THE ALMANAC - FEBRUARY

LAWNS 
1. Turf can be laid, provided the soil is not too wet or frosty. Work from planks, to avoid compacting the soil.
2. Do not walk on the newly laid turf and leave undisturbed for several weeks to allow new roots to establish.
3. Prepare seed beds for new lawns to be seeded later in the spring, but only attempt this if the ground is not too wet.
4. Re-cut lawn edges to crisp up the appearance of the garden, and to save work later in the season.
5. In the mildest parts of the UK, and if the weather is warm, you may need to mow. Set the cutting height at its maximum, and only mow when the grass is dry.
6. Continue to remove leaves from the turf to prevent dying of the grass through lack of light or Fungal diseases.

VEGETABLES 
1. Plan a crop rotation system for your vegetable plot, to ensure that the same crops are not grown in the same beds year after year. This helps to prevent disease build up.
2. Cultivate and prepare seedbeds, covering them with clear polythene, cloches or fleece to warm up the soil before sowing.
3. Finish any major digging and weeding if you have not done so already. Try to avoid digging in wet weather, but if gardening on top of wet soil, work from a plank of wood, to avoid treading on the bed and compacting the soil.
4. You can rake in lime this month - if you have acid soil, or have had previous problems with club root, and wish to grow brassicas - but remember that the ground will not be ready for planting out until April or May, as an interval of two months is needed between liming and planting.
5. From mid-February onwards sow greenhouse-grown tomatoes and cucumbers. Use a heated propagator or warm room at 21°C (70°F) to encourage germination, and then keep them potted on at a lower temperature of 15-18°C (60-65°F).
6. Chit seed potato tubers as soon as they arrive. Stand them upright with the rose end (having most shoots) facing upwards in a light, cool but frost-free place. Old egg boxes make excellent holders.

GREENHOUSE
1. Deadhead Hippeastrum (amaryllis) leaving the flower stalk(s) to die down naturally. Keep feeding and watering and you may be treated to further flowers in August as well as the normal blooms next winter.
2. Soft tip cuttings can be taken from fuchsias this month.
3. Lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria) that was lifted from the garden to use as Winter-flowering pot plants in the greenhouse, should now be planted back outside.
4. Fuchsias can be started into active growth (if not done last month) by repotting, increasing watering, feeding (with a slow-release fertiliser such as blood, fish and
bone), and putting them in a sunny place. Those that were started up in January can now be sprayed with water occasionally to raise humidity, encourage growth, and
help bud break.
5. Cacti and Clivia houseplants should still be kept dormant until March. Very little water (barely moist) and no feeding is advised until then. Clivia will additionally
benefit from lower light levels (e.g. a back room where the lights are never turned on and there is not too much natural light) - this will improve flowering in the following season.
6. Don't leave houseplants on windowsills behind the curtains on frosty nights, especially if your windows are not double-glazed.

TREES AND SHRUBS
1. Continue to plant hedging plants, shrubs, trees and climbers. Stakes and rabbit guards should be put in place at the time of planting trees, to prevent damage to the
rootball or bark.
2. Continue to plant roses. Avoid planting in areas where roses were previously growing otherwise new introductions may suffer from replant diseases.
3. Firm back newly planted trees and shrubs if they have been lifted by frost heave or by strong winds.
4. Check protective coverings on newly planted or borderline hardy trees, shrubs and climbers, to ensure they remain secure until the risk of frost has passed.
5. When pruning, concentrate on removing overcrowded growth, crossing stems, and dead, damaged, or dying branches. Aim for an open centre, through which air can circulate, as this will reduce the risk of pests and diseases.
6. Delay pruning spring-flowering shrubs until immediately after flowering, otherwise this year's display will be lost.

ROSES
1. Avoid planting roses in areas where roses were previously growing otherwise new introductions may suffer from replant diseases
2. Ensure shoots from climbers that have broken loose are tied up to the trellis or wall and not left to flap about .
3. Keep on top of weed control by hoeing the beds and borders.
4. Continue to order and plant roses when conditions permit.
5. Replace any broken or rotted rose stakes to ensure stability of the plant.
6. Purchase food and sprays in readiness for the coming season.

PERENNIALS
1. Divide and/or plant bulbs-in-the-green such as snowdrops (Galanthus) and winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis).
2. Divide clumps of herbaceous perennials that you want to propagate, those that have become too large for their allotted space, and those that are flowering poorly or have lost their shape.
3. Cut off old leaves of hellebores that produce flowers from ground level (including Helleborus x hybridus and H. niger) to expose the flowers and remove possible foliar diseases such as hellebore leaf spot.
4. Place gladioli corms in seed trays or boxes and place in a light, warm (around 10ºC/50ºF) spot to encourage them to sprout before planting. This will ensure an earlier display.
5. Lily bulbs can be planted in pots, for flowers this summer. After growing on indoors or in a cool greenhouse, they can be moved onto the patio when in flower, so that you can enjoy the blooms.
6. Bulbs coming up in the rock garden or in containers may benefit from overhead protection from the rain and snow. A sheet of glass or Perspex placed on piles of bricks will do the job.