
February Gardening Tips for the desert Southwest
February Gardening Tips for the Desert Southwest. This month is a good time to start your garden here in the southwest. Here’s a list of suggested tasks for February. We have cold nights and sometimes very warm days during February.
Flowers
- Sow Wildflower Seeds: Scatter wildflower seeds to take advantage of cool temperatures and upcoming rains. Great picks include desert marigolds or California poppy.
- Plant Early-Blooming Annuals: Flowers like snapdragons, pansies, or calendula thrive in the cooler February climate.
- Perennials: Divide and replant perennials like daylilies or yarrow.
Vegetables
- Cool-Season Crops: Plant spinach, kale, broccoli, carrots, peas, and onions.
- Start Warm-Season Seeds Indoors: Start planning tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants for a head start on spring.
Herbs
- Plant herbs like cilantro, dill, parsley, and chives in beds or containers during February.
Lawns
- Fertilize established lawns lightly to encourage early growth as temperatures warm up.
- Clear fallen debris to allow grass to “breathe.” It’s also called thatching.
If you want to plant tomatoes, you may want to use a product called “Wall-o-waters” These are see-thru plastic columns that are filled with water and placed around your tomato plant. These are designed to help prevent your plants from freezing even in temps as low as 15 degrees f. Here are more vegetable gardening tips.
Ask your local nursery for such a product. Finish off the pruning jobs you may have started in January. The debate is still ongoing as to use pruning sealer or not. I recommend using a pruning sealer if you see evidence of insects or disease in the immediate area that you are pruning.
Elmers Glue as a pruning sealant?
If you notice no insect or disease activity, then nature will usually heal pruned areas. Prune roses before February 14th, as a rule. The Rose Society recommends using Elmers Glue as an effective pruning sealant! Yes, it does work.
Remember when pruning the best rule of thumb is to have a reason for every cut you make. You may fertilize your fescue, rye, or bluegrass lawns (cool-season grasses) at this time of year. Use 16-8-8 containing zinc, sulfur, and iron, if it has been more than 6 weeks since you have last fertilized.
Grass & Sod maintenance tips. You may plant fruit trees, shade trees, shrubs, and roses now. Most nurseries will have a large selection of roses in late January through mid-March. Make sure to visit early so that you will have a good selection to choose from.
Rose Gardening Tips Planting early in the season has several advantages. There is less stress on plants. Most plants need less watering at this time of year due to the low temperatures.
Don’t forget Guzman’s Garden Centers carries raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries.
Most locally owned Nurseries should have these plants in mid-February, or early March. If not ask for them. Although these might be more of a challenge, the fruits they produce are well worth the effort.
To succeed with these, it is best to prepare the soil with plenty of peat moss and Back to Earth Compost. Use soil acidifying products such as chelated iron or Ironite, to help prevent chlorosis (yellowing of leaves).
That would be ideal if you can find a space with light shade during the hottest time of day. The roots begin to grow rapidly because of the warm soil temperature. Here at the Color Your World Nurseries we often see the fruit ripen even while still in the pot. Of course, the fruit doesn’t last too long here because we have employees with huge appetites. Article by: Gary Guzman all rights reserved.
Article by: Gary Guzman all rights reserved. February Gardening Tips for the Desert Southwest