Far away from any weather forecasts and basic coffee reading, we consulted the phenological calendar, which is not based on the traditional four but on ten seasons. Phenology, an ancient Greek science that is also dealt with by the German Weather Service, examines the periodically recurring developmental characteristics of nature over the long term and derives certain events and sequences of the so-called indicator plants from them.
February is a good month for trimming hedges and shrubs
Instead of relying on a fixed date when gardening, certain works are based exclusively on nature observed over many years. Unlike the calendar or astronomical seasons, the phenological seasons do not specify the most prominent garden dates to the day, but are updated year after year and according to the climatic region. For the sake of simplicity and clarity, it is best to look at the whole thing in a table.
| month | phenological season | Characteristic and indicator plant | best time to: |
|---|---|---|---|
| December January | winter | oak leaves fall | pruning fruit trees |
| January February March | early spring | Snowdrops bloom | Cutting hedges, fruit trees and summer-flowering shrubs, removing inflorescences and dead plant parts, sowing sunflowers, kohlrabi and tomatoes (indoors) |
| February March | first spring | Forsythia bloom | Cut berry bushes and roses, sow summer flowers, carrots, lettuce and radishes, |
| March April May | full spring | Apple trees bloom | Laying out or mowing the lawn, cutting spring flowering shrubs, exposing bulbous and tuberous plants, planting after the ice saint tuberous plants |
| May June | early summer | Elder flowers | Cutting hedges, sowing biennial plants (rose and kale) |
| June July August | midsummer | Linden blossom | Pruning berry bushes, fruit trees, roses, planting strawberries |
| August September | late summer | Early apples ripen | Trim hedges and fruit trees, plant onions and bulbous plants, sow spinach and lamb's lettuce |
| September October | early autumn | Ripe elderberries | Cut the last hedges and fruit trees, create a lawn, lawn fertilization, use spring bloomers (crocuses, daffodils, etc.) |
| October November | full autumn | Walnuts ripen | planting lawns, raking leaves and composting; Dig up and store frost-sensitive tubers |
| November December | late autumn | Oak leaves are changing colour | no pruning work, put on winter protection for plants and trees, harvest green and Brussels sprouts after the first frost |
The following should therefore be tackled specifically for February and for our current climatically moderate Central European region:
Working in the kitchen garden
- On frost-free days you can start turning or sieving the compost;
- Prepare beds and order seeds. It is best to start with the varieties that are difficult to obtain in local shops and that sell out relatively quickly in popular online shops such as dreschflegel.de, arche-noah.at, vern.de etc. (see also news topic 5);
- Light germs, such as celery, can now be placed in the seed trays (at 18 to 20° C).
- With films, fleece and thermal nets, the vegetable harvest can now be brought forward by a good four weeks. Carrots, lettuce and radishes, but also kohlrabi and leeks (preferably cold-resistant varieties) can also be placed in the prepared seed boxes. The emerging plants harden particularly well if the boxes or their windows are set up for a few hours on milder days.
- Before the days get warmer again, harvest any remaining quantities of Brussels sprouts. What is not consumed immediately can be blanched and frozen.
Tasks in ornamental plants and woody plants
- Newly planted fruit trees can now be fertilized for the first time. This favors the formation of new shoots and strengthens the growth of the vital roots.
- Due to the extremely wet winter, it is also advisable to check all tree posts for signs of rot.
- Perennials such as chrysanthemums, purple coneflowers, ragweed or sedum whose inflorescences were not completely cleared in autumn must now be cut back. The same applies to ornamental grasses (switchgrass, Chinese reed, etc.).
Anyone who hasn't been in the garden for a long time: be careful with all work on and on the beds, because the first tips of the bulb flowers are already sprouting tentatively out of the ground… Exactly the time when garden owners also have to remove the nesting box (49.85 €) should prepare for the birds. If the weather stays like this, the feathered companions will again pierce the loosening soil for worms. First and foremost the starlings, who have already received a special honor this year: