yearbook
Average temperature: high 74 degrees, low 51 degrees
Rainfall: 2.35 inches
1.Moon phase
Full moon: February 1st
Last quarter: February 9th
New Moon: February 17th
First quarter: February 24th
2. Moon Sign Planting Date
Ground crops: 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 26, 27
Underground crops: 3, 4, 8, 9, 13, 14
Weed and pest control: 15, 16, 24, 25
Tree and shrub pruning: 1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 20, 21, 28
When to plant
3. Flowers: Alyssum, aster, baby’s breath, bacopa, begonia, candytuft, carnation, calendula, cornflower, coreopsis, cosmos, dahlia, delphinium, dianthus, diacea, dichondra, dusty miller, false heather, Four o’clock, Gaillardia, Gaura, Gazania, Geranium, Gerbera, Johnny Jump Up, Lobelia, Million Bells, Nasturtium, Pansy, Petunia, Rose, Salvia, Snapdragon, Stokes Aster, Sweet Pea, Yarrow
4. Vegetables: Until mid-season, plant beets, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collards, endive, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, peas, potatoes, radishes, Swiss chard, and turnips. From mid-month onwards, plant green beans, cantaloupes, corn, cucumbers, eggplants, loofahs, green peppers, pumpkins, pumpkins, tomatoes, and watermelons.
5. Herbs: anise, basil, borage, chives, dill, fennel, lemon balm, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, sweet marjoram, tarragon, thyme.
6. Bulbs: African iris, amaryllis, Amazon lily, Asian lily, blackberry lily, blood lily, bulb, caladium, canna, crinum, daylily, gladiolus, glorifolia lily, Louisiana iris, society garlic, spider lily, rain lily.
lawn care
7. Warm weather means less rain, which means your lawn will be drier. Water as long as allowed.
8. Make sure your irrigation system is supplying water to extra dry spots and hand basins.
9. Cool season weeds like this weather. Treat your lawn with the herbicide listed on the label for your lawn type.
10. Drier than normal conditions in many areas have kept lawn diseases to a minimum.
11. Due to the warm weather, sudden cold weather can damage your lawn. Most should play.
12. Many seasonal weeds have turned brown. Repair these areas with new grass or plugs.
13. To prevent weeds from germinating, spray an insecticide to prevent weeds from emerging around the middle of the month.
14. Do not use crabgrass inhibitors if you plan on reseeding, reseeding, or if runner growth is required.
15. Once growth begins, tan to brown leaves are left on the lawn or raked from the lawn.
16. Before spring growth begins, mow the grass lawn to the desired height of 2 to 2 1/2 inches.
17. The first year’s feeding of most lawns can begin at the end of the month or early March.
18. Delay feeding your lawn for centipedes and grasshoppers until it greens up again for spring in April.
19. Inspect the irrigation system. Check sprinkler heads for blockages or damage and adjust as necessary.
20. Sod or plug your new lawn. Start sowing seeds after mid-season.
21. Lawns are difficult to establish in shady areas. Consider another ground cover.
22. If possible, till the new sod area to a depth of 4 to 6 inches and level the soil before planting.
23. Take the time to test your soil for acidity and readjust your soil’s pH if necessary.
24. Aeration is useful for lawns with compacted soils, nematodes, or soils that don’t wet easily.
25. Maintain your lawn care equipment before spring arrives.
vegetable and fruit gardening
26. The garden is growing well thanks to the mild weather. Keep it moist and fertilize.
27. If possible, purchase new seeds for your garden that are resistant to diseases and nematodes.
28. Hurry up to sow tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants for transplanting in March.
29. During a warm winter, only 4 weeks are required to produce grafts from seeds.
30. Cool season vegetables can be planted until early February.
31. Remove declining crops and prepare for new plantings.
32. A warm winter encourages cold-sensitive planting in late February. Keep cold weather gear on hand.
33. Amend sandy soils and old garden areas with organic matter before starting new plantings.
34. Plant a container garden to enjoy vegetables and herbs on your porch or patio.
35. Fertilize, care for, and harvest your herbs to keep them producing. Dry and store the excess.
36. Support vine crops by tying vines to stakes or trellises.
37. Plant additional fruit-bearing trees, shrubs, and vines.
38. Contact the University of Florida Extension Office for information on new and better fruit varieties.
39. Many fruit trees are blooming. Complete regular pruning earlier this month.
40. Learn how to thin peach and nectarine trees for maximum yield.
41. Pine bark particles help regulate soil acidity for blueberry planting.
42. Feed all fruit-bearing trees, shrubs, and vines in late February.
43. Begin the spray program after apple and peach trees bloom.
44. Use fallen leaves to build paths, add mulch to your garden, and make compost.
45. Prepare sharpeners, shovels, hoes, and pruning shears for spring planting and plant care.
in the landscape
46. Notice the winter-blooming trees and shrubs you can add to your landscape.
47. If the warm weather continues in February, plants are expected to start growing early.
48. Freezes can cause significant damage. Keep the cover handy.
49. Begin pruning all but late winter and spring flowering plants as needed.
50. Shape overgrown or out-of-bounds plantings, including hedges.
51. Remove only the seed heads, small stems, and suckers from the crape myrtles.
52. Prune ornamental grasses to within 1 to 2 feet of the ground before they begin to grow.
53. Remove weakened leaves and fruiting stems from palm trees. Leaves nice green leaves.
54. Give all roses, except climbing roses, their first pruning of the year around mid-month.
55. Prune climbing roses after flowering in the spring, removing only dead or out-of-range buds.
56. Cut back out-of-range perennials. Remove old flower heads and seed pods.
57. Find Florida bulbs at garden centers and choose the best bulbs.
58. Move poinsettias to the landscape on warm days and feed with a slow-release fertilizer.
59. Begin feeding landscape trees, shrubs, and flowers as needed for growth and leaf color.
60. Feed your container garden every two weeks or use a slow-release fertilizer.
61. Start setting seeds for warm-season annuals and long-lasting perennials.
62. Add mostly cold-hardy plants to your landscape.
63. Apply mulch around the tree starting 1 foot from the trunk and 6 inches from the shrub.
64. Prepare a new flower bed. Adds organic matter to sandy soils.
65. Replant a declining container garden.
66. Plant bare-root and container-grown trees, shrubs, and vines.
67. Start feeding your orchid every other week or apply a slow-release fertilizer by the end of the month.
68. Start a compost pile by adding a thin layer of soil and a little fertilizer to fallen leaves and garden debris.
69. Divide and transplant perennials.
70. Clean out your lily pond in preparation for spring growth.
Caring for houseplants and foliage plants
71. Take advantage of end-of-winter sales to add new plants to your home or office.
72. Make sure your new plants are set to proper light levels.
73. Check previously added plants for mites and insects.
74. Wash pests off your plants with soap solution or spray with insecticidal soap as directed.
75. Trim indoor foliage to remove old leaves, faded flowers, and fading parts.
76. Give your Christmas or holiday cactus a bright spot in your home. Water when it starts to dry.
77. Remove faded flowers and stems from forced amaryllis bulbs. Add bulbs to your garden.
78. Trim indoor plants like topiaries and trees to control size and shape.
79. Move refrigerated bulbs to a warm, sunny spot to start growing.
80. Feed all container plants.
Tom McCubbin is an emeritus urban horticulturist for the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Write to Orlando Sentinel, PO Box 2833, Orlando, FL. 32802. Email: TomMac1996@aol.com.
