Gardening tips by month

February gardening tips: what to prune, feed & protect

A February garden checklist built from our plant care guides. Garden jobs depend on your local frost dates, so tasks are grouped for cold, moderate and mild climates. Find yours below, then tap any plant for full step-by-step instructions.

February in cold winters (zones 3–5)

A quiet month. Enjoy the garden and plan for next season.

February in moderate winters (zones 6–7)

Pruning in February

Apple tree: dormant prune (Feb 18 – Apr 1)
Asian pear: dormant prune (Feb 18 – Apr 1)
Boxwood: thin the interior (Feb 18 – Mar 25)
Chestnut tree: dormant prune (Feb 4 – Mar 18)
Crape myrtle: late-winter shaping (no topping) (Feb 18 – Apr 1)
Grapevine: dormant prune (spur or cane) (Feb 18 – Mar 25)
Hazelnut / filbert: dormant prune and blight check (Feb 4 – Mar 18)
Holly: winter shaping (Feb 4 – Mar 18)
Japanese maple: dormant structural prune (Feb 18 – Mar 25)
Kiwi vine: main winter prune (Feb 4 – Mar 11)
Medlar: light dormant prune (Feb 18 – Apr 1)
Mulberry: dormant prune (Feb 4 – Mar 11)
Pear (European): dormant prune (Feb 18 – Apr 1)
Pecan tree: dormant prune (Feb 4 – Mar 18)
Persimmon: dormant prune (Feb 18 – Mar 25)
Pistachio tree: dormant training prune (Feb 18 – Mar 25)
Plum tree: remove black knot galls (Feb 18 – Mar 25)
Quince: light dormant prune (Feb 18 – Apr 1)
Serviceberry: late-winter renewal prune (Feb 18 – Mar 25)
Viburnum: remove viburnum leaf beetle egg twigs (Feb 18 – Mar 25)
Wisteria: winter spur prune (Feb 18 – Mar 25)

Spraying & disease prevention in February

Peach / nectarine: peach leaf curl spray (before bud swell) (Feb 25 – Mar 18)

Soil, compost & mulch in February

Apple tree: test the soil (every 3 years) (Feb 18 – Mar 25)
Azalea: test the soil (every 3 years) (Feb 18 – Mar 25)
Bigleaf hydrangea: test the soil (every 3 years) (Feb 18 – Mar 25)
Blueberry: test the soil (every 3 years) (Feb 18 – Mar 25)
Boxwood: test the soil (every 3 years) (Feb 18 – Mar 25)
Hybrid tea rose: test the soil (every 3 years) (Feb 18 – Mar 25)
Lilac: test the soil (every 3 years) (Feb 18 – Mar 25)

Other care in February

Almond tree: clean up old nuts and husks (Feb 4 – Mar 18)
Pistachio tree: clean up old nuts and husks (Feb 4 – Mar 18)

February in mild winters (zones 8–10)

Pruning in February

Apple tree: dormant prune (Dec 31 – Feb 11)
Asian pear: dormant prune (Dec 31 – Feb 11)
Bigleaf hydrangea: light spring prune (old flower heads and dead stems only) (Feb 11 – Mar 11)
Black-eyed Susan: cut back last year's growth (Jan 28 – Feb 25)
Blackberry: winter thinning (Jan 14 – Feb 11)
Blueberry: winter renewal prune (Jan 14 – Feb 11)
Bougainvillea: main prune (Feb 11 – Mar 11)
Boxwood: thin the interior (Dec 31 – Feb 4)
Butterfly bush: cut back hard (Feb 11 – Mar 11)
Camellia: prune right after flowering (Feb 11 – Mar 25)
Catmint: cut back last year's growth (Jan 28 – Feb 25)
Citrus (lemon, lime, orange): light prune after harvest (Feb 25 – Mar 25)
Clematis: late-winter prune (Groups 2 and 3) (Jan 28 – Feb 18)
Climbing rose: late-winter tidy and train (Jan 28 – Feb 18)
Coneflower: cut back last year's growth (Jan 28 – Feb 25)
Crape myrtle: late-winter shaping (no topping) (Dec 31 – Feb 11)
Fig tree: remove winter damage and shape (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
Forsythia: prune right after flowering (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
Garden mum: cut back last year's growth (Jan 28 – Feb 25)
Glossy abelia: late-winter thin and shape (Jan 28 – Feb 25)
Grapevine: dormant prune (spur or cane) (Dec 31 – Feb 4)
Hybrid tea rose: main spring prune (Jan 28 – Feb 18)
Japanese maple: dormant structural prune (Dec 31 – Feb 4)
Juniper: selective trim (Feb 11 – Mar 25)
Lantana: cut back in spring (Feb 25 – Mar 18)
Lavender: spring shaping (Feb 25 – Mar 18)
Macadamia: light prune after harvest (Feb 25 – Apr 8)
Medlar: light dormant prune (Dec 31 – Feb 11)
Mint: cut back last year's growth (Jan 28 – Feb 25)
Ornamental grasses: cut back to the ground (Jan 14 – Feb 18)
Panicle hydrangea: late-winter prune (Jan 14 – Feb 18)
Peach / nectarine: prune into an open vase (Feb 4–25)
Pear (European): dormant prune (Dec 31 – Feb 11)
Perennial salvia: cut back last year's growth (Jan 28 – Feb 25)
Persimmon: dormant prune (Dec 31 – Feb 4)
Pistachio tree: dormant training prune (Dec 31 – Feb 4)
Plum tree: remove black knot galls (Dec 31 – Feb 4)
Pomegranate: late-winter prune (Jan 28 – Feb 25)
Quince: light dormant prune (Dec 31 – Feb 11)
Raspberry: late-winter cane prune (Jan 14 – Feb 11)
Rose of Sharon: late-winter prune (Jan 14 – Feb 18)
Rosemary: shape after flowering (Feb 25 – Mar 25)
Russian sage: cut back woody stems (Feb 18 – Mar 11)
Sedum (stonecrop): cut back last year's growth (Jan 28 – Feb 25)
Serviceberry: late-winter renewal prune (Dec 31 – Feb 4)
Shrub / landscape rose: annual cut-back (Jan 28 – Feb 18)
Smooth hydrangea: cut back hard (Jan 14 – Feb 18)
Spirea: late-winter cut-back (Jan 14 – Feb 18)
Strawberry tree: light shaping after winter flowering (Feb 11 – Mar 25)
Tangerine / mandarin: light prune after harvest (Feb 25 – Mar 25)
Thyme: spring trim (Feb 25 – Mar 18)
Tropical hibiscus: spring prune (Feb 25 – Mar 18)
Viburnum: remove viburnum leaf beetle egg twigs (Dec 31 – Feb 4)
Weigela: remove winter dieback (Feb 25 – Mar 18)
Wisteria: winter spur prune (Dec 31 – Feb 4)

Fertilizing in February

Almond tree: spring feeding (Feb 11 – Mar 11)
Apple tree: early-spring feeding (Feb 4 – Mar 4)
Apricot tree: spring feeding (Feb 11 – Mar 11)
Arborvitae: spring feeding (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
Asian pear: spring feeding (Feb 11 – Mar 11)
Blackberry: spring feeding (Feb 18 – Mar 11)
Blueberry: acid feeding at bud break (Feb 11 – Mar 4)
Boxwood: spring feeding (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
Chestnut tree: light spring feeding (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
Citrus (lemon, lime, orange): citrus feeding: late winter (Jan 28 – Feb 18)
Clematis: spring feeding (Feb 25 – Mar 18)
Climbing rose: feed climbing roses (Feb 25 – Mar 11)
Daylily: spring feeding (Feb 25 – Mar 18)
Forsythia: spring feeding (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
Garden mum: spring feeding (Feb 25 – Mar 18)
Glossy abelia: spring feeding (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
Hazelnut / filbert: spring feeding (Feb 11 – Mar 11)
Holly: spring feeding (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
Hosta: spring feeding (Feb 25 – Mar 18)
Hybrid tea rose: feed roses (Feb 25 – Mar 11)
Japanese maple: light spring feeding (only if growth is weak) (Feb 25 – Mar 18)
Kiwi vine: spring feeding (Feb 4 – Mar 4)
Medlar: spring feeding (Feb 11 – Mar 11)
Mulberry: light spring feeding (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
Oakleaf hydrangea: light spring feeding (Feb 25 – Mar 25)
Panicle hydrangea: spring feeding (Feb 25 – Mar 18)
Peach / nectarine: spring feeding (Feb 11 – Mar 11)
Pecan tree: spring feeding with zinc (Feb 11 – Mar 11)
Peony: light feeding (Feb 25 – Mar 18)
Persimmon: light spring feeding (Feb 11 – Mar 11)
Pistachio tree: spring feeding (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
Pomegranate: spring feeding (Feb 18 – Mar 11)
Quince: light spring feeding (Feb 11 – Mar 11)
Raspberry: spring feeding (Feb 18 – Mar 11)
Rose of Sharon: spring feeding (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
Serviceberry: light spring feeding (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
Shrub / landscape rose: feed shrub roses (Feb 25 – Mar 11)
Spirea: spring feeding (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
Strawberry tree: light spring feeding (Feb 25 – Mar 18)
Tangerine / mandarin: citrus feeding: late winter (Jan 28 – Feb 18)
Viburnum: spring feeding (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
Walnut tree: spring feeding (Feb 11 – Mar 11)
Weigela: spring feeding (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
Wisteria: phosphorus for flowering (if needed) (Feb 25 – Mar 18)

Spraying & disease prevention in February

Almond tree: dormant fungicide spray (Jan 14 – Feb 11)
Almond tree: brown rot protection at bloom (Jan 14 – Feb 4)
Apple tree: dormant oil spray (Jan 14 – Feb 11)
Apple tree: dormant fungicide spray (Jan 14 – Feb 11)
Apple tree: scab and rust protection sprays (Feb 11–25)
Apricot tree: dormant fungicide spray (Jan 14 – Feb 11)
Apricot tree: dormant oil spray (Jan 14 – Feb 11)
Apricot tree: brown rot protection at bloom (Jan 28 – Feb 18)
Asian pear: dormant oil spray (Jan 14 – Feb 11)
Asian pear: fire blight protection during bloom (Feb 11 – Mar 4)
Crape myrtle: dormant oil spray (Jan 14 – Feb 11)
Flowering dogwood: anthracnose prevention (wet springs) (Feb 18 – Mar 4)
Holly: dormant oil spray (Jan 14 – Feb 11)
Hosta: early slug control (Feb 18 – Mar 11)
Hybrid tea rose: clean-up spray after pruning (Feb 4–25)
Magnolia: dormant oil spray (Jan 14 – Feb 11)
Pear (European): dormant oil spray (Jan 14 – Feb 11)
Pear (European): fire blight protection during bloom (Feb 11 – Mar 4)
Peony: botrytis prevention (wet springs) (Feb 18 – Mar 11)
Persimmon: dormant oil spray (Jan 14 – Feb 11)
Quince: dormant fungicide spray (Jan 14 – Feb 11)
Walnut tree: walnut blight protection (Feb 25 – Mar 11)

Soil, compost & mulch in February

Apple tree: test the soil (every 3 years) (Dec 31 – Feb 4)
Azalea: test the soil (every 3 years) (Dec 31 – Feb 4)
Bigleaf hydrangea: test the soil (every 3 years) (Dec 31 – Feb 4)
Bigleaf hydrangea: adjust soil for flower color (optional) (Feb 11 – Mar 18)
Blueberry: test the soil (every 3 years) (Dec 31 – Feb 4)
Boxwood: test the soil (every 3 years) (Dec 31 – Feb 4)
Climbing hydrangea: top-dress with compost (Feb 4 – Mar 11)
Hybrid tea rose: test the soil (every 3 years) (Dec 31 – Feb 4)
Hybrid tea rose: top-dress with compost (Feb 4 – Mar 11)
Smooth hydrangea: top-dress with compost (Feb 4 – Mar 11)

Frost & winter protection in February

Apricot tree: protect blossoms from frost (Jan 21 – Feb 25)
Kiwi vine: protect new shoots from late frost (Feb 4 – Mar 4)
Strawberry: pull back winter mulch (Feb 4–18)

Other care in February

Black-eyed Susan: divide crowded clumps (every 3–4 years) (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
Hosta: divide crowded clumps (every 3–4 years) (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
Macadamia: collect fallen nuts (Dec 29 – Mar 23)
Ornamental grasses: divide crowded clumps (every 3–4 years) (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
Peony: set up supports (Feb 25 – Mar 18)