Homeschool Garden Club - The Start of February

We may now be throw the worst of the winter weather, but that is not a guarantee at this time of the year. What we can say is that the days are getting noticeably longer. So, it time to invite you back out in to the garden if you can get out. The soil may be very squishy and the lawn very soggy, so stay off these areas so you don’t compact the soil further - if you can.

If you can’t get out into your ow garden then get out in to outside and go for a ramble along paths, lanes and tracks. The daffodils are pushing up and seem to be growing a centimetre taller each day. Look around and you will found that the Viburnum, Witch Hazel and some beautiful snowdrops and crocus are also putting on a show.

If like me you have snowdrops in your garden and they have clumped up nicely, you can divide them now. Divide after they have flowered but while they are still ‘in the green’. This way you will be able to increase your stock of these lovely flowers for free.

Autumn fruiting raspberries need to be chopped back to a few inches above the soil and then mulched.

Now is the time to keep the bird feeders full and a source of clean water available for the birds. It will soon be Bird Nesting Box Day in our calendar, so start looking out for a good place to hand them up. If you can, it is possible to trim deciduous hedging before the nesting season.

If you are stuck inside, then look out for some garden magazines or catalogues and choose some summer bulbs like lilies, dahlias and gladioli.

You can use the time, if you have not already done so go out to the shed and clean out the pots and propagators. Cleaning is very important when re-using pots and trays to prevent the spread of pests and disease. As home schoolers, we look for ways to save money, and recycling is a way of doing this - so cleaning is necessary. Once this is done, it is time to start to plant things like onions, leeks and sweet peas.

If you have space for potatoes, then chitting needs to be started. This means placing them in a light cool place with the eyes to the top and allow them to chit or sprout until the shoots are about 2 cm. (I have mentioned that you need to use seed potatoes which are specially grown and certified disease-free rather than using the potatoes from the kitchen)