GardenAdvice.co.uk Gardening calendar notes 3rd week February 2025 ( Audio Available )
This is the GardenAdvice.co.uk gardening calendar for the 3rd week in February 2025. As the weather starts to warm, the days get longer and the sunlight a bit stronger we are truly hearing for spring. Here are some gardening tips and tasks for the week ahead in the UK garden. Remember the GardenAdvice team is here to help if you have any questions or need advice you can join our online gardening advice service for free until the end of February.
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- Spring Bulbs in Full Bloom
Snowdrops and crocuses are in full flower, marking the start of spring.
Feed spring bulbs with Growmore or liquid tomato feed to encourage strong blooms for next year. Remember if you have to snow drops and wish to spread then or establish some snow drop plants you can divide and plant them now which they are “growing in the green”
- Fruit Tree Planting & Training
If not already done, plant new apple trees and fruit trees – now is an ideal time as the soil start to warm up
Train existing fan-trained or cordon apple and pear trees before the leaves emerge.
Training branches horizontally or semi-horizontally encourages more fruiting by distributing fruiting hormones more effectively. On a tree without a training the fruiting buds tend to form on the top part of the branches.
This also enhances the classic appearance of espalier trees, adding year-round interest to your garden especially if you combine them with lighting.
- Greenhouse Cleaning & Pest Prevention
Give your greenhouse a deep clean with disinfectant.
Use pyrethrum smoke bombs or sulfur bombs to eliminate overwintering pests by creating a cloud of smoke that seeps into all the cracks and corners in your greenhouse and benches etc
A clean greenhouse helps prevent disease and pests, ensuring healthy crops throughout the year.
- Apply lime to veg garden
This is the time to apply garden lime to the areas of your veg garden you are intending to grow cabbages, cauliflowers and other brassicas. These plants prefer neutral -alkaline soil and adding lime to your soil will help achieve this. To determine the amount of lime you need to apply you will need to carry out a soil test. creating an alkaline soil will also help control club root disease.
- Start Chitting Potatoes
Chitting encourages early growth and stronger crops.
Place seed potatoes in egg cartons on a windowsill for a couple of weeks until shoots emerge.
If short on seed potatoes, cut them in half to increase the number of plants.
- Apply lime to veg garden
This is the time to apply garden lime to the areas of your veg garden you are intending to grow cabbages, cauliflowers and other brassicas. These plants prefer neutral -alkaline soil and adding lime to your soil will help achieve this. To determine the amount of lime you need to apply you will need to carry out a soil test. creating an alkaline soil will also help control club root disease.
- Sowing runner beans and soil preparation
Runner beans grow quickly and require plenty of moisture, so preparing the soil in advance is key. A great way to retain moisture is by digging trenches or pits and incorporating garden compost and grass clippings. These materials break down over time, increasing the humus content in the soil and acting as a natural water reservoir. Mid-February is the ideal time to add these organic materials, allowing them to decompose slightly before planting.
- You can start runner beans indoors now by sowing seeds in small pots on a windowsill. In four to six weeks, they can be transplanted outdoors under cloches for added frost protection. When planting, use six-foot canes arranged in a tripod or straight-line setup to support their vigorous growth. Runner beans also serve as a useful windbreak in the vegetable garden but should be positioned carefully to avoid shading light-sensitive crops like lettuce.
- Sow Aubergine seeds and pepper seeds
Now is the time to sow some Aubergine seeds and pepper seeds on a window sill or heated glasshouse or you can place an order for young plants to be supplier later in the season from specialist growers
- Houseplant Repotting & Care
The increasing daylight makes it a great time to repot houseplants, particularly shiny-leaved varieties like palms and rubber plants.
Use John Innes No. 1 or No. 2 compost (soil-based) for better water retention.
Before repotting, soak the root ball to ensure thorough hydration.Shower houseplants for a few minutes to wash off accumulated dust, improving humidity and plant health. This is also a good way to soak the rootballs before potting.
