By Claudette Sims, Halton Master Gardener
Winter sowing is a great way to start or add to your native plant garden. Learn all about winter sowing at this RBG link.
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.
Seed libraries offer free seeds! Search for one near you in Hamilton or Burlington.
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 17 as our area frost-free date. It’s still too early to start your tomatoes-wait for March.
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 to encourage wounds to heal. 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/purple, and diseased ones are 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 crabapples for a more open structure and remove crossing or rubbing branches and suckers at the base of the tree.
Longing for your garden? Why not enjoy some of the many outdoor winter activities near you this month! Too cold for you outdoors? How about some fun indoor crafts?
— Claudette Sims, Halton Master Gardener
Celebrate winter with an outing on Family Day or Valentine’s Day. How about a walk in a natural area near you? A visit to the RBG? Check out the amazing waterfalls in Hamilton. Visit the gorgeous tropical greenhouse at Gage Park or have a hike and hot chocolate at Westfield Heritage Village. For more Winter Activities, visit this Winter Guide from Tourism Hamilton or Winter in Burlington.
Check out these online garden catalogues. They often include excellent seed starting tips:
Veseys Seeds
Ontario Native Plants
West Coast Seeds
OSC Seeds
William Dam Seeds
