February is still wintertime but days are sire longer andtemperatures are inching their agency upfrom the January lows . Edible gardeners want to get move to larn seeds , start seeds indoors for mid - to - late March transplanting of cool weather crops , and to ensure tool and equipment are ready to go . It is also a proficient clip for fruit grower to be after new planting and prune existing trees and bushes .
Planning
As we ’ve discussed in recent issues , observe a garden journal can really contribute to garden winner . If you have n’t done it yet , now is the time to :
Seed Starting
“ cum started”byanneheathenis licensed underCC BY 2.0
Starting works from seeds is less expensive and allows gardeners a broader variety of selection than buying transplants from local garden centers . Here are some guidelines forsuccessful source bug out :
For another , more elaborate looking at indoor seed starting , see this month ’s article , How to Start your Garden Seeds . The VA Cooperative Extension offer right advice for ejaculate - base horticulture inPlant Propagation from SeedandSeed for the Garden .
VCE publicationVirginia ’s Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guideoffers guidance for both planting time and which veg are best transplanted vs direct seeded out of doors . In hardiness geographical zone 7a , March is the time to transplant broccoli , cabbage , cauliflower , and head lettuce . So get those seminal fluid started now to be ready to transplant next month .
Organic Weed Management
If you dislike weed during the summer , you might like to tryoccultationas atechnique for weed mastery . Its use is increasing in the constitutional market - farming community . The first step is to abridge your concealment crop or trim all growing vegetation in the garden beds as close to the ground as possible . Then cover bottom with black credit card sheeting or tarps , well secured around the bound . Keep spark out and let the sun ’s heat penetrate the soil for 6 week or more . Then bump off the charge card , rake off drained vegetation and rake the surface liquid to be ready to plant .
Reports in constituent gardening literature arrogate significant reduction in grass infestation and weed DoL when following this proficiency . I ’m test it for the first time this year and will report results in a couple of months .
Fruit Grower undertaking
The in effect time to prune fruit tree is while they are dormant , just prior to active growth . Pruning helps manage Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree size and shape . Most significantly , it can facilitate tree confirm hard crops without damage while allowing abundant atmosphere and sunlight penetration . At a minimum , murder numb and discredited woodwind . Remember to disinfect geld tools before and after . Detailed steering for fruit tree management is provided in the VCE publicationTree Fruit in the Home Garden .
A broader - based article on good pruning praxis for a assortment of tree and shrubs is usable in the articleA Pruning Primer : Tools , Techniques and Timingfrom the February 2020 Garden Shed .
For guidance on grow small fruits , Small Fruit in the Home Gardenis a helpful resource . It covers fix , soil management , variety selection , planting , and pruning techniques for strawberry mark , blueberry bush , raspberries , blackberries and grape . Because best practice and requirement vary significantly by eccentric of fruit and even within varieties , it is a worthwhile read before purchase and for sure while caring for any of these crops .
I trust you are as emotional as I am to get this horticulture season move and reckon forward to visiting again next month .
Sources :
Seed for the Garden : https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu / content / dam / pubs_ext_vt_edu/426/426 - 316/426 - 316_pdf.pdf
Plant Propogation From Seed : https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu / subject matter / dam / pubs_ext_vt_edu/426/426 - 001/426 - 001.pdf
recognise Your seed : https://hampton.ext.vt.edu / content / dam / hampton_ext_vt_edu / mg - class - pres-21.pdf
Seed Starting : https://lee.ces.ncsu.edu/2019/05 / germ - starting/
Tree Fruit in the Home Garden : https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu / content / dam / pubs_ext_vt_edu/426/426 - 841 / SPES-259.pdf
Small Fruit in the Home Garden : https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu / mental object / dam / pubs_ext_vt_edu/426/426 - 840/426 - 840_pdf.pdf
