Top gardening work in February
So two winter months are gone. A brief respite for gardeners is drawing to a close, and February invites you to roll up your sleeves and get down to business. Although this is the shortest month of the year, it is important to do some gardening right now. Even if the winter surprises in the form of snowfalls, cold winds or thaws do not stop outside, garden trees are worthy of the attention of their fans.
Thorough inspection and pruning of fruit trees
Many believe that one of the most important things on earth is to plant a tree. But is it enough just to sprinkle the roots of the seedling with earth to taste the juicy fruits? Fruit trees need to be cared for almost all year round, especially in February.
Before you start pruning your winter garden, it is important to carefully examine each tree. To avoid irreparable mistakes, it is advisable to adhere to the basic rules for pruning fruit trees:
- Branches with a thick trunk, which grow in the opposite direction from the crown, are primarily removed.
- To stimulate the growth of the tree, cut all branches pointing upwards. Remove them at the branching point. The procedure helps to strengthen the sloping and horizontal branches, which most often bear fruit.
- If flower buds are visible on fruiting shoots, they are cut off, leaving a third of the branch. As a result, it will not break under the weight of the fruit when harvest time comes.
- All thin, upright and downward-pointing branches are cleaned.
- Remove dead foliage from seedlings. All work is performed with sharp tools.
Pruning fruit trees in winter promotes bountiful harvests and protects against various diseases. For example, scab, fungus and rot often appear in an unkempt crown. Therefore, in February, they do sanitary pruning of fruit seedlings. A wire brush is used to remove the exfoliated areas of the bark where pests hibernate. Dry nests of hawthorn and goldtail are removed from branches. Cut off the affected branches and shoots, on which the eggs of tree parasites are stored.
It is best to start winter pruning with mature fruit trees. Their flower buds are laid earlier than young seedlings. If you do the procedure later, there is a danger of damaging a large number of buds, which will lead to crop loss.
In regions with a warmer climate, especially in Ukraine, gardeners grow peaches. It is in February, when severe frosts are behind, that it is best to prune such trees. In this case, you should adhere to such tips:
- branches on a seedling should be located widely from each other;
- pruning begins with the lower shoots to stimulate the growth of the tree;
- an adult peach reaches a height of 3.5 meters, so it is important to form the crown correctly.
Timely pruning of peach trees favorably affects the appearance of more juicy and beautiful fruits. During the summer, the branches receive the maximum amount of light, which increases their healthy growth. By removing old dried shoots, gardeners give the opportunity to appear young branches, ready to bear fruit.
If there are thaws in February and the temperature is not lower than -5 degrees, it is advisable to whitewash the trunks of fruit trees. If mosses and lichens are found on a seedling, it can be treated with a lime solution, which is prepared by mixing the following components:
- 10 liters of water;
- 2.5KG lime;
- 300 g of copper sulfate;
- 0.5 kg of ferrous sulfate.
As you can see, the recipe is quite simple, the main thing is not to miss the moment and to process the entire garden in the last month of winter, before spring comes.
In the northern regions, where it is still cold and snowy in February, gardeners check the shelters of heat-loving shrubs and fruit trees... If necessary, continue to cover them with a layer of snow. This is especially needed for young seedlings, grapes, currants and gooseberries.
It is known that 10 cm of snow increases the soil temperature by approximately 1 degree. Therefore, it is advisable to use it as much as possible for plant protection in winter.
February control of cuttings
Experienced gardeners are trying in the fall to prepare cuttings for scion of fruit trees. Store them in a refrigerator or basement, in the snow or in an unheated room. When February comes, it makes sense to find out what condition they are in. To do this, you need to conduct the following test:
- Checking the external state of the cortex. The bark should look smooth and fresh. A dry and shriveled shell indicates the premature death of the cutting.
- Flexibility and resilience. If a crunch is heard with a slight bending of the handle, then it has not survived the winter period.
- Color and condition of wood. After making a cross section, examine the color of the wood. Light green color indicates the suitability of the cuttings for grafting. A brown tint indicates a lifeless state.
- Healthy kidneys. When examining the stalk, you should pay attention to the condition of the kidneys. Smooth and elastic are considered healthy. When cut, a light green color should be visible.
By all gardening rules, fruit trees are planted in April or May, depending on the climate. The main thing is that the active movement of the juice begins in the shoots.
To carry out a successful grafting operation on fruit trees, the cutting must be dormant.
Cuttings checked in February are stored in a cold room until grafting. It is advisable to get them out of there 2 days before the procedure. Frozen lump specimens - 3 or 4 days in advance. Carrying out important garden work in February will increase the yield of fruit trees. Ultimately, you can always enjoy the fruits of your hands, caring for the garden in the country.