February Diary

February is often wet and humid, which equals plenty of growth. But the last month of summer is a time when weeds, fungus and pests are also on the rise. To keep your garden performing at its peak, here is what to plant, feed, prune.

FLOWERING NOW

• Trees & Shrubs:
  Buddleia, crepe myrtle, cuphea, fuchsia, gardenia, grevillea hybrids, hibiscus, plumbago, roses, oleander
• Annuals & Perennials:
  Aster, begonia, celosia, cosmos, geranium, impatiens, petunia, marigold, phlox, portulaca, salvia, alyssum, verbena, zinnia
• Bulbs:
  Amaryllis, canna, dahlia, dietes, daylily
• Climbers:
  Bougainvillea, mandevilla, morning glory

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PLANT/SOW

• Fill your garden with alyssum, cineraria, marigold, polyanthus, snapdragon and sweet pea.
• In temperate and cool zones, plant cyclamen.
• Now’s the time to grow edibles like beans, beetroot, cabbage, carrots, onions, parsley, parsnip, peas, radish, silverbeet and spinach

FERTILISE

• Give fruit trees a complete plant food to ensure fruit in spring. Citrus trees growing in the ground expect two good meals a year and February is one of those two important mealtimes (August is the other).
• After pruning, feed roses, hydrangeas and hibiscus complete fertiliser or rotted manure.
• Fertilise vegies and annuals fortnightly to maintain growth.

PRUNE

• Prune your lavender after flowering. This will prevent legginess and prolong the life of the plant.
• After flowering, trim hydrangeas to the first two plump buds.
• Prune long, unwanted summer canes on creepers such as wisteria and jasmine to keep them under control.
• Deadhead roses and summer annuals and give them a feed of liquid fertiliser to extend flowering.

PESTS & DISEASES

• Fungal diseases such as leaf spot or mildew on vegies and ornamentals should be sprayed with Mancozeb.
• Keep sucking and chewing insects away from edibles with Dipel, pyrethrum or Success Ultra. For roses and ornamentals, you can use Success Ultra.

GENERAL GARDEN CARE

• Collect and destroy any fallen fruit beneath fruit trees. Fallen fruit encourages the build-up of troublesome pests and diseases.
• Prepare vegie gardens for planting by adding compost and fertiliser.
• February is a hot and humid month, so check all the soil in your garden and pots is covered by mulch to conserve water and control weeds.

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BUY NOW

• Complete plant food
• Citrus fertiliser
• Rose fertiliser
• Snail bait

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Courtesy of Flower Power: https://www.flowerpower.com.au/