February

General

Buy and pot a perfumed rose to make a long-lasting Valentine’s Day gift. Use good-quality potting mix and Wonder Colourburst Rose.
Remove dead flowers from dahlias to keep them blooming. Use Efekto Rosecare 3 RTU to control powdery mildew, rust and black spot.
Spray other plants like roses and begonias for powdery mildew too. Control with Efekto Eco Fungimite or Efekto Kumulus WG.
Buy new season’s bulbs, but don’t put them into the ground until it’s cooler. Prepare soil with well-aged organic matter and some Wonder Organic Granular Fertiliser Vita-Boost + C (8).
Put cold climate bulbs such as tulips and daffodils into the fridge. Chill them for at least six weeks.
Water deeply during dry periods. Deep watering trains roots to grow down, making plants less vulnerable to heat and drought. Use Stockosorb water retaining polymers before planting.
Feed citrus with Wonder 3:1:5 (26) SR and top up mulch over root systems, keeping clear of trunk.
Control citrus psylla with Efekto Aphicide, a systemic insecticide and make sure there’s thorough coverage on leaves. Use Efekto G49 Wetter as a wetting agent to enhance adherence of the spray to the leaves.
Thrips on plants can be controlled with Efekto Eco Insect Control SC.

Fruit garden

Pick
Passion fruit, strawberries, raspberries, apricots, peaches, plums and apples.

To-do list

Water

During dry periods keep berries, lemons, citrus and grapes watered, as summer is the time when the fruit is forming and they need adequate water to form fruit.
Keep the soil moist and water fruit trees through dry spells.
Add Stockosorb to soil to help it retain water.

Thinning/pruning

Trim any long runners back to the centre of the strawberry plants. This will force the plant to produce more flowers, which equals another batch of fruit.
Once nectarines, peaches and plums have finished fruiting, prune to shape and to remove any dead or disease infected branches.

Flower garden

Pick
Roses, cornflower, hydrangeas, carnations, delphiniums, lilies, gladiolus, sweet peas, cosmos, gypsophila, agapanthus, sunflowers and geraniums.

Sow
Calendula, cosmos, daisies, violas, primula, pansies, snapdragons, ornamental kale, gazanias, poppies, wildflowers, bellis, dianthus and marigolds.

Nourish

Fertilise pots and containers as well as hanging baskets with Wondersol All Purpose liquid fertiliser and plant food.
Fertilise roses with Wonder Vitaliser Rose & Flower 8:1:5 (17) SR to give the last blooms of the season a boost.

Protect

Protect roses from pests and diseases with Efekto Rosecare 3.
Place Efekto Snailban every few weeks to keep slugs and snails at bay over the summer months.

Vegetable garden

Sow
Beetroot, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflowers, celery, kale, leeks, lettuces, radishes, rocket, spinach, Swiss chard, coriander, parsley, Brussels sprouts, peas, rosemary, sage and thyme.

Protect

Mildew can be a problem on cucumbers, courgettes and marrows; spray with Efekto Eco Fungimite to combat this disease.
Place Efekto Snailban to control snails and slugs, and spray aphids and whitefly with Efekto Cypermethrin 200EC if they are still a problem. Cease application of Efekto Snailban (bold italics) 7 days before harvest.
Moths and their hungry caterpillars will be lurking about. Control these caterpillars with Efekto Eco Insect Control SC.