Planting Information > What to do When > February

According to the Antipodean Astro Planting Calendar for February:

Thursday 26th for flowers, Friday 27th for fruit, Saturday 28th leafy plants, Sunday 29th for flowers.

For the 2004 calendar contact: Brian Keats PO Box 1560 Bowal NSW 2576 (price: $14.00)

Fruit

Custard Apple: Peak water needs. Apply 100 grams Organic Xtra per square metre.

Figs: Figs are only produced on new wood of the new seasons growth. Mulch well.

Low chill stone fruit: Moderate water needs.

Lychee: Peak water needs. This is a good time to 'skirt' trees (skirt: trim all growth to 500mm above ground). Prune so 20% light can be seen through leaves.

Mango: Apply 20 grams per square metre of Organic Xtra to dripline. Prune trees after harvest.

Passion fruit: Apply 20 grams Organic Xtra per square metre. Keep up the water.

Pawpaw: Apply 20 grams of Organic Xtra per square metre between January and May. Use copper-based spray to prevent black spot.

Persimmon: Apply Organic Xtra. Harvest time for early varieties.

Strawberries: Keep well watered to form new runners for next year.

Jobs that need doing in any average home garden

• Keep that water up to growing plants.
• Dead head any flowering annuals.
• Check your drainage after any heavy downpour.
• Take out spent plants and if not diseased transfer to the compost.
• Check for fungal diseases.
• Now is the time for cuttings (soft and semi-hard wood) remember the Fair needs, when you pot the cuttings.
• Put up shade for tender plants.
• Sow seeds - good month for germination, most resulting seedlings should be big enough to plant out in Autumn.
• Some vegetables do better sown straight into the bed, eg lettuce, beetroot, white onion, parsnips, radish.
• Raising your own seedlings has several advantages; they are usually cheaper than buying seedlings, several sowing to the packet; to grow seedlings not usually in stock in nurseries to have seedlings for gifts for friends or the BOGI stall.

Sowing: Make sure your equipment sterile. Have seed tray and pots ready when you start. Prepare containers by washing them, then soaking for 10 minutes in household, bleach diluted to 1-20 parts with water. A suitable medium on hand to make sure you can get on with the job when time is short (3 parts coarse sand to 1 part peat or coco peat or fine sieved compost.).

Sow seeds thinly in a damp mix, tiny seeds should be mixed with dry sand to make so more even, barely cover them. Large seeds should be planted at the depth of their diameter. Label each with plant name and date when sown, a position for seeds to be warm and sheltered and conveniently located.

Water with a trigger bottle for fine spraying, and keep container damp. Keep up the gentle watering until seedlings are a strong 5 cm and ready for transferring into small individual pots. Press each little plant firmly into place and water well. Give a half strength liquid fertiliser boost after the first week, provided the seedlings have not out. The seedlings should be ready to move sometime in Autumn. Add compost to soil and once again, water the seedlings straight away and thereafter only during fortnightly spells. Protect from snails. Use liquid fertiliser (manure in water is good for this) fortnightly.

Do not plant out the cabbage family until into March (from John Box - Life Member) because cabbage moth is a problem.

House plants in need of rejuvenation?

• Trim off dead flowers, yellowing leaves and dry stems.
• Dunk very dry containers in a bucket of water until bubbling stops.
• Move plants to shadier or less draughty spot, if they are drying out too quickly.
• Mist spray fine leaves, wipe larger shiny leaves with a cloth dipped in diluted white oil (to reduce scale or mealy bug attack).
• Add shade cloth to patios if on direct sun.

Other jobs:

• Plant herbs in pots and keep them moist.
• Prune those poinsettia for sturdier growth (mind the poisonous sap).
• Water in Organic Xtra around citrus and pawpaw.
• Do not allow tomatoes dry out and tie up tall varieties.
• Plant sweet potatoes in your vegetable garden.

Prepare to take cuttings:

• Many new plants grow from soft-wood cuttings, first prepare containers and the mix as for seed raising.
• Tips of tender green stems (no flower heads) or cut stem into 5-8 em lengths, remove all but a few leaves at the top. Try dipping the base into hormone powder (optional), press cuttings 2/3 buried into damp mix, fill the pot. Firm well.
• Water and place container into a large plastic bag held clear of cuttings by sticks, place in shade and keep moist.
• Transfer to individual pots when roots have formed, (check after a few weeks) They are ready to transplant into their garden spot when they have grown to about 15 em -Autumn or Spring Semi-hardwood cuttings form roots more slowly than softwood cuttings.