Baby, it’s cold outside. Console your green thumb by tackling some February garden projects.  

Veggie Planning

Grab a sketch pad or some graph paper and plan your vegetable and flower beds.  You can work out crop rotation, placement and successive crops without getting your hands dirty. 

Beginning gardeners – and those that want a refresher – might appreciate this reference from our Seed to Supper webpages that take you from seed to harvest (hence the name!) Guides are also available in Spanish! ¡Las guías también están disponibles en español!

Weeding

Okay, if you want to get your hands a little dirty, pull a few weeds.  Winter weeds pop up here and there and many can be vanquished with a quick dig or tug in our soggy soil.  

Here’s a nice reference for weed ID and management: 

Garden Bones

While you’re scouting for weeds, look at your garden’s basic structure – its bones.  Without the distraction of leaves, it’s easier to identify areas that could use an arbor, trellis or hardscaping.  

You’ll probably spy opportunities to liven up your winter landscape, too.  How about a sweep of native grasses, a winterberry pop of red, or bright yellow and oh-so-fragrant wintersweet? 

Carry a notepad to capture all your ideas. Wouldn’t a big container make a marvelous focal point there?  And that downspout is crying out for a rain barrel, isn’t it?  

Pruning

January to mid-March is prime time for pruning most trees and shrubs.  Make sharp cuts at an angle.  Remove no more than a third of the plant.  And step back often to avoid overdoing it. Here’s a good pruning guide.

February also marks the season for grapevine pruning.  My collection of grapevine wreaths from trimmings ranges from petite 3-inch rings to 2-foot whoppers.

Starting Seeds

Get a jump on spring by starting some plants from seed under grow lights.  Now is a good time to start peppers, onions, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.

Growing plants from seeds gives you more choices for plant varieties, organic growing options, and the satisfaction of growing your own food from start to finish.  Plus, you can save money.  Learn how on our Staring Seeds Indoors page.

I enjoy the glow of a friend’s grow lights as I drive by her home each winter.  I can see the tidy rows of sprouts in my mind regardless of the amount of ice and snow piled around me.  

Ice and Snow Damage

Deal with that ice and snow gently.  To remove snow from tree branches without damage, brush up, not down.  If ice coats the branches, let it melt naturally.  

Should winter’s worst snap off a branch of a tree, make a clean cut now or in early spring.  Clean cuts heal faster.  Call on an arborist for jobs too big to tackle on your own.  

Feeding Birds

Wintertime can be a tough time for birds, too.  To ensure their springtime birdsong and bug-eating services, keep their feeders clean and well-stocked.

Tool Maintenance

Are you looking sharp?  How about your tools?  If you didn’t sharpen your garden tools in the fall, do it now to have them ready for spring.  Here’s a reference that includes tool care tips.

See?  I told you there were a dozen different ways to keep your green thumb happy this winter.  Grab some graph paper, seed catalogs, notepad and pruners and get going!

By Annette Cormany, Principal Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Washington County, University of Maryland Extension. Read more by Annette.