Best Gardening Maintenance In February
Garden in the cool of the day to stay on top of garden tasks
Gardening Tips For Vegatables Garden In February
Reduce mozzie numbers by regularly emptying water that's collected in containers and the saucers under potted plants, which removes breeding grounds and so reduces numbers. Even pet water should be replenished daily to avoid it being used by mosquitoes to breed in.
Stay ahead of pests, diseases and weeds by inspecting plants daily and taking fast action if problems are seen. In particular, search for 28-spotted ladybirds and pumpkin beetles. These pests skeletonise leaves on squash, pumpkins, zucchini and their relatives. To control numbers and reduce damage, squash adults, larvae and eggs.
Edible plants need daily watering while it's hot, dry or windy. Leafy crops may bolt (begin to flower and seed) if they dry out. Tomatoes may develop blossom end rot (a nutrient deficiency). Feed summer's strong growth by liquid-feeding leafy vegies every seven to 10 days with organic plant food. Shade crops to prevent sun damage and to allow new plantings to establish. Seedlings are particularly vulnerable to sudden hot temperatures or drying winds.
Shade leafy crops and mow around growing areas to keep grasses short. Check plant supports, adjusting ties to accommodate growth. Examine stems beside stakes and remove or squash pests that may be hiding there. Visit a local farmers' market to look for new and unusual crops that grow well at this time of the year. Maintain a supply of leafy greens for salads and stir-fries by planting Asian greens, kang kong, silverbeet and amaranth, which grow well through hot and humid summers.
Make room for new plantings by regularly removing spent crops and those badly affected by diseases such as powdery mildew. Bury diseased and pest-infested material — don't put it into compost heaps. Look ahead to drier, less humid months and plant cherry tomatoes for an autumn harvest. Also plant okra, spring onions, radish, silverbeet, sweet potato and sweet corn.
Gardening Tips For Fruits Garden In February
In cool areas, pear and cherry slug, a pest that skeletonises pear, cherry, plum and peach leaves, is about. Dust with lime or ash or apply an organic insecticide. Despite their common name, they are not slugs but are the larvae of a fly. Another fly larva causing damage now is fruit fly. Maintain fruit fly protection around all soft fruits by renewing fly baits and removing infested fruits. Fruit that has been attacked may be rotting or show telltale signs of sting marks on its skin. After harvesting summer crops, lightly prune trees.
Pruning now helps control their height and vigour. Feed citrus trees using a complete citrus food or organic fertiliser. Water trees well after applying fertiliser. In dry areas or if water is limited, grey water can be used to water fruit trees, but vary where the water is used to avoid creating waterlogged conditions and any build-up of salts in the soil. Don't store untreated grey water for longer than 24 hours as harmful levels of bacteria can build up, and don't use it on leafy vegies.
Prune to clear up damage caused by summer storms. Also remove any climbing plants that have invaded fruit trees. Fertilise citrus with an organic plant food formulated for citrus, or pelletised chicken manure. Also feed other productive plants not already fed this summer, including passionfruit and pawpaw.Container-grown fruit trees benefit from fertiliser now.
To avoid over-fertilising potted plants, break up the recommended dose and apply small amounts each month or use fertilisers formulated for potted plants. Freeze or dry excess crops. Regularly dispose of spoiled fruits to reduce the spread of pests and diseases. Allow your poultry to free-range around your fruiting plants to clean up fallen fruit, especially in orchards, but keep them out of the vegie garden where they'll cause too much damage.
Compost & Soil Maintenance at Garden In February
When watering garden plants, check that water is soaking into the soil and reaching the roots. Soils can become hard to wet where conditions are dry or soils are sandy. Where soils have dried out and become hard to wet over summer, apply a soil wetting agent by watering the product over the soil via a hose or watering can. The wetting agent will allow irrigation and rain to penetrate the soil.
Once the soil is moist, cover it lightly with a fine layer of compost topped with a layer of coarse mulch. Mulches help keep soils cool and moist and improve conditions for root growth. Don't mulch too heavily as a deep layer of mulch is likely to stop moisture from reaching the soil.
A 5cm-thick layer is sufficient. Also spread compost over areas being prepared for autumn planting. Mow or slash ground around orchards and vegetable beds to keep weeds under control and reduce the spread of weed seeds. Keeping long grasses and weeds short also reduces potential snake habitat within the garden and keeps gardens safer in fire-prone regions.
Compost breaks down quickly at this time of the year but it's best to always chop up green and woody material before adding it to the heap. Despite good preparation there will always be woody material that hasn't broken down. Simply chop it up with the spade and toss it back onto the heap. Use compost over the top of soils as protective mulch and to improve the moisture-holding capacity of soils.
Add it as surface mulch around existing crops and let the worms work it into the soil so there's no need for digging. Where there's space to make a new planting area, add compost to the soil and lightly dig it through. Dig in any green manure crops that were sown in beds left fallow. To maximise nutrients, dig crops in before flowering and seeding. Regularly check woody mulches, especially those near fences, timber steps, outbuilding or homes for any signs of termite activity.