The Vegetable Garden in February

Jobs to do in the vegetable garden or allotment in February. Click the links to find out more about gardening tasks and specific vegetables.

Seeds to sow indoors in a heated greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill:

• Greenhouse Cucumbers
• Leeks
• Onions
• Greenhouse Tomatoes

Seeds to sow outdoors where they are to grow. Check that the soil is workable and not too cold. A couple of weeks before sowing your seed cover the patch of soil with horticultural fleece or polythene sheets to help warm it up then just before sowing prepare the soil:

• Peas
• Broad Beans
• Radishes
• Turnip

Plants to plant outside in the ground. Before planting seedlings prepare the soil:

• Shallots
• Rhubarb

Other tasks to do in the vegetable garden:

• Dig over the soil if it is not too wet or cold
• Cover establishd Rhubarb to force an early crop
• Chit Seed Potatoes
• Check for wind damage

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Rhubarb can be grown from seed sown in April but it is much better to plant “crowns” to ensure a good strong plant and fruitful crop. You can expect to get 5 to 10 years from your plant so they are very good value. The only drawback is that you will not be able to pull your crop until the plant is a couple of years old so you need to be patient in the early days.

Jobs to do in the vegetable garden or allotment in January

In the Flower Garden: Plant bare-root roses, trees and shrubs Prune standard roses Take hardwood cuttings from shrubs Remove dead stems and leaves from perennials Tidy grasses In the Vegetable Garden: Fork over empty beds and mix in compost Plant fruit trees Prune Gooseberry bushes Warm up beds for early crops Tie raspberry and blackberry [...]

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Flower/Plants Pull up annuals and put on the compost heap then fork over the beds and border Prune rambling and climbing roses Pot up tender perennials from summer displays and bring under cover for the winter Rake autumn leaves from lawns, and pick them out from around border plants Plant new hedges Fruit/Vegetables Save seeds [...]

Flower/Plants Lift and pot on tender perennials to store indoors Plant spring-flowering bulbs into borders and pots Collect up and compost leaves as they begin to fall to make leaf mould Plant evergreen shrubs and hedging, or move any that are growing in the wrong place Pull up annual climbers and cut back untidy perennial [...]

Flower/Plants Prune rambling roses Cut back perennials once they have finished flowering Collect seed from perennials and store in a cool place Take cuttings of lavender Cut everlasting flowers and seed heads for use in indoor arrangements Fruit/Vegetables Plant out rooted strawberry runners into new beds Sow outdoors: hardy spring onions, lettuces, salads and Chinese [...]

Flower/Plants Keep camellias well watered to avoid flower buds dropping off next spring due to drought Prune wisteria; shorten long side shoots back to five or six leaves Deadhead roses; unless they produce hips Trim lavender after flowering to stop it going woody Plant bulbs: nerines, autumn crocuses, and autumn daffodils Fruit/Vegetables Continue to sow [...]

Flower/Plants Sow biennials Divide flag irises Feed baskets and patio pots each week with liquid fertiliser Take cuttings from climbers Pinch out the tips of chrysanthemum shoots to encourage flowers Fruit/Vegetables Water early potatoes if the weather is dry Prune cordon gooseberry plants Sow outside: lettuces, radishes, spring cabbages, endives, kohl rabi, French and runner [...]

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