Austin Gardening: February Garden Checklist
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February gardening in Austin, Texas is the perfect month to check off your winter garden checklist. Garden preparations gain momentum to help us prepare for the first warm season of the year. Get ready to plan, prepare, feed, clean, plant and harvest for a successful spring garden!
Planning your Austin Spring Garden
Garden Plot Planning
Ideally, you had time in December and January to plan out your spring garden but I understand when time seems to turn upside down ESPECIALLY around the holidays. Don’t fret! There is still time to plan out a successful raised bed gardening plan. My first advice is to always keep a journal for each season. This way you have record of past diseases, pests and plant locations.
Decide what vegetables you want this year.
Gather colored pencils and begin to layout your plan based on the best companion plant locations but be mindful of what was planted in the space the previous season.
Generally speaking, you can interplant things like garlic, onions and chives and then place companion herbs and flowers along the perimeter of the garden.
Garden preparation and cleaning
Removing winter debris, cutting back plants, adding compost and fertilizing are just a few of the duties you should start in January and February.
Clear out garden beds
Begin by cleaning out your raised beds but leave any winter vegetables that are still viable. Throw away any diseased or pest ridden plants in the trash but compost healthy spent plants if possible
Amend your garden soil
One of the easiest ways to kick start a garden is to add compost, a soil conditioner and soil nutrients that have been depleted over the last season. The list of organic nutrients was provided in your Post Install Plant Care Guide. Make sure to work more organic, rich top soil along with nutrients into the top 3-4 inches of your beds.
Fertilize and feed
If you have perennial herbs or companion plants, now is a good time to divide and transplant some to new locations and to fertilize with a slow release fertilizer to prepare for your Austin spring garden. You can find an extensive list for supplies here.
Gather and clean your tools
This is the perfect time to take stock of what gardening supplies you have and to ‘refurbish’ any tools. Sharpening shears, cleaning off rust, oiling working mechanisms will save you time from searching or maintenancing when the garden takes off.
february garden planting
SEEDLINGS + TRANSPLANTS
Start seeds indoors in early January and February in zone 8b/9 if you wish to grow your own unique varieties. You can also purchase seedlings from a trusted local nursery but check for pests and disease before introducing them to your raised garden beds.
This article goes into detail about the best vegetables to plant in Austin February garden.
PROTECTION
Providing your garden with some extra security is advisable at any stage, but especially when your plant babies are learning to fend for themselves. I recommend hoops and row covers for the appropriate season to keep out unwanted pests. Once flowering begins you can remove during the day to invite pollinators and beneficial insects into the garden.
Harvest
This is the reason you have a garden! Continue to harvest any winter bounty and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
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