The Almanac
Average temperature: High 74, Low 51
Rainfall: 2.35 inches
1. Moon phases
Full moon: Feb. 1
Last quarter: Feb. 9
New moon: Feb. 17
First quarter: Feb. 24
2. Moon sign planting dates
Above-ground crops: 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 26, 27
Below-ground crops: 3, 4, 8, 9, 13, 14
Control weeds and pests: 15, 16, 24, 25
Prune trees and shrubs: 1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 20, 21, 28
Time to plant
3. Flowers: Alyssum, aster, baby’s breath, bacopa, begonia, candytuft, carnation, calendula, coneflower, coreopsis, cosmos, dahlia, delphinium, dianthus, diascia, dichondra, dusty miller, false heather, four o’clock, gaillardia, gaura, gazania, geranium, gerbera, Johnny-jump-up, lobelia, million bells, nasturtium, pansy, petunia, rose, salvia, snapdragon, Stokes aster, sweet pea and yarrow
4. Vegetables: Through midmonth plant beets, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collards, endive, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, peas, potatoes, radishes, Swiss chard and turnips. After midmonth plant beans, cantaloupe, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, luffa, peppers, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes and watermelon
5. Herbs: Anise, basil, borage, chives, dill, fennel, lemon balm, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, sweet marjoram, tarragon, and thyme
6. Bulbs:African iris, amaryllis, Amazon lily, Asiatic lily, blackberry lily, blood lily, bulbine, caladium, canna, crinum, day lily, gladiolus, gloriosa lily, Louisiana iris, society garlic, spider lily and rain lily
Lawn care
7. Warmish weather with little rain produces dry lawns; water as permitted.
8. Make sure irrigation systems are watering extra dry spots or hand water.
9. Cool season weeds like this weather; treat with herbicides as labeled for your lawn type.
10. Turf diseases have been minimal due to drier-than-normal conditions in many areas.
11. Sudden cold could be damaging to lawns due to the warm weather; most should regrow.
12. Many seasonal weeds are turning brown; repair these areas with new sod or plugs.
13. Apply a crabgrass preventer around midmonth to stop weedy grasses from germinating.
14. Do not use crabgrass preventers if you plan to resod, seed or need runner growth.
15. Tan to brown blades can be left or raked from lawns as growth begins.
16. Mow zoysia lawns to the desired height of 2 to 2½ inches before spring growth begins.
17. First-of-the-year feedings of most lawns can begin at the end of the month or early March.
18. Delay feedings of centipede and zoysia lawns until they regreen for spring in April.
19. Inspect irrigation systems; check for clogged or broken sprinkler heads and adjust as needed.
20. Sod or plug new lawns; begin seeding after midmonth.
21. Turf is hard to establish in shady sites; consider another ground cover.
22. Where possible till new lawn sites 4 to 6 inches deep and level the soil before planting.
23. Take time to have a soil acidity test made and readjust the soil pH if needed.
24. Aeration can help lawns with compacted soils, nematodes or hard-to-wet soils.
25. Service lawn care equipment before spring arrives.
Vegetable and fruit gardening
26. Gardens are making good growth due to mild weather; keep moist and fertilize.
27. Purchase new seeds for the garden where possible with disease and nematode resistance.
28. Hurry to start seeds of tomatoes, peppers and eggplant for March transplants.
29. During warmer winters, only four weeks are needed to produce a transplant from seed.
30. Cool-season vegetables can be planted through early February.
31. Remove declining crops to prepare for new plantings.
32. Warm winters encourage late February cold sensitive plantings; keep cold protection handy.
33. Improve sandy and old garden sites with organic matter before starting new plantings.
34. Plant container gardens to enjoy vegetables and herbs on porches and patios.
35. Fertilize, groom and harvest herbs to keep them producing; dry and store extras.
36. Support vining crops by tying the vines to a stake or trellis.
37. Plant additional fruiting trees, shrubs and vines.
38. Check with your University of Florida Extension office for new and better fruit varieties.
39. Many fruit trees are blooming; complete normal pruning early this month.
40. Learn how to thin peach and nectarine trees to obtain the best production.
41. Pine bark fines can be used to help adjust the soil acidity for blueberry plantings.
42. Feed all fruit-producing trees, shrubs and vines in late February.
43. Begin spray programs after apple and peach trees flower.
44. Use fallen leaves to form pathways, add a mulch to gardens or make compost.
45. Sharpen, shovels, hoes and pruners to have them ready for spring planting and plant care.
In the landscape
46. Notice winter-blooming trees and shrubs you might add to the landscape.
47. Expect plants to begin early growth if the warm weather continues in February.
48. A freeze now could cause major damage; keep covers handy and fingers crossed.
49. Begin pruning all but late winter and spring bloomers as needed.
50. Reshape overgrown and out-of-bounds plantings including hedges.
51. Only remove seed heads, small stems and suckers from crape myrtles.
52. Prune ornamental grasses to within a foot or two of the ground before growth begins.
53. Remove declining fronds and fruiting stalks from palms; leave the good green foliage.
54. Give all but climbing roses a first-of-the-year pruning around mid month.
55. Trim climbing roses after spring blooms to only remove dead or out-of-bounds shoots.
56. Trim back out-of-bounds perennials; remove old flower heads and seed pods.
57. Look for Florida bulbs to plant at garden centers to obtain the best selection.
58. Move poinsettias to the landscape on warm days and apply a slow-release fertilizer.
59. Begin landscape tree, shrub and flower feedings if needed for growth and foliage color.
60. Feed container gardens every other week or use a slow-release fertilizer.
61. Start seeds of warm season annuals and long-lasting perennials.
62. Add a majority of hardy drought tolerant plants to the landscape.
63. Maintain a mulch around trees starting a foot from the trunks, 6 inches from shrubs.
64. Prepare new flower beds; add organic matter to sandy soil.
65. Replant declining container gardens.
66. Plant bare root and container grown trees, shrubs and vines.
67. Begin every-other-week feedings of orchids by month’s end or apply a slow-release fertilizer.
68. Start compost piles from leaves and yard debris plus thin layers of soil and a little fertilizer.
69. Divide and transplant perennials.
70. Clean lily ponds to prepare for spring growth.
Foliage and houseplant care
71. Use late winter sales to add new foliage plants to the home and office.
72. Make sure new plants are set in the proper light level.
73. Check previous plant additions for mites and insects.
74. Wash off plant pests with a soapy solution or spray with an insecticidal soap as instructed.
75. Groom indoor foliage to remove old leaves, faded flowers and declining portions.
76. Give Christmas and holiday cactus a bright spot in the home; water when they start to dry.
77. Remove faded flowers and stalks from forced amaryllis bulbs; add the bulbs to the garden.
78. Trim indoor topiaries and tree like plants to control size and shape.
79. Move refrigerated bulbs to warm sunny spots to begin growth.
80. Feed all container plantings.
Tom MacCubbin is an urban horticulturist emeritus with the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Write him: Orlando Sentinel, P.O. Box 2833, Orlando, FL. 32802. Email: TomMac1996@aol.com.
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