Gardeners Checklist: Here Is What to Do on the Week of Feb. 17

By Ron Kujawski

Spring is around the corner! While waiting for the warm-up, tackle these tasks:

* Revive drooping roses or other cut flowers by submerging them in a pan of warm water and then re-cut the stem ends while underwater. I tried this the other day but couldn’t hold my breath long enough to complete the job. Hmm, maybe it’s just the flower stems that are underwater. 

* Moisten germination (seed-starting) mixes before sowing seeds into the mixes. This is especially important when using soil-less mixes consisting mostly of peat moss or coir which are slow to absorb water. When moistening my germination mix I put it in a large dish pan, add water, and knead the mix until it is uniformly moistened. At that point, the mix is ready to pour into seed flats or pots.

* Be sure to label all your seedling flats and pots with the plant name and variety. Relying on memory does not end well. In recent years, I’ve turned to wood labels but still have a bucket of used plastic labels. Typically, old plastic labels are not only dirty but also have writing on them, i.e. plant names. These could get tossed into the recycling bin or reused. Thanks to suggestions from my grandson, I can reuse these labels for many years. The procedure is quite simple. First, toss the labels into a container of soapy water to loosen any soil clinging to them. Next, using a Brillo pad, scrape each label. This will remove any writing, whether via pencil or Sharpie, on the labels as well as any remaining soil. Now, I can reuse the labels for many years before tossing them into the recycling bin.

* Start seeds of parsley and perennial herbs such as thyme, oregano, and chives. Once the seedlings appear give them bright light but in a location with cool temperatures of around 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

* Start seeds of the following annuals indoors now: star-of-Bethlehem (Campanula iosphylla), geraniums (Pelargonium), mimulus, bluewings (Torenia), verbena, wax begonia, gerbera, lobelia, and petunia. Seeds of the last four (wax begonia to petunia) should be scattered lightly on the surface of the germination mix and left uncovered since they need light for germination. The seeds should be pressed lightly into the mix. All of these annuals are slow to germinate or need a long growing period before the seedlings can be transplanted to the garden.

 *

Last week I recommended the purchase of floating row covers for use in the vegetable garden. However, anyone who has gone shopping for row covers may be confused by the variety of row covers that are available. Here’s a quick guide to help in making purchases:

1) For best frost protection (4 to 6 degrees) get a row cover that weighs about .9 ounces per square yard and allows 70% light transmission. Use this over hardy crops seeded in the garden in mid to late March.

2) For crops seeded or transplanted to the garden in April and May, use a row cover weighing 0.55 ounces per yard with 85% light transmission.

3) For insect control during the growing season, a lightweight (0.45 oz. per sq. yd.) with 90% light transmission is the best option. Just remember to lift the row cover when bee-pollinated crops are in the flower stage.

Ron Kujawski began gardening at an early age on his family's onion farm in upstate New York. Although now retired, he spent most of his career teaching at the UMass Extension Service. He serves on Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Horticulture Advisory Committee. His book, Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook, is available here.