February in the Contra Costa Garden

February Garden To Dos

Remove moss from pathways: Use hydrated lime. Note that lime will raise the soil pH if it runs off pathways.
Remove winter weeds and the early summer weeds that are just germinating.
Clean clay pots—wash in soapy water with a wire brush; dry thoroughly, rub with linseed oil. May take two coats.
Set out one or two ground wasp (yellowjacket) bait stations to attract queens and early scouts. This will radically reduce the number of nests in your area.

Spray for Peach Leaf Curl before bud break (when buds start to show a little color).
Harvest citrus.
Do not prune back freeze damaged citrus wood until late spring.
Add compost, if the weather is dry enough, to your summer vegetable beds to prepare them for planting in a month or so.
Start tomato, eggplant, onion , parsley and pepper seeds indoors this month, using bottom heat for best germination.

Finish pruning roses by the middle of the month. Spray with dormant oil to control pests.
Finish dormant season pruning you started last month.
Prune fuchsias at the end of the month.
Apply dormant oil on deciduous trees to control aphids, mites, scale and some caterpillars.
Pick up all spent Camellia blossoms to reduce the incidence of Botrytis blight and petal blight.
Plant Gladiolus bulbs.

USDA zones range from 8-9B

Sunset zones range from 7-17

Average max. temp. 63°F, 17.22C

Average min. temp. 41.5°F, 5.3°C

Average rainfall 3.14”, 7.96 cm.

Feb 1 is the ‘cross quarter day’— halfway between winter solstice and spring equinox.