Keith Hansen

February is a busy month for gardeners, with both indoor and outdoor activities. The indoor activities consist of several excellent educational opportunities coming up.

On Thursday, Feb. 7, is the East Texas Turfgrass Conference at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Overton. Registration is 8 a.m.-8:30 a.m., and the program runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

This conference is geared for anyone involved in turfgrass maintenance. Topics include: Turfgrass Disease Control; Controlling Moles; Turfgrass Stress and How to Cope; Bermudagrass Management A - Z; What's New in Overseeding Turf with Cool Season Grasses; Weed Control and Herbicide Update; Key Factors for Establishing Turfgrasses; and Pesticide Laws and Regulations

Cost is $25 and includes lunch.

Saturday, Feb. 16, is the East Texas Spring Landscape and Garden Conference at the Tyler Rose Garden Center. Topics for this gardener-oriented conference include Texas Superstar Plants; Success with Spring Vegetables; Avoiding Costly Mistakes with Gas-Powered Lawn Equipment; Gardening For Life; Landscaping With Native Plants; and Calibrating Spreaders and Sprayers.

If your profession or passion is growing fruits or vegetables, then you'll want to attend the annual East Texas Fruit and Vegetable Conference at Tyler Rose Garden Center in Tyler on Tuesday, Feb. 19. Three CEU's for TDA pesticide applicator licenses will be given. Details on these programs are located on the EastTexasGardening.tamu.edu Web site under the "Events & News" menu.

What's going on outdoors in the lawn and garden? February is a good time to prune many plants. However, do not prune spring-flowering plants such as spirea (bridal wreath), azalea, forsythia , quince or hydrangeas until after they bloom. Pruning any of those now would remove your spring flowers.

Finish pruning peach and plum trees in early February. These fruit trees are not pruned for looks but for better harvests and easier picking. Pruning regulates tree height and stimulates new growth for next year's crop. Figs should not be cut back or you will reduce fruit production this year.

Prune hybrid tea and other roses in mid-February to induce new growth and spring blooms.

For hybrid teas, remove top growth 18 to 24 inches above ground, retaining several healthy canes. The older the plant, the more canes you should leave. Make clean, sharp cuts just above buds which point outward. Postpone pruning of climbing roses if necessary until after their major flush of spring bloom. Most antique roses do not need to be as drastically pruned as hybrid teas.

Refrain from cutting back crepe myrtles. It is not necessary, and ruins the graceful form of these beautiful plants. They will bloom just as prolifically and earlier if left alone. Many crepe myrtle varieties grow into trees, and annual cutting back prevents them from reaching their full potential. If your plant outgrows it spot every year, consider replacing it with one of the shorter varieties so you can maintain its overall shape and form without annual pruning.

This is a great time to visit your local nursery. New plants are arriving now for late winter and early spring planting. By planting early, plants will be off to a better start and can become adjusted before the summertime stresses of drought and heat arrive. Shrubs, trees, roses, fruit and nut trees can all be set out now. Have a plan and goal for in mind your landscape before making your purchases, or you may end up impulse buying plants you don't need.

When preparing the soil for gardens, flower or shrub beds, or digging holes for trees and shrubs, never work the soil when it is wet or saturated. The structure of wet soil is easily destroyed when cultivated, forming clumps, clods, and slick surfaces that impede air and water movement. Wait until the soil dries so it is only moist, but not wet.

It's time to select and plant gladiolus bulbs for summer blooms. Ornamental grasses, hostas, cannas, daylilies and mums may be divided just as new foliage appears in early spring. It's also time for planting groundcovers and planting cool season annuals such as snapdragons, calendula, hollyhocks and nasturtium.

Mid to late February marks the time to apply a preemergence herbicide for lawns that had a summer weed problem last year. Grass burs are one weed that sticks in people's memory; crabgrass is another pesky weed that invades thin spots in the lawn. So treat this month or in early March to prevent those weed seeds from germinating. A second application may be needed in late May or early June.

However, if your lawn is thick and healthy, and didn't have weeds last summer, it is probably best to not use a pre-emergent herbicide at this time of year. Grasses are coming out of dormancy, and many of these products unnecessarily stress your lawn.

If you are going to be doing any seeding for lawn repair, do not use a pre-emergent herbicide. Remember that the best defense against lawn weeds is a healthy, well-managed, thick turf. Frequent mowing, adequate fertility and timely irrigation are the keys to good turf. Don't rely on chemicals alone.

It is too early to fertilize the lawn. Wait until the lawn has begun to break dormancy, started to green up and actively grow before making the first application of fertilizer, which is typically in early April, depending on the weather.

Early to mid-February is vegetable planting time for cool season crops including onions, Irish potatoes, radishes, greens, spinach, sugar snap peas, carrots, broccoli, beets and turnips. Early planting assures a good harvest prior to summer heat. But, don't be in a hurry to plant summer vegetables such as tomato, peppers, squash, etc. A late frost or freeze will result in repeated plantings. Summer vegetables require warm days and warm soils to quickly establish.

Keith Hansen is Smith County Horticulturist with Texas AgriLife Extension Service. His web page is http://EastTexasGardening.tamu.edu His Blog is http://tceblogs.tamu.edu/mt/etg Texas AgriLife Extension Service educational programs are open to all individuals without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age or national origin.

Keith Hansen
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