Februdreary

February 2019

PICKAWAY TO GARDEN

Februdreary

By Paul Hang

 

February is my least favorite month. Like the lines in the supermarket, and other things, the shortest always turns out to be the longest. February creeps along. Cold, snow, rain, overcast skies, mud, all of which we have had for the last three months. We’ve had enough. We can’t wait for it to be over. Hurry up. The promise of March seems like the promise of politicians, that’s nice but when will you deliver? I don’t really believe it will ever be a reality.

 

February is also hard to pronounce. Why is the first “r” in there anyway? Well it turns out that the month is named for the goddess Februa, mother of Mars, who was not only the god of war but of growing crops. Some traditions lit fires for her to intercede with her son and bring on the spring. Februarius (purification) was a festival of purification that was held during the month. February 2^nd is halfway between the Winter solstice and the spring equinox. February second is also, in the Christian tradition, Candlemas Day, the Festival of Lights. It was thought that if the sun shone bright on that day it meant there would be a second winter.

 

Of course we also know that day as the day when Terra porcus pennsylvanii will look for his shadow and, if seen, we will know there will be (only?) six weeks of winter left to enjoy or endure depending on your point of view. Presidential Birthdays and Valentine’s Day are just a few of the celebrations this month.

Native Americans called the full moon this month (the 19^th) the Snow Moon and sometimes the Hunger Moon (because all of the snow made hunting difficult).

 

February is a good time to think about gardening. Planning and perusing seed catalogs, reading books on gardening are all activities we can do that do not depend on the weather. To garden knowingly use the internet. Be skeptical of how-to videos on social media such as You Tube and Facebook. Some are based on anecdotal information, some are hard to watch and some are just giving wrong advice.

 

The best sources to consult are at sites that end in .edu. The Extension Services of state universities of Ohio and surrounding states are the best. Here are the sites to search for Ohio and surrounding states: www.ohioline.edu.osu, (Michigan)www.migarden.msu.edu, (Kentucky)www.uky.edu/hort, (Pennsylvania)www.extension.psu.edu, (Indiana)www.extension.purdue.edu, (West Virginia)www.ext.wvu.edu. And although not close to our climate, but a very good site, is Cornell University in New York, www.gardening.cornell.edu.

 

Don’t forget, there will be a new Master Gardener Volunteer class beginning March 21. To get an application or for information contact me at 740/497-4397 or  phang@columbus.rr.com. It takes a while to complete an application so don’t wait.

 

Punctuating the dreariness there are signs of hope. Towards the end of the month look for signs of the coming spring, swelling of buds, daffodils and skunk cabbage sprouting, mourning cloak butterflies, birds sing more, return of male red-winged black birds with their cry of “Okalee.” When you spot pallets of bagged mulch at gas stations you know spring is coming.

 

Things to do in the garden:

 

Not much. Check perennials for heaving up out of the ground. Press them down gently with your foot. Send in your seed orders. Will our results ever match those of the glossy color pictures? When you make out your seed and plant orders consider planting more native and heirloom plants and vegetables. Native plants are plants that evolved here and are adapted to our conditions, diseases and native pests. While you’re at it try googling the name of a flower you’re thinking about ordering.  You will be able to see pictures and planting information.

 

This is the time to prune trees and shrubs (after you sharpen your tools). You can see their structure now that they are dormant and the leaves are down. Cut out crossing and rubbing branches and unwanted suckers.  Pruning can be done to reduce the size of a tree or shrub to bring it in to balance or to remove overhanging branches blocking a view or path. Remember, spring flowering shrubs should be pruned after flowering if you want to enjoy the blooms. Insects are less likely to be attracted to cuts while trees are dormant.

 

On smaller trees you may want to take care of problems yourself. On larger trees you should call in an expert to inspect and perhaps correct any problems. Arborists are in a slow time of year. The ground, if frozen, will not be damaged and compacted as much from equipment and crews. The Arbor Day Foundation recommends that you have Certified Arborists check any safety problems you may have noticed. To find them go to www.isa-arbor.com click on “Verify Certification” and then “Find an Arborist.”

 

If you dug up bulbs for storage check on them. Spritz them with water to prevent drying out. Throw away any rotting or shriveled ones. Water any dormant or overwintering plants in your garage or basement.

 

Some seeds can be started indoors this month for setting out in late March or early April, depending on the weather: onions, cabbage, cauliflower, and other members of the Cole family. The University of Minnesota has a good discussion; go to www.extension.umn.edu/garden /flowers/starting-seeds-indoors. Also Google Winter Sowing. There you will read how to use old plastic milk bottles to easily germinate some seeds. It is a good way to raise a lot of seedlings for planting “drifts,” those bands of like plants that wander serpentine through our flower beds.