Outdoors:
When the weather permits (over forty degrees) IT IS IMPORTANT TO RE-APPLY DEER REPELLENT to your trees and shrubs especially conifers such as Taxus (Yew), Thuja (Arborvitae), Pinus (Pine), Tsuga (Hemlock), and Picea (Spruce). Plants that have evergreen leaves such as Rhododendron and azaleas as well as those shrubs that have large terminal buds Hydrangea quercifolia (Oak-leaved hydrangea), Paeonia suffruiticosa (Tree peony) are more susceptible as deer are in need of food at this time of year.

Now is the time to prune your apple trees. Remove suckers and cut back side branches to the short ringed growths called spurs which are the flowering and thus fruiting branches. By removing much of the vegetative growth you will be opening the trees up to light an air witch in turn helps to produce more and better fruit.

Grape Vines should be pruned at this time, without delay. If pruned later, bleeding from the cut ends will occur.

Flowering shrubs that bloom on wood produced this spring can be pruned or shaped late in the month. Abelia x grandiflora (glossy leaved abelia), Clethra alnifolia (sweet pepperbush), Hydrangea paniculata (panicled hydrangea), Spiraea x bumalda (Bumald spiraea) and Buddleia davidii (butterflybush) can be pruned late this month. Other shrubs such as the blue or pink flowering Hydrangea macrophylla (big-leaf hydrangea) and Spiraea vanhouttii or thunbergii should not be pruned until after they flower in late spring.

Shrubs that flower in the spring should not be pruned except for the removal of dead wood or for minor shaping. Save the normal maintenance pruning for after they flower in the spring.

Perennial plants that might have heaved from alternate freezing and thawing should be pushed back into the ground on those warm breaks in the cold weather that allows the ground to defrost.

For trees and shrubs that may have problems with insects that over winter on the twigs and bark a spray using Dormant Horticultural Oil can be used. Only spray when the temperature will remain above 40 degrees for the day. This is a safe and effective way of dealing with hemlock wooly adelgid, scale insects, and other over wintering insects. PLEASE NOTE: be sure to use Dormant Oil before the growth or flower buds open and the plants are DORMANT.

If heavy snows are forecasted, be prepared to remove the snow as it accumulates on hedges or on weeping evergreens such as pine. Wet snow can cause the trunks of hedges to open up and snap or remain open even after the snow melts.

It is a good idea in February to come to Matterhorn Nursery and order the trees, shrubs, or perennials that you will need for the spring in order to be sure that you get what you really need both in type and quantity. If you need help with a planting design or would like would like your home to be designed by our experts now is the time to schedule a consultation.

Indoors:
In February we normally have our heating system cranked up on high. Because of this our homes usually have less humidity than does the Sahara Desert at this time of year. Mist tropical foliage houseplants whenever possible to keep the humidity high. Keeping plants on a bed or tray of moist gravel will keep the plants happy. Be sure NOT to wet the leaves of Saintpaulia (African Violet) or other hairy leaved plants when misting. Misting the leaves of African violets will spot the leaves.

Towards the end of the month the days will be getting longer and sunlight will be a bit more intense. It is now time to move those plants that because of the short days were moved to the sunny window back away from the window where they can receive indirect or filtered light.

As the days get longer houseplants will begin to grow actively and it is a great time to make cuttings, air layerings, and to repot the plants as necessary. When repotting it is best not to go more that two sizes up in pot size. If your plant is in a 4" pot go to a 6" pot or if your plant is in a 6" pot got to a 8" pot. Potting in a overly large pot is a bad idea for the soil area that does not come into contact with roots will remain wet resulting in sour soil and root rot.