Sally Scalera

Brevard County Horticulture Extension Agent
3695 Lake Drive -- Cocoa FL 32926 -- 321-633-1702

February garden plans

January 30, 2010

Now that February is almost here, you may be wondering what there is to do out in the yard. January has been pretty wet, for the dry season, and began with extremely frigid temperatures, so hopefully the highs will be around the 70's for this month. So, if you would like an excuse to be outside, here are some ideas of things to do.

  • Fight the urge to prune back your plants that have been damaged by the cold. Removing damaged foliage to help the plant look somewhat better is the most that you will want to do. Do not start cutting back any woody stems or branches until spring comes and new growth is produced. If you have frangipanis that have been hit by the cold, watch the growing tip for signs of rotting. If you see the tip begin to rot then cut the tip off low enough to cut through a sound part of the stem.
  • If your lawn has browned out from the cold then just continue to water it once a week and celebrate the fact that you won’t need to mow again for quite awhile. Don’t expect the grass to, or try to make it, green up again until we get longer days and warmer temperatures.
  • Check the vegetable garden for any diseased, insect infested, or old and non- producing plants and remove them. Add organic matter like compost or aged manure to enrich the soil for new plantings.
  • Vegetables that can be planted in February include beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, celery, collards, cucumbers, eggplant, endive/escarole, English peas, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, mustard, onions-both bunching and multiplier, peppers, potatoes, pumpkin, squash, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, radishes, tomatoes, turnips, and watermelons.
  • Vegetable seeds that can be sown in February for planting in March include beans, beets, cantaloupes, collards, cucumbers, eggplant, English peas, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, okra, onions - bunching & multipliers, peppers, pumpkins, Southern peas, squash, sweet corn, tomatoes, turnips, watermelon.
  • Mid-month is a good time to prune hybrid rose bushes. Choose 4-5 main canes to form the new shrub and prune off the others. Then, cut the main canes back a third of the way. Also, remove any dead, damaged or twiggy growth back to the main cane. New blooms should appear in about 45 days.
  • Prune poinsettias back when their blooms begin to fade. Cut the stems to about two feet from the ground and fertilize with ½ to 1 cup of 6-6-6. Also, apply one to two teaspoons of Epsom salts to supply magnesium.
  • Flowers to plant now include alyssum, dianthus, pansy, petunia, Johnny-jump-up, phlox, stock, flowering kale, and snapdragons.
  • Some of the herbs that can be planted now include basil, comfrey, chervil, chives, dill, fennel, parsley, sweet marjoram, mint, sage, and thyme.
  • Bulbs that can be planted this month include Agapanthus, Amazon lily (Eucharis grandiflora), Aztec lily (Sprekelia formosissima), caladium, canna, dahlia, gladiolus, gloriosa lily, kaffir lily (Clivia minata), walking iris (Neomarica gracilis), rainlily (Zepheranthus spp.), lily, African iris (Moraea spp.), society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea), Tritonia (T. crocata), tuberose (Policanthes tuberose), Watsonia (W. spp.) and spider lily (Hymenocallis spp.)
  • Now is the time to prune grape vines. Pruning can be done any time before the vines begin to sprout new buds.
  • Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the Brevard County Farmers Market that is held every Thursday from 4-8 p.m. at the Equestrian Center at Wickham Park in Melbourne.
  • Here is a list of some of the fresh produce that could be available at produce stands or farmers markets in February: avocado, broccoli, cabbage, cansitel, carambola, carrots, cauliflower, celery, Chinese cabbage, cucumbers, eggplant, endive/escarole, grapefruit, guava, honeydew, kumquat, mamey sapote, oranges, passion fruit, peppers, potatoes, pummelo, radishes, spinach, squash, strawberries, sweet corn, tangerines & tangelos and tomatoes.