Environmental News
Things To Do in Your Yard in February
Source: Walter Reeves
Prune fruit trees - Prune apple and pear trees now – but postpone peach pruning until mid-March
Redesign your lawn for easier mowing. Eliminate sharp angles and narrow turf areas. Use mulch, new flower beds or a groundcover like mondo grass there instead.
Water winter plants - Water poinsettia, Christmas cactus and amaryllis plants with houseplant fertilizer diluted to one-half strength. Don’t overwater
Test your soil - How much fertilizer or lime does your lawn or garden really need? The only way to know for sure is to call your county Extension office (1-800-ASKUGA-1) and get a soil test kit.
Prune - Prune one-fourth of the branches from your overgrown fig bush. Removing any more will reduce the number of fruit this summer. Concentrate on saving the horizontal ones.
Force Winter blooms - Bring branches of spirea, forsythia and flowering quince indoors. Placed in a vase, they will bloom in just a few days.
Rotate houseplants - Remember to turn houseplants 180 degrees every two weeks to prevent uneven growth.
Prune ornamental grasses - The brown foliage on pampas grass and maiden grass can be pruned away now.
Leave only a “crew cut” of brown stems twelve inches high.
Plant sweet pea - Plant sweet pea now for fragrant flowers later. Plant English peas, onions, asparagus or elephant garlic for your spring vegetable garden.
Prune your shrubs - Overgrown Burford holly shrubs can be pruned severely now. Even if it is reduced to twelve inches tall, this shrub will resprout plenty of new foliage by summer.
Plant a container garden - Plant a large container for your patio. A small boxwood surrounded by variegated ivy and blooming pansies would look very nice!
Plant daphne shrubs - Plant a winter daphne (Daphne odorum) near your home’s entrance or front walkway.
The scent will greet you each day when you arrive at your abode this spring.
Clean your bird boxes - Clean out bird boxes so they will be ready to welcome new residents in a few weeks.
Build raised beds - Build raised beds for vegetables, roses and herbs. It’s easy to do with four pieces of 2×8 wood planks. Choose lengths that fit your space; bolt them together at the corners.
Prune your butterfly bush - Reduce the size of your butterfly bush by two thirds to one half to encourage new growth (and big blooms) this summer.
Clean up your monkey grass - Set your mower to its highest setting and cut off the tattered leaves of liriope (monkey grass). They will quickly regrow in March.
January Meeting Environmental Committee Survey Results
These results will be included in the Presidents Report.
Number of Members Participating in survey: 25
Results
NATIVE PLANTS
Do you have Native Plants in your Gardens or Landscape? Yes = 80%
VEGETABLE/HERB GARDENS
Did you plant a vegetable and/or Herb Garden in in the ground or in containers? Yes = 80%
ATTRACTING WILDLIFE AND BIRDS
Did you install or maintain birdhouses, nesting boxes, birdfeeders and/or birdbaths to attract wildlife to your
backyard? Yes = 84%
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