Things to do in the garden now, at the end of February and the beginning of March
by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
As the weather starts to get warmer – well a little bit anyway – the list of jobs in the garden starts to grow, and if you don't tackle the jobs when you can bad weather may prevent you from getting them done at all. However, so far every time it try to get into my garden I am looking for a way to do drainage; it is still like a swamp out there.
I have been trying to get the planters prepared for the new season and also start to set out the first potatoes into containers but bad weather has so far prevented me from doing so.
There is so much to do, in my garden and I am sure in yours too, however, with another wet weekend forecast it looks like it there isn't much going to happen there this weekend either.
The apple trees need pruning and so far that has not been possible either simply because of the weather but it must be done soon, before it is too late, and the espalier trees of mine are getting way too high. The branches, however, will, some of them at least, make nice walking sticks, I should think. As said, it has to happen soon and I may have to do it this weekend, regardless of what the weather is going to be like, as long as it is not raining too much. as the buds are swelling up already.
Winter pruning of apple trees
The first months of the year, theoretically, is the time to prune apple trees and the same also applied to pears.
So, when I start pruning the first thing I do is look at the tree and look at the shape and how the branches have grown. Keeping the general shape in mind whilst you are pruning helps you to not make any rash decisions and prune with a heavy hand.
The next thing to do is to remove any dead, diseased or damaged branches and any branches which cross or touch another, as branches that are getting close to each other or are even touching will rub and such rubbing will cause wounds and can allow – in fact, it will allow – pathogens and diseases to enter. And that is something you definitely do not want.
What that is done look to open up the centre of the tree so air can circulate around and reduce the possibility of any disease building in the still air. This, obviously, only applies to free-standing trees; espaliers are different.
Lastly you should be left with last years growth to prune and this should be trimmed to about half the length and to an outside facing bud.
If you follow all those steps you should now have a healthy tree which should produce a good crop of apples.
If you have your trees in an espalier style growing against a wall or fence you don't want it to get too long ion the tooth, so to speak. Thus you may, like what I will have to do, cut off some serious long growth, as I got delayed to do it last year and could not do it because it had gotten too late.
Any dead, decayed and diseased branched that remove from the trees burn and do not chip and use in composting or as mulch as you might transfer disease to other areas. Always consider any and all branches that are dead on a tree as having, probably, dies as a result of disease, to be on the safe side and, as said, burn any such wood.
Other tasks
You can now, as it is getting warmer, start the early potatoes from slips that have eyes on them and you do not, necessarily, have to have seed potatoes. On the contrary; if you have store bought potatoes developing eyes peel the potatoes thickly where the eyes are and those slips will grow into potato plants without any problems.
Other tasks are putting on well rotted manure and other soil improvers, such as compost made with bracken, and a very good one on that level is the “Lakeland Gold” compost. If you use such compost as soil improver, or, obviously, your own, home-grown one, apply about a two to three inch thick layer and fork over the beds and containers to give some goodness back to the soil. Don't use the likes of “Grow More” or such “fertilizers”, as they do nothing for the soil; they are but plant food.
Dandelion has started to grow now as well and you can either go and dig them out or allow them to grow, if not in the wrong place, and harvest the leaves – and other parts of the plant. Dandelion leaves are great in salads and on sandwiches too.
If you want or have to dig them out try to go for green ways of doing it and the investment in a Weed Puller, such as the Fiskars W52 or W82, or the Grandpa's Weeder, will soon pay for itself. Those tools make removal of such weeds extremely simple and easy.
© 2011
