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
PLANT/SOW
FERTILISE
PRUNE
PESTS & DISEASES
GENERAL GARDEN CARE
BUY NOW
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
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.
BUY NOW
- Complete plant food
- Citrus fertiliser
- Rose fertiliser
- Snail bait
Courtesy of Flower Power: https://www.flowerpower.com.au/