It's time to start thinking about pruning your roses. Mid to late February is a good time. You want to cut back any old dead wood, then prune the small branches leaving only the large main branches
Check your perennial and annual flowerbeds. With the cold weather, snow and frost, your plants can 'heave' up from the soil. You need only to firmly push them back in place.
Check the "How to Divide Your Perennials" for a list of perennials you can dig up and divide now.
If you plan to grow plants from seeds, now is the time to start them indoors for transplant into your spring garden.
Mid to late February you should fertilize your trees and shrubs. Use an acidic type fertilizer for azaleas, rhododendrons, evergreens, conifers and camellias. The bag should say it was made especially for acid loving trees and shrubs. You can use an all-purpose fertilizer on all your other deciduous plants. Always read and follow the
instructions of the package!
instructions of the package!
You will want to prune your trees and shrubs while they are still dormant. Take these links to Clemson Extension to learn when and how to prune your trees and shrubs.
Your winter gardens could use a good application of fertilizer now. Pansies and violas are heavy feeders and could use a good boost to keep them blooming. Deadheading also helps to promote new blooms. I would use a fertilizer that is high in phosphate. It's the middle number you see when you look at the analysis of the fertilizer.
Example: 7 - 28 - 10 It will help your plants to produce blooms.
Example: 7 - 28 - 10 It will help your plants to produce blooms.
