- Visit our booth at the 2016 CT Flower & Garden Show in Hartford, February 18th to 21st. Bring ½ cup of soil for a free pH test and your garden questions for free advice.
- Turn the compost pile during any stretches of mild weather.
- Surprise your favorite relative or friend with a floral bouquet on Valentine’s Day from UConn Blooms on the Storrs campus.
- Check houseplants for signs of spider mites and control by spraying with insecticidal soap or water 2-3 times a week after giving them a thorough rinse in the sink.
- If you are overwintering plants into your garage or cellar, check the soil to see if it needs water. If the soil is frozen the location may be too cold.
- Purchase seed flats, containers, and peat pellets. Check your cold frame for needed repairs. It’s also a good time to finish up your seed order, if you haven’t done so already.
- Begin pruning apples and pears as the weather allows.
- Start leek and onion seeds now. They need 10 to 12 weeks of growth before going in the garden.
- Prune grape vines at the end of the month. If you grow currants, remove all stems that are over 3 years old on a mild day.
- Inspect hemlocks for woolly adelgid. Plan to apply a dormant horticultural oil treatment in April if the cottony egg masses are found at the base of needles.
For more information contact the UConn Home & Garden Education Center at 877-486-6271 or ladybug@uconn.edu