Gardeners: Take Advantage of February Lawn, Plant Dormancy

First posted on 02-09-2010

Winter dormancy in grass and other plants provides an ideal time for pre-season weed control and plant moving, said Mark Keaton, Baxter County extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

“You still have time to control weeds in your bermuda grass lawn,” he said. “An herbicide containing glyphosate can be used on dormant bermuda lawns in February for winter weed control, when temperatures are above 50 degrees.”

Keaton said to make sure bermuda lawns are completely dormant, or the grass will be damaged.

Homeowners looking to establish fescue lawns still have time to do so.

“September-October is the optimum time to establish tall fescue lawns,” he said. “If you missed that window, a late February-through-March seeding can be a reasonable second choice. Tall fescue is the only choice locally for a shady lawn grass.”

In February, some garden plants are reaching the end of their dormancy.

“Roses that need a transplant would be best moved late this month, after you have pruned them,” he said. “The fewer thorns, the better. If the temperatures are low the day you move them, be sure to wrap the root ball, and get them in the ground as quickly as possible.”

Other tasks to perform in the garden during February include:

Soil testing - Take samples from several different spots. Mix the samples in a bucket, and take a pint sample of dry soil in a plastic sandwich bag to the county extension office for processing. Samples are mailed to the University of Arkansas Soils Lab in Marianna. Free test results will be mailed to you within three weeks.

* Cleaning up - Remove dead stubble from ornamental grasses before they resume growth.

* Clean up spent foliage and debris from last season in your vegetable and flower gardens.

* Mulching - Replace mulch and consider using a dormant or horticultural oil on fruit trees, grape vines and scale-infested shrubs. Check labels for application instructions on dormant and horticultural oil.

* Pruning - Prune summer-flowering shrubs and hedges late this month or early March. Spring-blooming shrubs, such as forsythia, should be pruned immediately after flowering.