• slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide

February

Flowers & Ornamental Grasses

Flowers & Ornamental Grasses

Fruits, Vegetables & Herbs

Fruits, Vegetables & Herbs

  • Make a list of herbs you use for cooking, crafts and gifts.  Plan to grow a few of your favorites in this year’s garden.
  • Create a seeding chart for recording plant names, starting dates and other important information. 
  • Start vegetable plants from seeds indoors. Follow packet directions for planting times. Use clean containers and sterile seed starting mix.
  • Fertilize seedlings once they begin to grow.  Use a dilute solution of a complete water-soluble fertilizer every other week.
  • Check seedlings for sudden wilting and collapsed stems caused by damping off disease.
  • Add a little zip and nutrition to your winter meals with homegrown microgreens.
  • Start thinning and pruning raspberry plantings as the snow begins to recede and before growth begins.
  • Those gardening in milder climates can start cleaning the garden as weather permits. Check and repair animal damage, remove plant debris and cut back grasses and perennials as needed.
  • Continue to monitor plants for animal damage throughout the winter.

Groundcovers & Vines

Groundcovers & Vines

  • Continue to monitor your landscape for signs of rabbit, vole and deer damage.  Adjust protective fencing, reapply repellents and alternate scare tactics as needed,
  • Watch for and manage frost heaving in the garden caused by freezing and thawing of the soil throughout the winter.
  • Monitor the health of tropical vines overwintering indoors. Make any needed changes in their care.
  • Purchase or build supports for new or existing vines as needed.
  • Southern gardeners can begin pruning overgrown summer-flowering vines.
  • Dig, divide or prune liriope back to 3 to 4 inches above the soil surface if gardening in the south.

Indoor & Holiday Plants

Indoor & Holiday Plants

  • Continue removing forced bulbs out of cold storage. Place in a cool location and allow several weeks for the bulbs to sprout and bloom.
  • Once forced bulbs are done flowering you can grow them on like houseplants before placing in the garden or add them to the compost pile.
  • Remove the flower stem on your amaryllis once the blossoms fade. Grow it like your other houseplants if you plan on forcing it to rebloom.
  • Clip a few branches from spring-flowering trees and shrubs such as crabapples, serviceberry, spicebush, forsythia and pussy willows to force for indoor bloom.
  • Finish pruning tropical hibiscus overwintered indoors to encourage summer bloom outdoors. Start fertilizing with a flowering plant food once new growth begins.
  • Transplant potbound houseplants into a container with drainage holes that is one size larger than the current pot.
  • Check houseplants for salt buildup.  This appears as a crusty, white substance on the soil surface or as white stain rings on clay pots.
  • Watch for mealybugs that look like little pieces of cotton in the leaf joints and stems of a variety of houseplants.
  • Leaf spot diseases can attack houseplants, especially those that have been overwatered.  Remove infected leaves and adjust care to correct the problem.

Lawns

Lawns

Trees, Shrubs & Roses

Trees, Shrubs & Roses

Upcoming Webinars & Appearances


March 25, 2023
OCMGA Annual Garden Conference
Appleton, Wisconsin

March 26, 2023
REALTORS Home & Garden Show
West Allis, Wisconsin

March 29, 2023
FREE WEBINAR: 
Gardening Basics to Boost Your Success
Register now

April 1, 2023

REALTORS Home & Garden Show
West Allis, Wisconsin

April 5, 2023
FREE WEBINAR: 
What's New - Discover
New & Unique Plants!
Register now

April 11, 2023

Southwestern Indiana Master Gardener Association's 2023 Speaker Series
Darmstadt, Indiana
 

April 18, 2023
FREE WEBINAR: 
Growing a Bountiful Harvest even when Time, Space & Budget are Limited

Register now

April 20, 2023
SC Johnson Golden Rondelle Theater Speaker Series
Racine, WI
Register now

April 22, 2023
Pasquesi Home & Gardens
Lake Bluff, IL

April 25, 2023
Frederik Meijer Gardens
Grand Rapids, MI

Watch Melinda's past webinars ON DEMAND

Learn More

Book an Appearance

Learn More

Enter to Win Melinda's Container Gardening Tips & Techniques DVD set

ENTER NOW