As leading Sheffield gardeners, Scape Easy are pleased to advise on gardening chores, and of course we’ll get our hands dirty so that you don’t need to.
February may still feel wintry, but it’s a key month for setting your garden up for success later in the year. With daylight slowly increasing, there are plenty of productive jobs to tackle, as long as you work around the weather and avoid damaging cold, wet soil.
One of the main focuses this month is tidying and pruning. Borders benefit from a gentle clear-up, removing dead stems and winter debris to make way for new growth. This is the last good opportunity to prune dormant apple and pear trees before sap starts to rise. Roses can also be pruned now, along with wisteria side shoots, helping to encourage strong flowering later in the season. Late-summer clematis and winter-flowering shrubs such as mahonia can be cut back once flowering has finished. Deciduous ornamental grasses should be trimmed before fresh shoots emerge, and hellebore leaves can be removed to show off their flowers.
February is also a time for Sheffield gardeners to start growing under cover. Early seed potatoes can be set out to chit on a bright, frost-free windowsill. In greenhouses, cold frames or propagators, you can begin sowing seeds for crops such as tomatoes, chillies, cucumbers and aubergines. Sweet peas can also be started indoors, giving them a strong head start before planting out later in spring.
If conditions allow, some light soil preparation can begin. Beds that aren’t frozen or waterlogged can be gently weeded and improved with compost or well-rotted manure. Mulching borders now helps protect soil structure and retain nutrients. In milder spells, shallots, garlic and Jerusalem artichokes may be planted, while cloches or polythene can be used to warm seedbeds ready for early sowing. Snowdrops that have finished flowering can be divided and replanted to spread them around the garden.
General maintenance is equally important. Clean greenhouse glass to maximise light levels, and take time to wash pots and trays ready for the busy months ahead. Tools should be cleaned, sharpened and oiled, and bird feeders kept topped up to support wildlife.
Above all, be guided by the weather. South Yorkshire soils, particularly heavy clay, are slow to warm and easily compacted, so Sheffield gardeners will want to avoid working ground that is wet or sticky and save direct outdoor sowing for March if winter lingers.
Contact the experts at Scape Easy on 0114 2309673 or email us at info@scapeasy.co.uk.
