Seasonal Tips for Feb & Mar - Trees
Whatever stage your garden is at, there is always room for new plants, new features and new ideas.
With the soil more visible early in the season and the ground still moist, February and March are a great time to be planting container-grown trees and shrubs.
While containerised plants can be planted through most of the year, many of them will still be dormant and will establish quickly as the weather starts to warm if you plant them now. Make sure you plant when the soil is not frozen or waterlogged.
- Give your trees and shrubs some attention before the season starts in earnest. The soil is still wet from the winter rains so it’s a good time to apply a thick mulch around established plants. Work some Feed-all Slow Release Granular Plant Food into the soil surface above the root ball and then mulch thickly around the base of the plant with Decorative Mini Bark.
- Bare rooted trees that have been lifted over the winter need to be planted now while they are still dormant so that they are in position before they start into growth in spring.
- Check tree ties and loosen any that are too tight. This will prevent the tree tie cutting into the tree as the trunk starts to swell in the spring.
- Check your trees for any wind damage and carefully prune out any affected stems and branches taking care to prune them back close to the supporting branch or trunk so that the wound will heal quickly.
- Trees and shrubs will benefit from an early spring feed to support strong and healthy growth. Use Growmore Garden Plant Food for a general balanced feed, it’s granular so can be sprinkled around the base of your plants. Organic gardeners can opt for Fish, Blood & Bone All Purpose Plant Food or Bone Meal Root Builder; both are ideal for use all around the garden for established and new plants. Follow the instructions on the pack.
Other useful tips for this season:
