Gardeners Checklist: Here Is What to Do on the Week of Feb. 19

By Ron Kujawski

• Start seeds of sweet Spanish onion, leeks and celery indoors. These have a long growing season and need to be started early. The good thing about starting these crops so early is that they can also be set out in the garden early, perhaps as early as the first week of April if the soil is workable.

• Continue to check trees for broken branches. Remove these promptly. It is not only a matter of safety (a falling branch can put a dent in your head), but the pruning wound will heal quickly once growth begins this spring.

• Start seeds of chives, marjoram, rosemary, sage, and thyme. These perennial herbs will be ready for transplanting to the herb garden in late April.

• Make plans for a butterfly garden. Several people have complained to me over the past few years that they have seen fewer butterflies in their gardens. Maybe it’s because they have the wrong plants. One way to have the right plants is to incorporate as many native plants into gardens as there is room. Some good choices for butterfly-attracting plants are: native asters, bee-balm, coneflower, Joe-Pye-weed, milkweed, and yarrow. For more information on butterfly-attracting plants check these websites: North American Butterfly Association, University of New Hampshire, and the Native Plant Trust. 

• Apply repellents to ornamental shrubs to deter browsing by deer. Now that we’ve had some mild days and lots of snow melting, deer will have an easier time finding delectable shrubs in our yards on which to dine. There are many deer repellent products on the market but if you want to make your own, try this recipe from University of Minnesota Extension Service: “Two eggs and a cup or two of cold water mixed in a high speed blender, added to a gallon of water and sprayed on the foliage has been effective in some cases. This egg mixture does not wash off the foliage easily but re-application two or three times a season may be needed. (For a larger quantity, blend a dozen eggs into five gallons of water.) This mix should be used a distance from the residence as it has an unpleasant odor.” Hopefully your results don’t stink as bad as the repellent. 

• Treat yourself to a potted miniature rose. This is a good choice for those gardeners who have lost interest in roses because of all the attention they require. Potted miniatures are very easy to care for. Just place them in a window with direct sunlight and keep the soil evenly moist. An occasional mist spraying with water will deter spider mites, the most common problem of miniature roses. Apply a dilute (half strength) house plant fertilizer every two weeks and the roses will continue to bloom through the entire winter. If you desire, plant your miniature roses in a permanent location in the garden in late May. Miniature roses are very hardy.

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.