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February
Garden Calendar
By
John Chapman
February
is the time to prune shrubs, trees and prepare the soil
for the great harvest of the spring and summer.
Weather:
Warmer weather of a false spring can be expected, but
this does not mean we're out of the woods for possible
freezes. Be prepared to rush out and cover those frost-tender
plants when radio or TV weather forecasts warn of another
possible freeze. Most of the valley is colder than the
low temperature reported for Phoenix. These temperatures
are taken at the airport and many places that are at
least 10 to 12 degrees colder. I remember a few years
ago, a frost in April destroyed many of the new shoots
on plants and the blossoms on fruit trees. Much of the
fruit for that season was lost because of the late frost.
Diseases and insects: Dark green veins on light
green or yellow leaves on broad-leaved evergreen plants
including citrus may be expected because of the cold
soil. The soil is so cold that the roots are not taking
up micronutrients but warm weather will take care of
this situation in due time There is nothing you can
do to prevent or cure this so save your money. As the
plants and trees prepare for new growth of spring their
leaves may turn yellow and drop.
Aphids - those perennial pests - may be present on many
plants. The best control is with natural predators,
such as the lacewings, and praying mantis. Acquaint
yourself with these insects, and if present do not use
insecticides. Hosing the aphids off with a forceful
spray of water is helpful in gaining control. A couple
of drops of dish soap in a spay bottle of water can
also be very effective. You may also use Orthene and
other chemical insecticides.
If the foliage on your junipers is looking sparse or
maybe almost nonexistent, then shake or thumb a branch
over a white sheet of paper. If the dust particles that
fall on the paper move, spider mites are to blame. Spider
mites increase with warming winds and weather. Hosing
down spider mite infestations on junipers is a good
means of control. For heavy infestations, a miticide
may be necessary. Weeds are showing up. For those who
wish to use herbicides, apply on young plants. For those
who wish to use natural control, hoeing and hand pulling
are really the best means of control. Like it or not,
it's good exercise. By all means, get rid of weeds before
they go to seed. If you don't like hoeing or pulling
weeds apply a pre-emergent like Surflan and water it
well. Watering activates the pre-emergent. Caution:
If you are going to plant veggies and flowers from seed
do not apply a pre-emergent because it will prevent
all seed from germination but it will not affect transplants.
Powdery mildew may appear on new rose growth, grapes,
cucumbers, citrus and euonymus. For Powdery mildew,
prevention is much better than cure, it is difficult
to treat or eradicate. To help eradicate powdery mildew
Cornell University suggests trying a mixture of 1/3tsp.
baking soda, dash of dish soap, and 12-oz. water. Spray
every 3-4 days. Actually, powdery mildew is mostly cosmetic
anyway. Unless you are a rose show exhibitor, don't
worry about it. The warm weather will take care of it.
Flowers & Vegetables: Time to prepare vegetable
and flower beds for spring gardens. The first great
key to a bountiful vegetable harvest and beautiful flowers
is a well prepared soil that will pay dividends later,
so if you cheat on the soil preparation your harvest
and flower show will reveal it. For each 100 square
feet of soil, sprinkle three pounds of 16-20-0, ammonium
phosphate, three to five pounds of soil sulfur OR six
to 10 pounds of Gypsum and 3-4 pounds of Ironite. Top
those off with three to four inches of organic material,
mulch, compost or well-rotted manure. Mix it together
well and then water. Plant when the ground has dried
until it is just moist, not mud.
Encourage new flowers when you freshen up flowerbeds
by removing faded or spent blooms. I suggest planting
the flowers still in the nurseries for instant spring
color, even though you are only going to be able to
enjoy them until about the third week of April when
I will recommend you take out the winter-spring flowers
and plant summer flowers so the roots can establish
before the heat comes.
This month, sow seeds for beans, beets, carrots, swiss
chard, leaf lettuce, onions, potatoes, radishes, spinach,
watermelons, Martha Washington asparagus (roots or crowns).
Established asparagus should be pruned back. Set out
transplants of peppers and tomatoes. If you set out
transplants before the 20th of February protect them
from the cold. Tomatoes that seem to do well in the
Salt River Valley are Early Girl, Better Boy, Champion,
Celebrity, Columbia, Pearson Improved, and Rowpac. If
you put your tomato transplants in during February and
shield them from the sun with sun screen during the
summer you can even grow Beef Steak types like my dad
grows every year which normally take 80-90 days while
Early Girl Improved takes 52 days. If you don't get
them in late, (late March or April) go with Early Girl.
Corn may be seeded after Feb. 15. Fertilize producing
vegetable gardens. Plant short day varieties, which
means less than 70 days. Example: cabbage, Earliana
variety is ready to pick in less than 60 days but Flat
Head Dutch variety will take almost 120 days. The heat
will also cause cabbage and lettuce to bolt, which means
it will send up a seed stock before the head matures.
Trees and shrubs: February is fertilizing time
for fruit, nut and shade trees and also shrubs and vines.
You may use any fruit and nut fertilizer of different
brands or a general-purpose fertilizer - according to
application rates of the bag. Pecan trees and grape
vines need a zinc rich fertilizer to help them produce
their best. This month is also one of the three important
periods for fertilizing citrus. To fertilize citrus
that have been in the same location for 2-5 years, feed
them with 21-0-0, ammonium sulfate. The anchor roots
nearest the trunk can't pick up the fertilizer so any
fertilizer given to those roots is wasted. For trees
five years and older, sprinkle the fertilizer on the
soil only on the outer two thirds of the ground of the
leaf canopy and 25% beyond because the feeder take up
roots extend beyond the drip line. Water the ground
first and then sprinkle it on the ground under the outer
two thirds of the leaf canopy at the rate like you would
sprinkle pepper on your food then water it in long and
deep. Other Citrus food like 16-8-8 or other formulations
of different brands are also good just read and follow
application instructions. Those gardeners who are not
here in the Valley for the May feeding of citrus should
fertilize in two feedings, February and late October.
Field tests seem to indicate that the autumn feeding
in August is the most important feeding of citrus. Now
is the time for shaping citrus trees a little, if you
need to keep them in a small confined area. Normally
there is no need to prune citrus like regular fruit
trees. Try to let the citrus foliage grow to about knee
high. The best fruit is produced on the lower two thirds
of the tree so raising the skirt reduces the amount
of the fruit you will get. You can remove dead wood
from any plant anytime of the year so clean out dead
wood. Also remove any suckers growing from below the
graft, they are the rootstock and if you don't remove
them they will eventually crowd out and kill the good
part of the tree. You will be able to tell where the
graft is because the bark of the rootstock and fruit
producing part are different shades or on older trees
there is a swollen area just above the soil line. Now
is also the time to shape your ornamental shrubs so
the new spring growth will fill in the bare branches
and holes left from pruning. With pruning, less is better.
Each cut is a wound to the plant, opening it up to the
insect and disease problems. Have a purpose and an end
result in mind before you make the first cut. Never
remove more than 1/4 of the total plant (this is true
for turf as well). Always use sharp, sterile, quality
pruning tools and disinfect them between cuts to prevent
the spread of disease. Pruning is an art as well as
a science. How much you cut off and where you choose
to make the cuts will affect both the health and the
beauty of the tree or shrub. Learn proper pruning techniques
by attending pruning demonstrations or reviewing books.
Prune only as is needed for shaping and some growth
control. While pruning frost damaged plants, wait and
prune after new growth has started. Container-grown
shrubs and trees may be planted. Transplant bare root
deciduous fruit trees. Select fruit tree varieties that
require less than 400 hours of chilling. Dig the holes
three times the size of the root ball.
Roses: It's also time to clean out dead or diseased
wood in roses. Remove weak and crossing canes, plus
old leaves. This will discourage insects and disease.
Treat pruning cuts with white glue, which helps prevent
borers. Bare-root roses should be in the ground this
month, the earlier the better. Use plenty of organic
material mixed with soil when back filling will do wonders
getting roses off to a good start. Begin fertilizing
established roses with granular fertilizers about the
middle of the month. Remember to water the day before
application and the day after.
Lawns: It would be well to check on the moisture
level of the lawn. Ryegrass should be watered about
once or twice a week depending on the weather. Those
with Bermuda grass need water about once a month. While
the top growth is still dormant, the roots are still
alive and Bermuda will begin to turn green when nighttime
lows reach 65 degrees. Rye grass should be mowed to
about one and a half inches before irrigating, and by
all means keep the mower blade sharp. For that dark
green carpet look, fertilize about once a month with
one-pound ammonium nitrate (34-0-0) per 1000 square
feet. Use Ironite if you want the dark green without
extra mowing that comes with nitrogen fertilizer. Do
not water during the night and do not mow the lawn when
the grass is wet.
____________________________________________________________________
If
you have a specific question for John please leave them
on his voice mail 480-898-5636 or email him at john@johnchapman.com
. Please leave your question, name, city, and phone
number. For more of John Chapman’s gardening tips
listen to news radio 620am KTAR Saturday morning 7:40-8AM.
On Television watch John’s garden segments on Jan
D’Atri’s Heart and Home on Sunday 12:30pm
and replays Monday evenings 8 pm AZTV broadcast 27,
Cable America 4, or Cox 13
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