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Almanac
Average temperature: High 74, low 51
Rainfall: 2.35 inches
Central Florida average last frost date: Feb. 15
The moon
1. Moon phases
•Last quarter: Feb. 3
•New moon: Feb. 10
•First quarter: Feb. 17
•Full moon: Feb. 25
2. Moon-sign planting dates
•Above-ground crops: 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22.
•Below-ground crops: 2, 3, 7, 8, 25, 26.
•Control weeds: 9, 10, 18, 19.
•Prune trees/shrubs: 4, 5, 6, 13, 14, 23, 24.
What to plant
3. Vegetables: Plant through mid-month; beet, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collard, endive, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, pea, potato, radish, Swiss chard and turnip. After mid-month plant; bean, cantaloupe, corn, cucumber, eggplant, luffa, pepper, pumpkin, squash, tomato and watermelon.
4. Flowers: Alyssum, aster, baby's breath, bacopa, begonia, candytuft, carnation, calendula, coneflower, coreopsis, cosmos, dahlia, delphinium, dianthus, diascia, dichondra, dusty miller, false heather, four o'clock, gaillardia, gaura, gazania, geranium, gerbera, godetia, Johnny-jump-up, licorice plant, lobelia, million bells, nasturtium, pansy, petunia, rose, salvia, snapdragon, Stokes aster, sweet pea, veronica and yarrow.
5. Herbs: anise, basil, borage, chives, dill, fennel, lemon balm, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, sweet marjoram, tarragon, and thyme.
6. Bulbs: African iris, amaryllis, Amazon lily, Asiatic lily, blackberry lily, blood lily, bulbine, caladium, canna, crinum, day lily, gladiolus, gloriosa lily, Louisiana iris, society garlic, spider lily, rain lily.
Lawn care
7. Lawns turned a straw color by cold should be given normal care.
8. Rake out the cold-damaged grass blades as new growth begins if you cannot stand the brown.
9. Do not try to speed lawn recovery with special waterings or feedings.
10. Mow as needed to maintain height and control weeds.
11. Readjust zoysia lawns to the desired height of between 2- to 3-inches before growth begins.
12. A temporary ryegrass lawn can be seeded over cold-damaged turf to renew the green look.
13. Brown lawns can be sprayed green with products available from commercial suppliers.
14. Many weeds have been damaged by cold and can be easily spotted and removed.
15. Water when the soil begins to dry, usually once a week or less.
16. Delay feedings until the end of the month or early March.
17. Select a lawn fertilizer with little or no phosphorus, the second number in an analysis.
18. Inspect irrigation systems; check for clogged or broken sprinkler heads and adjust as needed.
19. A crabgrass control can be applied at midmonth if you are not adding new turf.
20. Live crabgrass sprigs must be removed from lawns for a herbicide to be effective.
21. Till new lawn sites 4 to 6 inches deep and level the soil before planting.
22. Take time to have a soil acidity test made and readjust the soil pH if needed.
23. Sod or plug new lawns; begin seeding after midmonth.
24. Treat weed-infested lawns with the appropriate herbicide when lawns begin vigorous growth.
25. Aeration can help lawns with compacted soils, nematodes or hard to wet soils.
26. Change the oil and air filter of gas-powered equipment.
27. Sharpen mower blades.
Vegetable/fruit gardening
28. Hurry to start transplants from seed of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants for March planting.
29. Cool-season vegetables can be planted through early February.
30. Warm-season vegetables planted in late February are likely to need cold protection.
31. Blankets, boxes and mounds of hay give good protections from late-season frosts and freezes.
32. Support vining crops by tying the vines to a stake or trellis.
33. Plant additional fruiting trees, shrubs and vines.
34. Gardeners may want to avoid new citrus and avocado plantings due to major pest problems.
35. Many tropical fruit trees and shrubs have cold damage; begin the needed pruning.
36. Till and enrich sandy soils with organic matter before starting new plantings.
37. Complete the harvest of midseason citrus fruits.
38. Plant container gardens to enjoy vegetables and herbs on porches and patios.
39. Adjust the soil pH for blueberries to an acid level.
40. Check vegetables for aphids and caterpillars; control as needed.
41. Reshape citrus trees and trim grape vines in February before flowering begins.
42. Feed all fruit-producing trees, shrubs and vines in late February.
43. Begin spray programs after apple and peach trees flower.
In the landscape
44. Begin pruning trees, shrubs and vines before new growth begins.
45. Prune back to healthy wood which may be to buds, branch angles or near trunks.
46. Reshape overgrown and out-of-bounds plantings, including hedges.
47. Be gentle with crape myrtles; only remove seed heads, small stems and suckers.
48. Prune ornamental grasses to within a foot or two of the ground.
49. Give all but climbing roses a first-of-the-year pruning around midmonth.
50. Trim back out-of-bounds perennials; remove old flower heads and seed pods.
51. Complete plantings of cool-season flowers.
52. Gardeners may want to avoid traditional impatiens due to a downy mildew disease.
53. Move poinsettias to the landscape on warm days and apply a slow-release fertilizer.
54. Begin landscape tree, shrub and flower feedings if needed for growth and foliage color.
55. Feed container gardens every other week or use a slow-release fertilizer.
56. Start seeds of warm season annuals and long-lasting perennials.
57. Add a majority of hardy drought-tolerant plants to the landscape.
58. Hand-pull or spot-treat winter weeds in gardens and shrub plantings.
59. Maintain a mulch around trees starting a foot from the trunks; 6 inches from shrubs.
60. Prepare new flower beds; add organic matter to sandy soil.
61. Replant declining container gardens.
62. Plant bare-root and container-grown trees, shrubs and vines.
63. Remove declining fronds and fruiting stalks from palms; leave the good green foliage.
64. Begin feedings of orchids every other week by month's end or apply a slow-release fertilizer.
65. Form compost piles of leaves plus thin layers of soil and a little fertilizer.
66. Divide and transplant perennials.
67. Clean lily ponds to prepare for spring growth.
68. Clean and repair birdhouses for spring nesting.
Greenhouse chores
69. Service heaters and fans that have been running during the cold weather.
70. Install a drip irrigation system to water individual pots.
71. Sow seed of spring flowers and vegetables for transplants.
72. Start spring-flowering tropical bulbs in containers for later transplanting.
73. Rotate declining plants from the home to the greenhouse to recover.
74. Prepare planters of spring color to add to the landscape next month.
75. Water only as needed to prevent keeping plants too moist and encouraging rots.
76. Run heaters during the cooler nights: open vents on warm days.
77. Feed container plantings with a slow-release fertilizer.
78. Check for overwintering pests and control as needed.
79. Inspect plant collections and discard unwanted or declining plants.
80. Make cuttings of easy-to-root plants.
Foliage and home-plant care
81. Give Christmas and holiday cactus a bright spot in the home; keep a little dry.
82. Trim old flower stalks from forced amaryllis bulbs and add the bulbs to the garden.
83. Transplant pot-bound plants to slightly larger containers.
84. Move lanky and yellow plants into higher light.
85. Groom indoor topiaries and tree-like plants to control size and shape.
86. Replace declining plants with new selections.
87. Wash away pests and dust from house plants.
88. Remove declining leaves and flowers.
89. Move refrigerated bulbs to warm, sunny spots to begin growth.
90. Feed all container plantings.