By Claudette Sims, Halton Master Gardener
Winter sowing
Winter sowing is a great way to start or add to your native plant garden. Learn all about winter sowing at this page on the RBG website.
Attend a “Seedy” event
Seedy Saturdays/Sundays are typically held in February and are great events to find seeds and information on how to grow plants. Find a Seedy event near you at Seeds of Diversity by setting the filter to Ontario.
Find a seed library
Seed libraries offer free seeds! Search for one near you in Hamilton or Burlington.
Figure out when to sow seeds
Seed starting dates depend on your location and what you intend to grow. Use this Seed Starting Date Calculator to determine when to start your veggie seeds. Enter May 10 as our area’s frost-free date. It’s still too early to start your tomatoes — wait for March.
Indoor veggies
Consider starting some leafy greens indoors. Good choices include microgreens, lettuce, dwarf kale, and mesclun mix. Read our “Indoor Veggie Garden” blog post to learn how!
Find seeds
Find seeds by searching by company name or name of seed at the Canadian Seed Catalogue Index (CSCI). There is even a map of Canadian seed companies at this link!
Show love for plants
Celebrate Valentine’s Day by making eco-friendly choices. If you do buy flowers, ask for paper wrap, not plastic.
Pruning
February to March is a good time to prune most trees and shrubs. Follow the 3 D’s of pruning and remove branches that are Diseased, Damaged, or Dead. Avoid pruning on the coldest days to minimize damage from freezing temperatures and allow wounds to heal better. Learn how to prune fruit trees in this video (below) from Purdue Extension. Check for black knot fungus on cherry species (Prunus) and prune when temperatures are below freezing. This will prevent black knot fungus spores from infecting the pruning wound. Inspect Pagoda Dogwood for signs of dogwood golden canker. Healthy stems are brown to purple and diseased ones, yellow to orange. Prune affected stems to slow the infection. If badly infected, cut the entire shrub to the ground. It will grow back beautifully in spring! Prune grapes to increase fruit production and contain their spread. Raspberries can be pruned to knee height in late February before the weather warms. Prune crab apples for a more open structure and remove crossing or rubbing branches and suckers at the base of the tree.
