February Garden Tips

Palms

Seed clusters can be messy—this is a great time to remove them.

Many palms produce seed clusters now. If they drop near walkways, patios, or pool decks they can become a nuisance. Removing seed clusters has no negative effect on the palm and can keep things cleaner through the season.

Oleander

Hard pruning now can reduce trimming later—just remember you’ll remove flowers.

Oleander blooms on the ends of new growth. A firm cutback this month can keep it from needing repeated trims for much of the year. Keep in mind: trimming now will remove existing flower buds, but it sets the plant up for cleaner growth and a more controlled size.

Bougainvillea

A hard prune late in the month helps encourage strong spring growth.

Mature bougainvillea often responds well to a strong cutback toward the end of the month (after the chance of frost has passed). It may look sparse for a short time, but it typically rebounds quickly and can bloom longer once new growth kicks in.

Dwarf Bottlebrush

Callistemon ‘Little John’ — prune after flowering or before spring growth.

Remove weak or dead branches, and shape lightly to keep it compact. Avoid cutting into bare wood beyond foliage—some plants won’t resprout from old wood. This is a water-wise shrub that can handle heavy soils and is easy to keep under about 3 feet tall.

Azaleas & Camellias

Deadhead to improve appearance and reduce petal blight issues.

Deadhead camellias to help reduce petal blight and keep plants tidy. Deadhead azaleas as flowers fade so plants look clean and can redirect energy into new growth.

Butterfly Bush

Buddleia davidii — cut back for fast spring growth.

A heavier cutback now helps the plant push vigorous new stems in spring, which usually means stronger flowering later in the season.

Salvia leucantha

If you haven’t trimmed it yet, this is a good window.

Cut back tired growth and shape the plant so it flushes cleanly in spring.

Hydrangeas

Remove old flower heads and lightly reduce stem height.

Clip off old flower heads and remove roughly the upper third of each stem. Avoid cutting much lower if you want the largest blooms, since big flowers come from strong growth produced last year. Fewer stems typically means fewer—but larger—flowers.

Mexican Marigold

Tagetes lucida — cut back to keep it compact.

A simple rule: reduce by about half to encourage fresh growth and a tidier shape.

Cape Plumbago

Plumbago auriculata — prune back hard to keep it compact.

A firm cutback in January or February helps keep plumbago dense instead of sprawling.

Pomegranate

Punica granatum — prune for shape and renewal.

Prune in February to maintain shape. Occasionally remove the oldest stems to encourage vigorous new growth.

Vinca Minor & Vinca Major

Hold off on trimming so you can enjoy spring bloom.

Avoid trimming in February or March if you want flowers. If bees are a concern, lightly trimming can reduce blooms (and bee activity), but you’ll also reduce the seasonal color.

Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’

Best pruned now for shape and density.

Lightly shape and remove any weak growth to keep plants compact and full.

Coreopsis

Cut back to refresh the plant.

Trim back tired stems to promote new growth and better flowering later.

Fuchsia

Cut back to encourage fresh spring growth.

Remove lanky growth and shape the plant so it regrows evenly as temperatures warm.

Verbena

Cut back groundcover for a cleaner, fuller flush.

A seasonal cutback helps verbena thicken up and flower more evenly later.

Bamboo Runners & Bamboo Splitting

Contain runners and divide/split bamboo during the right season.

• Runners: Root barriers help keep creeping bamboo contained. Keep the barrier about 1 inch above grade and cut off any runners that try to grow over it.
• Splitting: This is a good time of year to dig up and split many bamboo varieties. Always contain running types—or they will spread.

Do Not Cut Back Early Spring Bloomers

Light cleanup is fine—avoid hard pruning before bloom.

Most plants that bloom in early spring should not be cut back hard right now. Lavender is a classic example—clean up, but save major pruning for after flowering.

Achillea (yarrow) should be cleaned up, but not pruned severely.

Drain Systems

Check swales on hills, clear obstructions, and inspect drains. Protect hillsides and watch for erosion issues. Check sump pumps, gutters, and drain inlets.

Crabgrass Control on Lawns

Last chance for pre-emergent control (timing matters).

This is your last chance to control crabgrass with a pre-emergent herbicide (a product that targets germinating seeds). Always read and follow label directions exactly.

Crabgrass problems often point to over-watering. Crabgrass seeds typically germinate in the top ¼ inch of soil—if that surface layer is allowed to dry between irrigations, seeds have a harder time establishing. Daily lawn watering is usually counterproductive.

Plant Annuals

Still a good window for cool-season color.

There’s still time to plant annuals from flats, six-packs, or 4-inch pots. Look for calendula, cineraria, delphinium, dianthus, English daisies, Iceland poppies, lobelia, stock, and sweet alyssum. Near the coast, primroses, pansies, and violas are great choices.

Plant Azaleas and Camellias

Best planted/transplanted when bloom is fading.

This is a strong month to plant or transplant many varieties. The strongest growth typically comes just after flowering. If older azaleas show persistent chlorosis (yellow leaves) that isn’t corrected with iron, they may benefit from being replanted into a more acidic, organic mix (often peat/compost blended with native soil).

Camellias can be finicky to transplant—do it carefully, and expect some risk.

Plant Bare-Root

Bare-root season won’t last much longer. Choose plants that are fully dormant and show no signs of drying out. Look for artichokes, fruit trees, grapes, rhubarb, roses, and strawberries.

Plant Bulbs

Start tubers now and plan for the “blank space” later.

It’s time to start tuberous begonias. Other bulbs to look for include caladium, calla lily, canna, crocosmia, dahlia, gloxinia, tigridia, and it’s not too late for gladiolus. Plan ahead—when bulbs finish, you’ll have open space to replant.

Plant Vegetables

Plant started seedlings of broccoli, celery, chives, lettuce, and onions. Set out seed potatoes. It’s still too early for warm-season vegetables like eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes. Continue sowing carrots, kohlrabi, and radishes every other week for a steady harvest.

Deadhead

Deadhead azaleas as flowers fade so plants stay neat. Deadhead camellias to help reduce the spread of petal blight (flowers turn brown and mushy).

Feed

Warm-season lawns (Bermuda, St. Augustine) are usually dormant and need little winter care. Cool-season grasses (like hybrid fescues) still need mowing and occasional light feeding. Water as needed if winter rains don’t keep soil evenly moist.

Split Perennials

A good time to divide crowded clumps.

Split perennials such as agapanthus, daylilies, society garlic, and moreas (fortnight lilies). Water plants a day or two before dividing to reduce stress and make digging easier.

Prune Deciduous Plants

Before spring growth appears, prune winter-dormant plants such as berries, many fruit trees, grapes, roses, and vines. Don’t prune spring-flowering shrubs or fruit trees like cherry, peach, and plum until after bloom.

Spray Dormant Plants

If black spot, leaf curl, mildew, scab, or scale were problems last year, apply an appropriate dormant spray this month. Fixed copper is commonly used for leaf curl and mildew; lime sulfur may be used for black spot, leaf curl, or scab; and horticultural oils help with scale and overwintering eggs. Always check labels for cautions and timing.

Weed It (Before It Seeds)

Winter rains encourage fast weed growth. Hoe weeds early, before they scatter seed. A scuffle hoe on a sunny morning works well—scrape them off and let them dry out. Avoid composting seedy weeds unless your compost gets hot enough to kill seeds.

Quick Color

Fill bare spots with plants already in bloom from nursery 4-inch or quart pots. Pansies can last into early summer if planted now. This is also a great month to plant delphiniums from 4-inch pots.

Begin Begonias

Start tubers now for big color in shade later.

In shade, tuberous begonias can provide the brightest colors and biggest blooms. Start tubers in flats with amendment, leaving the upper half above the soil. Transplant once they have a few leaves.

Shade Cymbidiums

A little extra shade can extend bloom time.

Cymbidium blooms last longer with a bit of extra shade while flowering. Move plants back into brighter light afterward. Fertilize monthly through September, and water regularly. Divide and repot when plants get crowded—best done right after flowering.

Too Early for Tomatoes?

For most areas, wait until April or May. In warmer locations (Pasadena to Santa Ana), it may be okay to plant ‘Early Girl’ toward the end of the month. Expect fruit around Memorial Day.

Strawberries

Pick ripe berries every day or two to keep plants producing. Remove spoiled fruit promptly and feed periodically with a balanced fertilizer.

Feed Fruit Trees

Several weeks before bloom is a traditional time to fertilize established deciduous fruit trees. Spread fertilizer evenly over the root area (at least as wide as the canopy). Let rains water it in, or irrigate to move nutrients into the soil. Fertilize citrus and avocados toward the end of the month using a citrus fertilizer with trace elements (such as iron).

Stop Fruiting on Olive and Other Trees

Fruit eliminators require correct timing.

Don’t like messy fruit? Some products (such as ethephon / Florel Fruit Eliminator) can reduce fruit set on certain ornamental trees when applied at the right stage of flowering. Timing is critical—apply only when the tree is in early stages of bloom and always follow label directions.