February may still bring a few chilly mornings, but here in Zone 8b, it’s the perfect time to start preparing for a lush and productive garden. With our last average frost date typically around March 15, now is the time to get ahead with pruning, planting, and prepping your beds for spring.
1. Prune and Prep ✂️🌳
Fruit Trees & Shrubs: Now’s the time to prune apple, pear, and other fruit trees before new growth begins. Avoid pruning spring-blooming shrubs like azaleas and camellias until after they flower.
Roses: Give your roses a good trim to encourage strong, healthy growth for spring blooms. Remove dead or weak stems and shape them for better airflow.
Ornamental Grasses & Perennials: Cut back dead growth on ornamental grasses and herbaceous perennials like lantana and salvia before they start waking up.
2. Start Planting! 🌿🌸
Cold-Hardy Vegetables: If you haven’t already, now is a great time to get one last harvest of cold season veggies. This includes leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, kale, and Swiss chard. You can also sow carrots, beets, radishes, and onions directly into the garden.
Potatoes & Asparagus: February is prime time for planting seed potatoes and asparagus crowns, giving them a strong start before the heat arrives.
Cool-Season Annuals: Continue to plant pansies, violas, snapdragons, and dianthus—all of which thrive in the cool weather and survive in the case of a late season freeze. Petunias can also take a mild freeze. Look for petchoa variety which is a hardier hybrid. Other options for color that survive a freeze are dusty miller, cyclamen, and many early spring blooming perennials. Ask us for help!
3. Get Your Soil Ready 🌱🛠
Test and Amend: Healthy soil is the foundation of a thriving garden! Akin’s Nursery offers LSU Ag Center soil kits—they’re free to pick up, and you’ll pay the Ag Center for the results. Once you have them, our knowledgeable staff is happy to help you interpret the findings and recommend the right amendments for your soil.
Mulch Matters: Refresh mulch around trees, shrubs, and garden beds to help retain moisture and regulate soil temperature as the weather shifts.
4. Start Seeds Indoors 🌿🌞
If you’re planning a summer vegetable garden, start tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants indoors now so they’ll be ready for transplanting after the last frost. Use a warm, bright location or a grow light to encourage strong seedlings.
If you haven’t seen our selection of seeds - stop by! We carry non GMO seeds and offer lots of organic and heirloom options.
5. Lawn & Landscape Maintenance 🌾🏡
Apply Pre-Emergent Weed Control: Akin’s Nursery recommends using Fertilome Weed Stopper with Dimension in February to prevent spring weeds from taking over your lawn and garden beds. Applying it now will help keep weeds like crabgrass and broadleaf weeds from emerging as the temperatures rise.
Hold Off on Weed & Feed: While it may be tempting to apply a fertilizer now, Akin’s Nursery recommends waiting to apply Fertilome Weed & Feed until later in spring, after you have mowed your lawn at least twice. This ensures the nitrogen is properly absorbed by the grass and promotes strong, even growth.
Rake Up Debris: Remove any leftover fall leaves or thatch buildup to improve airflow and prevent fungal issues in your lawn. We primarily do landscape installations, but we can also help with leaf and debris removal! Give us a call to find out more.
6. Watch the Weather! ⛅❄️
While spring is around the corner, February can still surprise us with a late cold snap. Keep row covers or frost cloth handy for any unexpected freezes.
Visit Akin’s Nursery for All Your February Gardening Needs!
Whether you need seeds, soil amendments, fruit trees, or expert advice, Akin’s Nursery has you covered. Stop by to pick up everything you need for a successful garden this season!
What specific plants or tasks are you focusing on this month? Let us know in the comments! 🌿💚
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