Timely Gardening Tips
February Gardening Tips
LAWN CARE
It’s time to plan your lawn care for this year. Come in to ask us about the ferti•lome 5-Step Do-It-Yourself Lawn Care Program with a year’s worth of products specifically suited for the needs of your lawn. When you buy the program, you’ll save money and be sure you are applying the right product at the right time.
We have options and offer customizations for your particular turf type whether cool season like fescue, bluegrass, and rye, or warm-season like bermuda, buffalo and zoysia.
If you’re not sure what you need, come in and let us help you design a full year of lawn care specifically for your grass and conditions. The 5-Step Do-It-Yourself Lawn Care Program is tailored to your pocketbook and your lawn’s needs. We’ll even loan you a spreader when it’s time to apply. We also offer delivery of your Lawn Care Program to your door for only $35 more (Wichita Metro area). See store for more details.
Now you can also order your program online at and pick up in-store!
If we have winter days over 50 degrees, ferti•lome Weed Free Zone can be applied to control pesky perennial weeds like dandelions, henbit, and chickweed before they become much more difficult to control later in the spring.
FEED THE BIRDS
Bird feeders are a great way to bring wildlife up close. When our outdoor activities are limited by weather we can watch activity abound at feeders and bird baths. A simple platform feeder stocked with Shell-less Select Wild Bird Food, a fruit and nut mix or Cardinal’s Choice is appealing to many desirable birds as well as squirrels. There are many other specialty feeders and seeds to help you attract woodpeckers, finches and chickadees, as well as feeders to deter squirrels or specifically feed squirrels, depending on your preference.
All wildlife is drawn to unfrozen water in winter when water is sometimes scarce. You can accomplish this by using a bird bath de-icer to keep water thawed and available.
WINTER TREE CARE
Late this winter or early spring, fertilize trees with ferti•lome Tree & Shrub Food to encourage good new growth this spring. A preventative application of ferti•lome Tree & Shrub Systemic Insect Drench might also be a good idea for borer- susceptible trees like birch, maple and cottonwood. If we haven’t had snow or other moisture, be sure to water.
SEED STARTING
Vegetable plants that can be planted outdoors in March and early April should be started indoors. Start broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and onions from seed now. Sow tomato and pepper seeds in late February to plant outdoors the first of May.
Seed Starting Tips:
• Use a sterile soilless seed starting medium like ferti•lome Seed & Cutting Mix.
• Keep soil moist. After the initial watering, mist the soil to keep it damp without dislodging the seeds.
• A dome or plastic bag over the plant flat will help with soil moisture and maintain humidity.
• A seedling heat mat will promote better and quicker germination by providing bottom warmth.
• Once the seedlings are up, fertilize once a week with a 1/4 strength solution of ferti•lome Blooming and Rooting Plant Food.
Before planting seedlings outdoors, consider prepping your soil with Johnson’s Soil Recipe. Our soil recipe adds both valuable compost and beneficial nutrients to the soil, and contains both fast and slow release fertilizer.
