Dear Folks,
I am duplicating my planting tips from last February with a few additional notes.
Notes:
So far this winter is shaping up to be another "warm" one which means we have to be extra diligent in our pest control when the temperatures start rising. The pests like aphids and leaf-foot predators like the warming days and cool nights.
Also, I will be eager later on this spring to see if we wound up getting ENOUGH chill hours to get a garlic harvest. Last year's warm weather did not "force" the formation of garlic heads. With that in mind you may wish to consider harvesting young garlic for use as a "scallion" in your cooking, as they may die back without forming a head and then you lose all that nice green and mild bulb.
If we DO receive more frost/freeze in the coming weeks, and they are at good near 32 or a bit above/below, the garlic should form.
FEBRUARY PLANTING:
[Pictured: Poor Man's Cloche]
VEGETABLES, FRUITS & HERBS TO PLANT
Artichoke; Asparagus;
Basil; Bay; Bean, Lima; Beets; Bok Choy; Cantaloupe; Carrots; Chard;
Citrus Scented Marigold (Tagetes Nelsonii); Collards; Corn; Cucumbers;
Epazote; Fruit Trees; Jerusalem Artichoke; Lavender; Lettuce &
Greens; Marigold; Marjoram; Melon, Musk Melon; Melon, Winter; Mint;
Mustard; Onion, Sets; Onions, Green; Oregano; Peas; Peppers; Potatoes;
Purslane; Radishes; Sage; Savory; Spinach; Squash, Summer; Strawberry;
Thyme; Tomatoes; Turnips; Watermelon
EDIBLE FLOWERS TO PLANT:
Bee
Balm (Monarda Didyma); English Daisy ; Hollyhock; Jasmine Sambac
(Arabian); Pansies; Primrose; Purslane; Safflower; Scented Geraniums;
Snapdragons; Sunflower; Sweet Alyssum; Tangerine Scented Marigold
(Tagetes Lemonii)
Frost/Freeze: Average last frost day is
approximately February 15th, however frost and hail has been seen as
late as the second week in March. It is best to have your frost covers
handy.
GARDEN TIPS for February
February is the transition time for the garden from Winter to Spring sowing, transplanting and harvesting.
There
is still time to get a last batch of carrots, sugarpeas, lettuces and
similar in the ground. Choosing short maturity varieties, particularly
of the root veggies, will give you more harvesting success as the
weather jumps to heat in a couple of months.
February is also the
time to start your warm season plants like tomatoes, basil and peppers,
to name a few. But they may need some initial frost protection. Keep
in mind that they may actually stop growing if there is a cold day or
several, which chills the soil. Then they resume when the soil heats
back up (an interesting phenomenon I finally caught on to several years
ago).
The weird weather of the last couple of years in
February/March with high temps followed by overnight chill/freeze
(Global Weirding as Karis over at the Valley Permaculture Alliance put
it so well), makes for some required diligence in the garden in February
and March. It pays to remain more mindful of what the weather will be
rather than just sow and try to grow.
February is the end of the
primary perennial best planting time in the valley (October -
February). What this means is that to ensure the best success for your
perennials like rosemary, oregano and fruit trees, it is best to have
them in the ground before the end of February and the beginning of our
temperature increases.
New to-the-valley residents can be
surprised by the common spring joke of "when is spring here?" and the
answer is "do you remember that period in early March when it was about
78-83 or so degrees for about 2 weeks? - that was it!"
This of
course is due to the sudden rise of temperatures from balmy mid 70s in
late February / early March to the 90s by April 1st (or higher - we have
had the rare 100+ degree days in late March or early April).
The
plants just can't take the stress of dealing with putting down roots
while the temperatures soar into the 90+ range in just a few short
weeks.
Fertilize fruit trees now -- Use Valentine's day as the
target -- (and again in late May (Memorial Day) and early September
(Labor Day).
Pecan trees need zinc sulfate, applied at the rate of 1 pound per trunk inch width.
ABOUT FROST
The last frost date averages around February 15th, although we have had
frost as late as March 1st or 2nd (usually the result of a late winter
storm with hail).
Frost in the Valley at the 1100 or lower
elevations is usually limited to ‘soft frost’ where simple sheets or
paper placed over sensitive plants (or moving potted plants beneath
patios or trees) is sufficient to protect them. Hard/Killing frosts are
rare particularly in February/March.
For every 1000 feet over
1100 in elevation the last frost day is moved back 10 days and the
possibility of hard (killing) frosts starts to occur. At 2000 feet or
lower, this is still a rare occurrence.
Getting your edible
seedlings in the ground as early as possible provides longer-produce
seasons - especially with plants like tomatoes.
Use homemade
'cloche' covers to protect seedlings -- cut the bottom of gallon milk
containers or 2 liter soda bottles - clean very well to avoid mold --
place over plants each night until frost danger is past, remove during
the day, or if you need to be gone for several days remove the cap to
allow excess heat and humidity to escape.
How do you know if we
are finished with frost? There are some examples in nature, but you
still need to be prepared to cover sensitive plants through the 2nd week
in March.
a. Ant activity in the garden indicates the soil has warmed up sufficiently for them to start gathering food again.
b. If the mesquite trees have started to bud out, it is unlikely to frost after that
c. Be aware that a warm storm can contain some hail through March.
HAIL
Here in the Valley we can have Hail on an expected basis in Spring, early Summer and Fall.
The perfect conditions for Hail are warm OR WARMING soil, cool air mass coming in AND wind.
February and March have the perfect combination of warming soil and a
cool system moving in. If you add wind you will generally get hail.
So, while actual frost may not happen keep your frost protection covers
and jugs handy in the event of hail to safeguard your new seedlings and
transplants.
To have all of my monthly planting / sowing recommendations right at your finger tips, consider purchasing my perpetual calendar. It has room for your own garden notes and I included some recipes.
You can purchase the print copy at
Amazon.
Or at my
Publisher's site where you have the option of a print copy or PDF.
-- Catherine, The Herb Lady
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