By Rebecca Jepsen

02/04/2012

Here's a to-do list for February's garden.

Prune hydrangeas by cutting off old, brittle canes. Leave young canes with flower buds attached for this year's growth.

Prune fuchsias toward the end of the month. Remove any frost damage as well as some of the past summer's growth; leave at least two or three healthy leaf buds on each branch.

Citrus trees

Prune citrus tree branches that touch the ground, fences or other structures. Thin trees in order to let good air circulation penetrate the entire canopy. Trim out crossing branches and any that appear dead.

In order to control aphids, apply Tanglefoot on the trunk to keep ants out. If scale has been a problem, spray with Volk oil, which will suffocate them. 

Yellowing leaves are normal this time of year, so wait until the weather gets warmer to see if they "green up."

If not, you may need to apply a nitrogen-based fertilizer.

Basic tree care

Apply dormant spray to deciduous trees and shrubs if aphids, scale or whiteflies have been an issue in the past.

Apply tribasic copper sulfate or lime sulfur to your peach trees if peach leaf curl has been a problem.

For the Master Gardeners' fruit tree and vine care calendar, go to www.mastergardeners.org/picks/treecalendar.pdf.

Clean up fallen leaves and debris, and add them to your compost pile if they are not diseased.

What to plant now

Bare root: Asparagus, roses, berries, artichokes, onions, fruit trees such as apple, apricot, cherry, fig, nectarine and pear.

Transplants: Arugula, Asian greens, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, chard, kale, lettuce, mustard greens, peas and spinach. Local nurseries should have a good supply of most of these.

Seeds: Arugula, beets, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, chard, eggplant, fava beans, kale, lettuce, mustard greens, peas, potatoes and spinach.

Rebecca Jepsen is a Santa Clara County Master Gardener. Contact her at home@bayareanewsgroup.com.