February Gardening Tips from the Natural Gardener

Valentine’s Day is almost here, and one of your New Year’s resolutions was to do a better job in the garden. Not sure where to begin? Thanks to the Natural Gardener, the “organic gardening headquarters” of Southwest Austin, you’ve come to the right place!

Gardening To Do List for February

– Sow Vegetable Seeds: Beets, Carrots, Endive, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Mustard Greens, Parsnip, Peas, Radish, Rutabaga, Spinach, Turnips. Start Tomatoes and Peppers indoors.

– Sow Herb Seeds: Chives, Cilantro, Dill, Echinacea, Parsley.

– Sow Flowers Seeds: Coreopsis, Cosmos, Nasturtium, Sweet Peas.

– Plant Vegetable Plants: Artichokes, Asparagus, Asian Greens, Broccoli, Cabbage, Chard, Collards, Lettuce, Mustard Greens, Onion Sets, Seed Potatoes, Shallot Bulbs, Spinach.

– Plant Fruit Trees and Shrubs: Blackberries, Dewberries, Grapes, Figs, Pears, Persimmon, Pomegranate, Strawberries.

– Plant Herb Plants: Calendula, Chives, Cilantro, Dill, Echinacea, Fennel, Feverfew, Lavender, Pansies, Parsley, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Savory, Sorrel, Thyme.

– Plant Annual Plants: African Daisy, Alyssum, Balloon Flower, Delphinium, Dianthus, Dusty Miller, English Daisy, Larkspur, Lobelia, Nemesia, Petunias, Poppies, Snapdragons, Stock.

– Plant Perennial Plants: Black Foot Daisy, Four Nerve Daisy, Hymenoxys, Ruellia, Salvia Greggii, Skeleton Leaf Golden Eye, Turk’s Cap, Yarrow, Zexmenia. 

– Feed and Cultivate: Early in the month, work in compost and organic fertilizer to vegetable and flower beds so you’ll be ready when the planting fever hits. In our gardens, we alternate between Revitalizer, Turkey, and Farm Style composts. We also add Garden Pep Cotton Seed Meal and a mineral source such as Glittering Greensand or Minerals Plus. For best results, mix the compost in to about 6” deep, then add the Cottonseed Meal to just the top two inches of soil.

– Give annuals a boost with Lady Bug Flower Power and/or John’s Recipe Liquid Fertilizer. Give plants an additional boost with Plant Success beneficial mycorrhizal fungi, and inoculate your soil with a dose of our home-brewed Aerobic Compost Tea. 

– Apply corn gluten as a natural pre-emergent weed control. See January’s To Do List for details.

– Prune immature fruit trees if needed. Spray Apples, Peaches, Pears and Plums (non-native fruit trees) with an all-natural fungicide when the buds begin to swell.

– For plants that need supplemental water, always water deeply, especially before freezes. Dry plants are more likely to suffer freeze damage than well-watered ones. Be careful not to overwater; plants use water more slowly when temperatures are cool.  Continue to protect tender plants, especially new seedlings, before a freeze.

– Valentine’s Day is the time to prune roses. Mid-February, shape your rose and give it some TLC in the form of compost and Lady Bug Flower Power fertilizer. 

– Shear hedges to shape and retard growth. Shear and shape hardy herbs as needed. Oregano, Rosemary, Savory, and Thyme will especially benefit from a late-winter haircut. 

– Cut woody perennials such as Esperanza and Firebush down to 12” segments. When new growth appears at the base, eliminate unsightly dead sticks by cutting the old stems nearly to the ground.

– Consider adding native or well-adapted trees, shrubs, groundcovers, and vines.

– Have a soil test done. We recommend Logan Labs, Control Laboratories, and Texas Plant and Soil Lab.

Thank you, Natural Gardener! Check out their website for additional information, or take a trip to see them. “We’re a garden shop, nursery and teaching facility dedicated to promoting organic, time-tested gardening practices,” says beloved owner, John Dromgoole. His award-winning nursery is a ten-time winner of Austin Chronicle’s “Best of Austin!”

The REALTORS® at Regent Property Group support homegrown Austin businesses like the Natural Gardener. Looking for an Austin home for sale?  From homes in Shady Hollow to homes in Senna Hills, we help homebuyers stay on top of the Austin luxury home market.

Natural Gardener Hours:

Mon-Sat: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Sunday: 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

(Hours Change Seasonally)

Address:

8648 Old Bee Caves Road Austin, Texas 78735

Phone Number: (512) 288-6113

Directions to the Natural Gardener: This gardening store is relatively close for residents of Central and South Austin. For those with homes in North Austin neighborhoods like the Ranch at Brushy Creek, just avoid visiting the Natural Gardener during rush hour traffic!

From South Austin: Take Hwy 290/Hwy 71 into Oak Hill. When you reach the “Y”, take Hwy 71 West. Go about 1 mile to the traffic light at Fletcher. Turn right onto Fletcher and go about 1/4 mile until it dead ends into Old Bee Caves Road. Turn left onto Old Bee Caves Road and go 1/2 mile. The Natural Gardener is on the right.

From North and Northwest Austin: Heading south on MoPac, take the Southwest Parkway exit. Turn right onto Southwest Parkway. Check the odometer, go 4.5 miles. Turn left onto Travis Cook Road. Go about 1/2 mile until it dead ends into Old Bee Caves Road. The Natural Gardener is to your right!