February Monthly To-Do

 Sooner than you think, the snow will melt and we'll have some balmy days. It's a good time to get out there and pick up sticks and trash; cut back the tops of dormant perennials,and even get started pruning trees and shrubs. (Hold off on roses and any trees and shrubs that flower in the spring.)

 Pore through catalogs, garden books, web sites, and magazines to plan for spring. Put your ideas into a garden notebook, made from a three-ring notebook, with pages for notes and photos, pocket folders for articles and notes and a zip pocket to hold spring receipts and plant labels.

 Make on-line and mail-order purchases early. Supplies of the most popular items tend to start running out in March or so.

 Take inventory. Look over your supplies, fertilizers, potting soil, soil amendments, and other garden materials and stockpile now. You'll be ready to go once the spring rush hits.

 Tidy up and organize your garden supplies. Wash up pots. Use hot soapy water and rinse so the pots are set for spring planting.

 Start seeds of parsley, onions, perennials, and other slow-growing plants. Don't start other seeds too early (follow label directions or read up on them on line). If you do, they'll languish indoors too long without the powerful natural sun and get leggy and diseased. The vast majority of seeds should be started 6 to 8 weeks before your region's last average frost date. For Iowa, that means starting seeds in March.

 If houseplants are struggling, it's probably time to pitch them and replace. Otherwise, give them a good rinse, trim off brown or problem parts, and top off the soil with fresh potting soil.

 Avoid fertilizing houseplants this month. With less daylight, their need for food is less.

 If you've forced bulbs they're probably ready to take out into light and warmth now. Once the bulbs have sent up shoots a half to one inch high, take them out and put them in the sunniest, brightest spot possible.

 Force flowering branches in a couple of weeks. Once spring-blooming branches start to develop tiny buds, cut them and bring them indoors for forcing. These include forsythia, redbud, pussy willow, crabapple, and more. Just soak the branches in a tub of cold water for a few hours. Then arrange in a vase and watch them open over the next several days.

 Consider a cold frame. Build it now and you can start radishes, spinach, and lettuces in a few weeks.

 How's your mower? If you didn't get it tuned up last fall and the blade sharpened, do it yourself now or take it in before the spring rush.

 Same for any shears or other sharp cutting or slicing objects, including spades and hoes. If you haven't already, invest a few bucks in a sharpening stone. It makes all the difference. Click here to learn how. It's easy after you do it once or twice.