What does a gardener do in the dead of winter? Besides dreaming of spring with a little more horticultural enthusiasm than others, gardeners may browse seed catalogs, go to gardening seminars and symposiums, and take care of indoor plants.
Speaking of symposiums, Whitley County Master Gardeners will be hosting their annual symposium on Saturday, February 22, at Indian Springs Middle School. You do not have to be a Master Gardener to attend. The cost is $40 per person. Go to https://www.mastergardenerswc.com/ for more information.
Below are a few January and February ideas for horticulturally inclined individuals from B. Rosie Lerner, former Purdue consumer horticulture specialist, from the Purdue Extension publication she authored entitled, “Winter Garden Calendar.”
Indoor plants and activities:
- Keep holiday poinsettias and other plants near a bright window. Water as top of soil becomes dry.
- Check produce and tender bulbs kept in storage, and discard any that show signs of decay, such as mold or softening. Shriveling indicates insufficient relative humidity.
- Check water levels daily in cut-flower vases.
- Repot houseplants as they outgrow current pots.
- Early blooms of spring-flowering bulbs can make good gifts for a sweetheart. Keep the plant in a bright, cool location for longer-lasting blooms. Forced bulbs make poor garden flowers and should be discarded as blooms fade.
For lawns, woody ornamentals, landscape plants, and tree fruits:
- Check young trees for rodent injury on lower trunks. Prevent injury with hardware cloth or protective collars.
- "Leaf" through nursery catalogs and make plans for landscape and home orchard additions. Order plants early for best selection.
- Cut branches of forsythia, pussy willow, crabapple, quince, honeysuckle, and other early spring-flowering plants to force into bloom indoors. Place the branches in warm water, and set them in a cool location.
- Check mulches, rodent shields, salt/wind screens, and other winter plant protections to make sure they are still in place.
- Prune landscape plants in late February, except early spring bloomers, which should be pruned after flowers fade. Birches, maples, dogwoods, and other heavy sap bleeders can be pruned in early summer to avoid the sap flow, although bleeding is not harmful to the tree.
- Prune fruit trees in February to control plant size and remove dead, damaged, or weak limbs.
For flowers, vegetables, and small fruits:
- Browse through garden catalogs and order seeds and plants early for best selection.
- Sketch your garden plans on paper, including what to grow, spacing, arrangement, and number of plants needed.
- Wood ashes from the fireplace can be spread in the garden, but don't overdo it. Wood ashes increase soil pH, and excess application can make some nutrients unavailable for plant uptake. Have your soil tested to be certain of the pH before adding wood ash.
- Prepare or repair lawn and garden tools for the upcoming season.
- Start seeds indoors in February for cool-season vegetables so they will be ready for transplanting to the garden early in the season. Broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage seeds should be started five to seven weeks prior to transplanting.
- Test leftover garden seed for germination. Place 10 seeds between moist paper toweling, or cover with a thin layer of soil. Keep seeds warm and moist. If less than six seeds germinate, then fresh seed should be purchased.