North Mississippi Gardening Tips
January/February, 2007
FLOWERS
During this time of year the spring bulbs will begin to bloom. Some of the earliest are the narcissus. There are two ideal times to fertilize these spring-flowering bulbs. Once in the fall around the time you would plant bulbs and again in the spring as the foliage begins to emerge. If flowering declines, it may be due to overcrowding or shade. Hyacinths are another welcome harbinger of spring. These bulbs do well in north Mississippi coming back for years. Fertilize them and other spring bulbs, such as crocus, Dutch iris, snowdrops and others as recommended for narcissus. Most spring bulbs do better in full sun, but they can tolerate light shade.
During mild weather you can dig and divide hardy perennials like purple coneflower, daylilies, peonies, iris, Shasta daisies, and many others. Plant these in well-drained soil and mulch with pine straw. Do not cover the plant crown. Keeping all flowers (perennials, annuals, bulbs) mulched will help protect the newly emerging foliage and keep down winter weeds.
LAWNS
Removing deciduous leaves from the lawn area is very important. If you have procrastinated raking those leaves off, get busy! Besides the obvious benefits of having thankful neighbors and a neat yard, removing matted, wet leaves from the lawn will let needed air and sunlight reach the turf. This is particularly important on cool-season grasses.
Evergreen lawns should only be mowed at the correct height. For tall fescue this is two to three inches. For Kentucky bluegrass it is one and one half to two inches. For ryegrass seeded over Bermuda grass the ryegrass should be cut at least one inch above the base lawn. If you failed to apply post-emergence herbicide this last August and September, your lawn probably has a thriving population of annual bluegrass, henbit and other undesirables. The game now is one of tolerance or applications of postemergence herbicides to control existing winter annual weeds. Postemergence herbicides are most effective if applied to seedlings less than three inches tall. Wait until most weeds are two to four inches tall before application.
Remember also that maintaining a healthy lawn through good management practices such as proper pH, fertilization, irrigation and mowing frequency and height does help control weeds, therefore cutting down use of herbicides.
TREES AND SHRUBS
February is a great month for planting trees and shrubs. Remember never to plant deeper than the plant was growing in the container. Dig the planting hole only as deep as the root ball to help prevent too deep planting. Before purchasing a tree decide where it will be planted and what purpose it will serve—shade, screen, windbreak, etc. The biggest mistake the homeowner makes is not considering the ultimate height and spread of that tree. Choose a location that will not interfere with underground or overhead utility lines, driveways, walkways and foundations. The Extension publication “Selecting Landscape Plants” obtained from your local county Extension office can aid in your selection process as can a knowledgeable nurseryman.
Continue to prune all dormant, deciduous, and evergreen trees this month if needed. Do not prune the spring flowering shrubs, such as, azalea, rhododendrons, forsythia, spirea and others. Crape myrtle, lilac chaste tree, althea and other summer blooming shrubs can be pruned now. Fertilize all trees and shrubs in February with a complete fertilizer, such as 15-15-15. A good general rule is to apply one-half pound of fertilizer every three feet of height of the plant.
FRUITS AND NUTS
Fruit trees, bunch grapes and muscadines can be pruned now. Keep a close eye on the buds. As they begin to swell it’s time to fertilize. This typically doesn’t occur until late March in north Mississippi. We have been known to have early springs! So, the best indicator is to watch the buds. For a wealth of information on fertilizing, pruning and general maintenance of apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, grapes, blackberries and muscadines go to your local Extension office and ask for these publications:
- IS1434 Fruit and Nut Review Peaches, Nectarines, and Plums
- IS1433 Fruit and Nut Review Apples and Pears
- IS1445 Fruit and Nut Review Muscadines
- IS1444 Fruit and Nut Review Bunch Grapes and Blackberries
VEGETABLES
Now is the time to concentrate on the cool season vegetables. Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and other cool season vegetable transplants are available now at some garden centers and farmer’s co-ops this month. Early-bird gardeners try to get their cabbage, collard and broccoli plants out as soon as possible. English peas, spinach, head lettuce, beets, radishes, and mustard can be seeded late in February. Sometimes they make it and sometimes they don’t. It all depends on our capricious early spring weather that can be typified by a 40-degree drop in temperature in just a few hours.
Irish potatoes and onion sets or transplants can be put in the ground now. When planting seed potatoes be sure that each chunk of potato you cut from the “seed potato” has a least one eye or bud from which the stem of the plant will grow. To be safe, I usually wait until late in February or the first of March to get my cool season vegetable garden started. One limiting factor for early spring planting (other than our yo-yo weather) is when the soil will be dry enough to till. One way to get around this is to grow your cool season vegetables in raised beds. These beds will be workable and ready to plant before beds prepared at existing ground level.
Lelia Scott Kelly, Ph.D., writes North Mississippi Gardening Tips monthly and is a Horticulture Specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Her office is in the North Mississippi Research & Extension Center, Verona.