Vegetables, Herbs & Fruit
- Early in the month is the last chance for dormant pruning fruit trees. You still have some time to prune back diseased wood, water sprouts (suckers) and crossing limbs. Don’t prune back fruiting spurs unless you are intentionally thinning them out.
- Last chance for dormant oil sprays of fruit trees. Fruit trees like apples and pears benefit from dormant oil sprays which help to control (by smothering) sucking insects like aphids, scale, spider mites, thrips to name a few. Don’t apply after any buds have broken because dormant oil spays are more concentrated than summer oil sprays and can burn new growth.
- There is still time to start spring vegetable seedlings indoors. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage cauliflower, celery and celeriac and indoors on a windowsill, greenhouse or under grow lights.
- Mid month start planting warm weather vegetables like eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes (from true seed).
- Transplant fruit trees purchased from your favorite grower should be planted now as dormant bare root plants.
- Wrap early flowering dwarf fruit trees if frost threatens. If you have had years where your plums and peaches have not set fruit it could be because a late frost knocked them out. If the forecast calls for below freezing weather and the flower buds are already breaking wrap the trees in reemay (spun polyester garden cover) to protect them over night.
- Sow seeds outdoors when soil temperatures are at or above appropriate minimum temperatures: lettuce (40°F), peas (40°F), Swiss chard & beets (40°F), carrots (40°F), leeks (45°F), onion (45°F), spinach (45°F), turnips (50°F), radishes (50°F) and Asian greens (50°F). Test soil temperatures with a soil thermometer.
- Plant seed potatoes (from potato sections not to be confused with “true seed” which is started indoors like tomatoes) and onion sets, shallot sets, and garlic cloves (results in smaller bulbs then when planted in fall).
- Start Herb seeds indoors: marjoram, summer savory, chives, fennel, parsley, basil, anise hyssop, perilla, lemon balm, & sorrel.
Pest Alert | General Landscaping | Vegetables, Herbs & Fruit
Flower Garden | Indoor Garden
