Gardening In Perth In February

February 6, 2014 Gardening Gals Uncategorized

Gardening in Perth during February is an exciting time as you can start to plan your autumn and winter garden.

Vegetables to plant in February include: lettuce, broccoli, Brussels sprout, cabbage, cauliflower, peas, radish, shallot and silverbeet.

Flowers to plant in February include: begonia, cornflower, pansy, salvia, statice, stock, sweet pea, verbena and hollyhock.

February is a great time to attend to the following tasks in the Perth garden:

• Pots can dry out quickly in summer as potting mix becomes hydrophobic. Apply wetting agent so water gets into the soil rather than running down the sides of the pot
• Freshen up indoor and undercover potted plants by wiping dusty leaves with a damp cloth or taking them outside when it is raining
• Check your veggie and herb garden daily for grubs and caterpillars and pick them off to keep them under control
• Cut back Callistemon and Hakea by a third to promote healthy, compact growth
• Prune Banksia and Grevillea lightly to shape after flowering. Remove all dead, weak or rubbing branches
• Pull off any suckering growth from below the graft on roses
• Lightly trim Bougainvillea after flowering to encourage more blooms
• Pot plants can dry out quickly in the hot wind. Moved exposed pots to more sheltered locations
• Tip prune Passionfruit regularly to promote lateral growth on which fruit will form
• If branches on variegated species revert to plain green, always cut these out or they can start to take over the plant
• Include daisies in and around your vegie garden to attract beneficial insects for pollination
• Water camellias deeply in dry times to reduce bud drop
• Prune hydrangeas back to 2 or 3 buds as blooms finish
• Prune flowering gums 20 – 30cm behind spent flowers for more flowers next year
• Cut canna lily spent flower stems to ground level

Enjoy being out in your garden during February and start thinking about which bulbs you wish to plant for your spring display this year!