Bare root, potted or burlapped plants can be planted now. Fruit trees, grapes,
roses and berries first arrive in local garden centers during February.
Peas and Sweet Peas can be planted as soon as the ground is workable.
Cold tolerant vegetable seeds such as cabbage, lettuce and onions can be started indoors for earlier harvest.
Plant seeds three to six weeks before they are to be transplanted outside.
Lawns
Green grass continues to use nutrients through the winter, especially during a mild
winter. Lawns might need another application of a fall and winter fertilizer,
especially if they develop a yellowish color.
Moss
Lawn moss grows in areas that stay moist, especially with little sunlight and poor
air circulation: under trees or on the north side of a building. These same
conditions discourage grass growth. Apply a moss killer or a lawn fertilizer
with moss control.
Moss growth on roofs can loosen shingles and shorten the life of the roof. Moss on
steps and walkways can be a safety hazard. Both can be controlled with the same moss
control products.
Caution! Moss controls for lawns which contain iron can stain cement sidewalks,
driveways, patios and walls. Moss controls for roofs and concrete which contain zinc
can damage plants. Buy and use the right product.
Lime
Soils on the west side of the Cascades are generally acid. Most plants grow best in
slightly acid soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0 which allows most nutrients to be most
available. Soil pH can be easily tested with a soil pH meter. Applying lime every year usually maintains a slightly acid soil for
best growth. Lime is especially important on lawns, lilacs and roses. It also
discourages moss growth. Winter rains help move lime deeper into the soil.
Pruning
Now is the time to prune, shape and train fruit trees and grapes. Pruning removes
weak or diseased branches and insures good air circulation to help prevent diseases.
Summer flowering deciduous shrubs, such as hydrangeas and rose of sharon, also can be
pruned now. Spring flowering shrubs, such as forsythia and lilacs, could be pruned now,
but many flowers will be cut off if they are pruned before they bloom. Wait until summer to
prune plants that are too big because winter pruning makes plants grow even faster.
Roses should be pruned in late February or early March to remove old, unproductive
and thin, weak canes. Hybrid teas, grandifloras and floribundas are cut to 12 to 18 inches
tall. Tree roses are cut to a 15 to 20 inch diameter ball. Shrub roses should be left
about three feet tall, but scrawny twigs smaller than a pencil or crowded canes should
be removed. Climbers should be thinned if tangled.
Pests
Many insects and diseases overwinter in branches, tree trunks, and plant debris.
Dormant sprays can be the most important pest control of the year. Stronger mixtures
of dormant oil can be used when plants are dormant. Many insects, mites with their eggs and
disease spores can be destroyed before they start to multiply. For best results,
spray on a warm day with no rain or freezing weather expected for at least eight hours.
Slugs will be after the first things that come up, your early bulbs and perennials.
A strong application of slug bait when hosta buds are about an inch tall can
prevent slug damage for the rest of summer. Sluggo, with iron phosphate, is
non-toxic to people and pets and is listed by OMRI for use in organic gardening
for vegetables and berries. Any pellets not eaten will eventually go into the
soil as plant nutrients.
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