Northwest: February Garden To-Do List

The month of February can be a bit of a challenge for gardeners in the Pacific Northwest . During this calendar month we often have some of our coldest twenty-four hour period , lots of rainwater , and a few days of snow . When it ’s one of the clear , cold days of this month , pack up and head alfresco to tackle a few of these items . Just remember where you planted all those bulbs in the declivity , and avoid stepping on super - saturated soils ; it can put down the soil structure and create more problems down the route .

claver local nursery for the good selection of bare - root trees and shrub . Many local nurseries and garden midpoint carry a great option of cosmetic and fruiting trees and shrubs . Bare - antecedent Tree and shrub are frugal and sluttish to transport , and they have a still time adjusting to the native dirt in your garden than potted ones . Just remember to implant your selections as before long as possible to control endurance and to quash letting solution dry out out . If you must store them , keep them in moistened sawdust in a cool garage or basement for less than two days . Some not bad and seldom seen heirloom fruit tree variety show can be found atRaintree Nursery . They ship their trees and bush bare - root . If you ’re feeling adventuresome , call them to format a visit to their garden center , which is in Morton , Washington .

cut back your roses . previous February is the time to prune roses ( Rosaspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) in the Pacific Northwest . Many gardeners utilise President ’s Day as a marker . Be sure to practice clean tools while pruning . see how to prune unlike type of roseshere . If a respect rise specimen is pathological , consider removing it and replacing it with a new , healthier cultivar ; if it ’s an absolute keeper , houseclean your blades between each cutting to prevent spreading disease . I ’ve had honorable fortune with many of theDavid Austin rosesin my garden and my node ’ gardens . One of my all - clip favorites is the Carding Mill ® rose ( Rosa‘AUSwest ’ , zone 5–11 ) , which has an amazing scent and beautiful , long - blooming peachy - orange tree flowers .

Add crone hazels to your garden . Among the large shrubs and small tree I often see on my walks this time of year are some rather large witch hazels ( Hamamelisspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) . Their brilliant , cheery blooms are a great admonisher that spring is coming . February is a great sentence to select witch hazels . There are so many types and colour available now in the trade ; typically the ones you will ascertain in the greenhouse are hybrids of the Taiwanese and Japanese beldame hazels ( Hamamelis mollisandHamamelis japonica , both Zones 5–8 ) . Some hybrid will keep their leave of absence on until the new fountain development starts ; this is called marcescence . While this is not a problem for the witch hazels themselves , it may be a job for you the nurseryman to have a clear view of the blooms . For that reason , it ’s unspoiled to select a variety in individual at the nursery while the witch hazels are in rosiness .

begin with slug and snail treatments this calendar month if they have been a job in the past . The flyspeck of slugs will make your hostas ( Hostaspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) , lilies ( Liliumspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) , and dahlias ( Dahliaspp . and cvs . , Zones 9–11 ) look like Swiss cheeseflower very quickly . I favor using Sluggo . While I do n’t typically preach using insecticide , this is one of the best ones to stop a complete plague of slug and snail . I have also used another merchandise , Slug Gone Wool Pellets , with success . Wool pellet swell and boom to create a dense mat that is irritate to slugs and snails . This is an all - natural product . Monthly targeted applications of either product are needed to stop infestation .

Prune your hydrangeas . check that you ’re aware of the case of hydrangea ( Hydrangeaspp . and cvs . , Zones 4–9 ) you have in your garden . Hydrangea pruning method change greatly depending on the mintage . wrong pruning can contribute to a twelvemonth without flowers or — best case scenario — very recent flower . politic hydrangea ( Hydrangea arborescens , Zones 3–9 ) should be shorten close to the ground to ensure that secure new stem will blossom on unexampled growth in the same season . Bigleaf hydrangeas ( Hydrangea macrophylla , zone 5–11 ) should only be pruned gently , as they bloom on previous wood . Remove last year ’s flowers , and prune to the first or 2d set of bud . Panicle hydrangeas ( Hydrangea paniculata , Zones 3–8 ) can be dress to suit the size of it of the blank space and will blossom on the current season ’s ontogeny . See more on pruning hydrangeashere .

— Jason Jorgensen is a landscape designer in Seattle .

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Southeast: February Garden To-Do List

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Southwest: February Garden To-Do List

Mid-Atlantic: February Garden To-Do List

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Photo: Jason Jorgensen

bare-root fruit trees

Visit your local nurseries now for bare-root fruit trees.Photo: Fionuala Campion

Carding Mill® rose

Consider Carding Mill®rose as a beautiful, disease-resistant choice to make February cleanup time easier.Photo: Jason Jorgensen

‘Arnold Promise’ witch hazel

‘Arnold Promise’ witch hazel (Hamamelis×intermedia‘Arnold Promise’, Zones 5–8) is a blaze of yellow petals in February, heralding the return of spring color.Photo: Jason Jorgensen

snail