February 2014 In Your Cyprus

Garden

by greenfingers

It’s rather concerning that there has not been any rain so far this winter. With all the warmth around last month, some plants began to think that winter was over and new shoots have started to appear. There is still time though as February can be a cold month with winds and rain, so keep an eye out for those tender shoots. Don’t forget to feed fruit and nut trees this month with fertiliser spread around the root area.

With the good weather we have experienced this January it has been possible to get out into the garden and start pruning but there is such a lot to be done at this time of the year before temperatures rise.

Climbers like bougainvillea, plumbago and wisteria all need attention if they are to give of their best. Take care when handling bougainvillea as not only will you need a ladder to attend to the highest branches but eye protection as well from the whippy, thorny stems.

You can carry this work on into this month unless it gets cold and very wet. Lavender and rosemary, some of which are now in flower, will have put on enormous growth and need to be trimmed as well. Rosemary can split up if it is not kept small. Both plants will be flowering attracting bees to your garden

In the flower beds flowers like tulbaghias may need splitting up and replanting. Others which may have become rampant like Oenothera speciosa may need to be dug out as they can smother other plants, hindering growth. Plants like chasmanthe will need staking as they can grow quite tall, as much as a metre. Luckily plant supports are now available here. Freesias also need supports or their flowers will be spoiled, but they can be tied to sticks. Any prunings from prunus trees are useful for this job. Weeds are a menace including oxalis which is just everywhere now and enjoy the growing conditions at this time of year. It’s best to use a daisy grubber to get those out for if you don’t get the roots out too, they will just come back again. Prune roses this month and feed with a proprietary rose food. If you took any herbaceous cuttings in the autumn then keep an eye on them as it can be very chilly still in February and there may be heavy rain