Time to plant onions!
To prep your soil before planting add organic matter such as cotton burr compost, bark mulch, chicken manure and peat moss. This will help sandy soil retain moisture and nutrients, and help loosen tight clay soils. Plant onion bulbs 1” to 2” deep and about 4″ apart. Water thoroughly every week, and fertilize every 3 weeks. The traditional time to plant potatoes in our area is Valentines day. Cut your seed potatoes into chunks, ideally keeping 2 eyes on each piece and dust lightly with Hi Yield dusting sulfur to help prevent rot after planting. It is good to wait a couple of days after cutting into chunks and then plant them about 6″ deep with the eyes pointing up.
Winter Pruning
Now is a great time to prune Crepe Myrtles and other summer flowering shrubs and vines. Never ‘top’ crepe myrtles, which means cutting off over half of the plant. It does not improve their flower and it ruins their natural form forever. To prune a Crepe Myrtle correctly remove the old seed pods and the suckers that come from the base of the trunk. Reshape evergreen shrubs when needed and remove damage. Remove strongly vertical shoots to encourage horizontal branching on fruit trees
Insect Control
Hollies, Euonymus, Crepe Myrtles, Camellias, Oaks, Pecans and other fruit trees are all susceptible to scale insects. Apply dormant spray to control the over wintering insects and to prevent disease infection. Dormant spray suffocates insects and eggs of pests in your tree before the pest wake from their winter sleep.
Feeding Time
This is a good time to apply Blood Meal every 2-3 weeks during warm spells to your Pansies and other plants where luxuriant top growth and deep green foliage is desired.
Other Things to Do
- Be ready for cold weather extremes. Frost cloth offers 4-8 degrees of protection. It also keeps blustery winds off your plants.
- Water during dry spells. Cold damage is more severe for plants that are allowed to become too dry.
- Digging and relocating trees and shrubs must be done during winter dormant season. Dig with ball of soil intact and replant at the original depth.
- It’s time to prep your soil for Spring! Apply Microlife Humates Plus to help loosen clay soil, improve sandy soil and build a bigger root system in your plant.
