February gardening guide

Protect your plants from winter weather

February has the lowest average temperature of any month in the UK & Ireland, so carry on protecting your plants and equipment from frost. Any over-wintering crops should be protected by a layer of fleece or, even better, contained in a polytunnel. They do a brilliant job at holding heat in during the day and keeping plants cosier during the night, keeping them protected from the worst of the frost, wind and rain.

Mulching around the base of hardy perennials will protect them against frost and offer more organic matter as it breaks down over time.

Plant pots are at risk of damage on frozen ground, so raise them with pot feet or rocks. This is something you can do all year round, as it helps with water run-off and helps to stop plants from retaining too much water and rotting.

If you’ve been snowed on, brush snow off any shrubs to avoid snapping their branches. Use a shovel to dig out any paths and driveways to keep everyone safe.

First Things First, Clean the Area

You want to make sure the area you’re going to use the bathroom paint on is clean and free from dirt. This could give your paint an unwanted lumpy or distorted look, so the area you’re working on must be clear.

You’ll also need to ensure anything that isn’t going to be painted, but is close, is protected with masking tape. This will keep the faucets, shower and countertops out of the splash zone.

Get ahead on planting

February is a great time to sow beetroot, carrots and broad bean seeds under cover, whether you’re using cloches, polytunnels, cold frames, or a greenhouse. Speaking of greenhouses, it’s a good time to clean those glass panes as they may be grubby and watermarked after the worst of winter.

There’s plenty more you can be planting indoors: cucumbers, tomatoes and leeks can all be started in the warmth of your home in February. Simply plant the seeds into seed trays according to the packet instructions and keep them in a warm, well-lit area of your home. Keep them well watered, and your seeds should germinate in no time.

For everything else, February is the perfect time to plan out your flowers and veg patches. Sketch out your beds and borders and decide what you’d like in each section before ordering your seeds. Don’t forget to bear succession planting in mind, so you can have a continuous supply of delicious homegrown fruit and veg all year round.

If you can’t wait to see some colour in your garden, there’s plenty of information in our article on what garden flowers you can plant now.

Give your tools a service

Winter is the perfect time to give your garden tools a bit of maintenance. Start with your hand tools – after several weeks of non-use, these may benefit from a clean and a sharpen.

Check for any rust, as this could damage your tools over time and make them more difficult to use. Rust can be removed with a bit of white vinegar – either apply with a cloth, or leave metal parts to soak if it’s more severe. Get into any hard-to-reach places with an old toothbrush.

Next, onto the power tools.

Lawn mowers

It won’t be long now until the first mow of the year, so use this time to check the blades on your lawn mower to make sure they’re sharp, top it up with petrol if needed, and oil any moving parts to make sure everything is ready to go. While you’re at it, why not pop a new cable into your strimmer?

Hedge cutters

Replace any blades that have dulled over time and oil moving parts.

Stock up on lawn seed & feed

After laying dormant for most of winter, your lawn will soon spring back into action. Towards the end of February, you can start thinking about seeding your lawn or treating it with a fertiliser to bring it back to health.

It’s also a good idea to scarify your lawn to remove moss and any dead growth. You can use a purpose-built scarifier for this, or use a leaf rake to work over the surface of the lawn.

Get pruning

Before things spring back into life, February is a good time to prune back any deciduous hedges, trees and shrubs. Lop off the oldest branches which will encourage younger ones to grow faster.