The days are getting a little bit longer, the weather is starting to warm up a bit, and the birds are beginning to sing. It must be February! This is the time of year when you should start thinking about getting ahead of the spring rush in your garden. There are a lot of jobs to do this month, so let's get started! Here's our list of jobs to do in your garden in February.
1 - Make balls of fat for your bird feeders
February is still a chilly month; birds are hungry and need to get enough food to keep them going through the remaining winter days. If you have a bird feeder in your garden, it's important that you fill it with food on a regular basis. Making balls of fat is a great way to get your garden ready for the spring. It's a simple process, but it will help you attract more birds to your feeders.One of the best types of food to give birds is
fat balls. These are easy to make at home and cost very little too! All you need is some lard and seeds. All you need to do is melt some lard or bacon fat, add some seeds and then pour it into some small containers like yoghurt cups or margarine tubs. Once it has cooled, you can then make balls out of it using your hands. These will keep the birds fed through the remaining winter days.
2 Get started with liming
Lime is a type of fertiliser that helps to neutralise soil acidity. This will help make your plants grow better and improve their crops' yield, as well as making certain types of flowers more colourful! Lime can be bought from most garden centres or hardware stores in bags that look like cement at first glance.Apply the lime to your soil according to the instructions on the bag. You can also add organic matter such as well-rotted manure or compost to your soil at this time, which will help to improve its structure and fertility.
3 Plant garlic
If you like to grow food in your garden, then now is the time to plant garlic. Garlic is a hardy vegetable that can be grown all winter long, and it will be ready to harvest in the spring.You can buy garlic bulbs from most garden centres or online stores. Plant them in well-drained soil, ensuring that the cloves are facing downwards. You can also plant garlic alongside your roses to help keep pests away.
4 Prune shrubs and trees
Prune any trees or shrubs that need it in February before they start to grow. Pruning is one of the most important jobs you can do for your garden this month, as it helps to promote new growth and keep plants healthy. You should prune any deadwood from trees and shrubs before spring arrivesIf you have any fruit trees in your garden, it's a good idea to start mulching them now too.##5 Get on top of any pest problemsKeep on top of any pests and weeds in your garden this month. Make sure that you spray horticultural fleece with an insecticide too to prevent pets from eating through it later on in the year.
6 Prune your hedges
If you have any hedges, you can get ahead and prune them a little now. This will help to stop birds from making nests in them once spring arrives.
7 Plant bulbs
Now is also an excellent time to start planting bulbs, such as tulips and daffodils. They'll start blooming in the springtime and add some extra colour to your garden. So get planting now and reap the rewards in a month or two.Add a good layer of compost to the hole before planting and make sure that you water regularly for the first few weeks after
8 Maintain outbuildings
If you have a shed, cabin, greenhouse or garden room, it's a great time to do some basic maintenance.If you have a greenhouse, it's a good idea to clean the glass now before spring arrives and temperatures start rising again. You can also clean the glass of a shed or garden room. Do any repairs need making to your shed? Could your cabin do with a lick of paint? Could your composite garden room do with a wipe clean?
Garden room maintenance helps your room year after year.There are plenty of other jobs to do in your garden in February, but these are our top eight. Remember, though, that many insects such as bees and butterflies are wintering at this time of year. Cleaning out all the dead leaves and plants from last year may leave them with nowhere to continue that.Wintering is when an animal or insect survives the winter by reducing its activity and lowering its body temperature.Before we go, here's one last tip for gardening in February: watch out for slugs and snails. They're very hungry after a long sleep during the cold weather, so keep your eyes peeled for them now!
