we add Brown Patch). If you have St. Augustine, now is a great time to apply peat moss to combat Take All Root Rot (TARR). Limit watering (it’s raining) and ONLY water in the mornings to combat fungal infections.
Trim trees that are casting shadows on the lawn. Lawns need light! Remember to use sharp, clean tools and seal wounds on Red Oaks and Live Oaks.
Give your mower some love. Change the oil. Clean and sharpen the blade(s)—Disinfect with a 1:10 bleach solution or rubbing alcohol. I suggest painting on some racing stripes or flames.
Late February: fertilize. Stop by to see which fertilizer will work best for your lawn. Not sure which lawn type you have? Pull up a clump and place it in a zip-lock baggie and we’ll ID it for you.

Landscape:
Plant cool season annuals.
Plant shrubs, trees, and roses now.
Prune dormant trees. Use clean, sharp tools! Only seal wounds on Red Oaks & Live Oak. Clean tools when moving to a new tree. Again, a 1:10 bleach-to-water solution works well.
Add compost to shrub & flower beds.
Fertilize shrubs & flowerbeds with Microlife 6-2-4.
Prune roses in mid-February and add fertilizer.
February is going to be the last month we’ll recommend transplanting/moving landscape plants. If that shrub or tree is in the wrong spot, let’s move it now!