Posted on 02/01/2008 6:27:10 AM PST by Gabz
Aren’t you glad that February is our shortest month? Whoever designed the calendar knew well what they were doing. February is dark and drear, cold and melancholy. A time for staying indoors and hiding like a bear, dreaming of warmer weather and sunshine, of flowers and green, growing things. The sooner it’s over, the better. Maybe this February won’t be so bad. Can you believe that some of the trees still had leaves well into January? On the other hand, did you notice how heavy the hollies and pyracantha were loaded with berries this year? Wonder if that portends cold yet to come or just acknowledges the fact that we had an extremely wet summer and the plants took advantage of it? Although, we had almost as much rain the two previous years and they didn’t show fruit like they’re doing this year. We’ll just have to wait and see. Put some bird seed out and feed our feathered friends! Their bright colors and amusing antics are as good as any circus.
Did you ever wonder why the same plant can have so many different names? Plants can be named for place of origin or color (Texas Bluebonnets), growth habit (giant, dwarf, creeping, weeping), fragrance (Banana shrub), and many carry local names as well (myrkle bushes). It can be very confusing! The same common name may apply to dozens of different plants, depending on where you live and what plants are grown in your area. That’s why, if you want the true name of a plant, most horticulturists use the Latin names. The Latin names tell you a great deal about the plant, although they are not always the descriptive names we tend to love. Lupinus texensis is the Latin name for Texas Bluebonnets. Lupinus means the plant is a member of the lupines, plants which have pea-like blooms. Texensis means it comes from Texas. The common name, Bluebonnet is said to come from the fact that they resemble a woman’s sunbonnet, blue of course! While descriptive names are much prettier, and more beloved, Latin names don’t change from one area to another. So Acer rubrum is always red maple, no matter where you live. Acer meaning maple, rubrum describing the color. Quercus is always oak, with all its many different varieties . Japonica tells you where the plant originated, in this case, Japan, or Chinensis, China. Latin names are used to classify plants and to identify them. Don’t worry if you’re not sure how to pronounce the Latin names, no one else is either!
Asparagus is one of the oldest vegetables known to man, and you either love it or hate it. It’s also one of the few perennial vegetables. (Can you think of another? Hint: it’s more of a northern crop, not liking our heat and humidity. It is used to make pies and jams, among other things.) The Romans recorded methods for growing asparagus and recipes for cooking it, and Caesar Augustus described “haste” as being quicker than you can cook asparagus. Asparagus likes rich soil with lots of compost. Pick a sunny spot you don’t plan to use for anything else, as asparagus beds can last 15 to 25 years, sometimes even longer. Dig a trench in well composted soil, anywhere from four to ten inches deep and allowing about 18 inches of space between plants. Asparagus is usually planted from one year old crowns, or root masses. Cover the plants at first with a just a couple inches of soil, gradually adding more throughout the summer, until the trench is filled. Sadly, you don’t get to harvest the first year. Some sources say harvest the second year is fine, some say wait until the third year. Like growing anything else, theories abound. Go with whatever works best for you. Asparagus plants are beautiful, lacy looking additions to any garden or flowerbed. (Think asparagus fern.) Plant some now and see what happens next year!
There are lots of things that need doing this month, if you can dredge up the energy and enough daylight. Fruit trees and shrubs need to be sprayed with dormant oil to kill any over wintering pests. Remember to fertilize your pecan trees this month using a 10-10-10 with added zinc, one to two pounds of fertilizer per inch of trunk diameter at breast height. That means, if your pecan tree trunk, measured about four feet off the ground, is ten inches thick, then you would use ten to twenty pounds of fertilizer. Spread it out to the dripline, which encompasses the area beneath the tree’s branches. If you haven’t pruned your roses yet, it’s not too late, especially since some of them still carried leaves last month. Prune bush type roses back to about 18 inches. Climbers don’t need to be pruned unless they are dead, diseased, or in your way. Martin scouts will be showing back up in late February or early March, depending on the weather, so get your Martin houses cleaned and put back up. If you haven’t done so already, send soil samples to the state college so you know how much fertilizer and what kind you need. After all the rain last year, the soil is really depleted. Sample boxes can be picked up at local garden centers or at the Ag Extension office. This service is free, except for the postage.
If you’re going to plant an early garden, now is the time. Things you want to get planted this month include; cabbage, broccoli, onions, peas, Vidalia’s, potatoes, snow peas, beets, carrots, rutabagas, and turnips.
If the dreary weather is getting you down, take heart! Soon Daffodils, Forsythia, and Hyacinths will be blooming, the first of the spring birds will be showing back up, and warmer, greener days will be close at hand.
This is getting to be a pattern -- just like last week it is raining cats and dogs here. I should have posted yesterday when the sun was shining!!!!
Wow, you’re quick on the draw this morning!
I envy those who do so well with flowers, I have a total black themb when it comes to them.
I put lettuce in the ground last week, and they’re calling for rain and warmish temps this week, so I’m looking for little romaine sproutage next week! If the weather stays favorable, I’ll be eating salad the first week of March.
Yippee!!!! Good for you. Our weather has been so up and down around here.
I know a fellow in Spring Hope who plants lettuce in the fall and eats it all winter long. If a cold snap threatens, he puts blankets over the plants overnight. He’s got leaf lettuce out the wazoo, and that’s west of here... solidly in the piedmont.
*sigh* We’re in the middle of a winter storm here.
February’s outlook is not bad for the first half, better than usual, but still, no planting till at least mid March for us.
But I can start my seeds indoors pretty soon.
He may be west of you, but you’re both further south than me. I still have to wait a little while longer.
Mornin’ everybody!
We’re getting the wind you had, Gabz, and supposed to get worse as the day goes on. On the other hand—it’s 70 here! :)
I was looking in a catalogue yesterday, and saw some nice heirloom tomatoes. One was Lycopersicon lycopersicum (Big Rainbow), the other was Lycopersicon Brandywine (Brandywine).
I've been watching the weather from across the country. Some really scary stuff. Hubby just commented that when the DelMarVa Peninsula is mentioned on the national news we know we're in trouble -- except I didn't here the comment so I don't know what they were talking about.
I meant to pick up potting soil last night, but I totally forgot about it when we were in WalMart, so indoor seed starting will have to wait until sometime next week.
Am I on your ping list? I didn’t get a ping. :)
No experience at all with planting a fig tree so I will ask all who read this for any advice on location, hole size any thing that will give these trees a good start.
Oops, sorry. Forget that last post. I did get a ping, but I guess I’m going blind. :)
70 degrees - BAH on you. It’s not cold here, mid 50s, but it’s raining.......SIGH.
If I didn’t have to go out this afternoon I wouldn’t, but our daughter made the honor roll and the award ceremony is at 1:45 and I have no choice but to be there.
I just double checked, and you are on the list. I don’t know why you wouldn’t have gotten the ping, my apologies.
No, I owe you an apology. It was my mistake. Sorry!
I’m trying to get up the nerve to ask hubby if I can get at least one..........I think I’ll wait until AFTER I start our taxes :)
LOL!!!! Happens to me all the time :)
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