February Yard Prep: Get Ready for Spring

As winter lingers but hints of spring begin to appear, February is an important transition month for local gardeners. According to guidance from the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service, now is the time to prepare landscapes, lawns, and gardens for the growing season ahead.

Flowers
Garden centers are beginning to stock summer- and fall-flowering bulbs such as dahlias, gladioli, cannas, and lilies. While it’s a good time to purchase them, planting should wait until soil temperatures reach at least 55 degrees. Planting too early in cold soil can lead to rot and poor growth.

Fruits
Fruit trees benefit from a dormant oil spray in February. Products such as horticultural or “volck” oil help control overwintering mites and scale insects by suffocating them. Dormant oil can also reduce certain disease issues. It is important to apply only while trees are fully dormant. Spraying after buds begin to swell can damage trees by interfering with normal transpiration.

Lawns
Cool-season lawns such as fescue are ready for their first fertilizer application of the year. Homeowners should follow recommendations from a recent soil test to avoid over-application. Warm-season lawns, however, should not be fertilized this early.

February is also prime time to manage winter weeds before they become spring and summer headaches. Henbit, lawn burweed (the plant that produces painful stickers), and annual trampweed can all be treated now for best control. For those with warm-season turf, this may be a second treatment for trampweed; for cool-season lawns, it is typically the first.

Although it may seem surprising, irrigation can still matter in winter. During extended dry periods of four weeks or more, warm-season lawns may benefit from about one inch of water on a mild day. Moist soil retains heat better and can help reduce cold injury.

Trees and Shrubs
Late winter is ideal for pruning many trees and shrubs, but there are key exceptions. Spring-blooming plants such as azalea, dogwood, forsythia, redbud, and rhododendron should be pruned after they bloom because they formed their flower buds last fall. Most plants that bloom after June 1 can be safely pruned now, with the exception of oakleaf hydrangea and certain late-blooming azaleas.

Tree planting is also well suited to this time of year while trees are dormant. Proper planting depth is critical — trees planted too deeply often struggle. Minimal soil amendments are recommended, encouraging roots to establish in the native soil.

Vegetables
Gardeners eager to get started can plant several cool-season vegetables this month. Recommended planting windows include:

• Asparagus crowns: early February through late March
• Garden peas: February 1–15
• Cabbage: February 15–April 1
• Turnips: February 20–April 1

These crops tolerate cooler temperatures and help kick off the growing season early.

Additional gardening guides and fact sheets are available through Clemson’s Home & Garden Information Center online, offering detailed instructions on planting, pruning, fertilizing, and pest management.

The Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service provides research-based education and outreach programs to residents across South Carolina.