Winter Cleanup - Continue preparations for the busy spring planting season. Clean and rinse pots with a diluted solution of bleach – one part bleach to nine parts water. Check pots after any rain, shallow pools of water will provide egg laying opportunities for mosquitos. Clean and sharpen tools. Check shelves and dispose of old or unneeded pesticides and herbicides. Yolo County Landfill accepts household hazardous waste Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM.
Bulbs, Corms and Rhizomes - We tend to think of bulbs as something planted in the winter (October-December) to bloom in the spring but there are a variety of bulbs, also corms and rhizomes that can be planted throughout the year to add variety to the garden with their seasonal showing of color. The following recommendations have low water or minimal irrigation needs.
Name | Type | Planting Time | Bloom Time | Comments |
Amaryllis (naked lady) | bulb | February | summer | Bloom appears about 6 weeks after foliage dies back in late spring or early summer. |
Canna | rhizome | February | spring summer | Cut bloom stalk to the ground when finished. |
Crocosmia | corm | February | spring summer | Great cut flower, and hummingbird attractant. |
Dahlia | tuberous root | February - March | summer fall | Needs care to encourage large blooms, may need support, can be susceptible to powdery mildew. |
Gladiolus | corm | February | spring summer fall | Prolific cut flower, plant in 1-2 week intervals over 4-6 weeks to prolong bloom period. |
Hippeastrum (giant amaryllis) | bulb | October - February | spring | Often grown in pots. Care: water and feed through summer until leaves yellow. Withhold water and let plant dry out. |
Lily | bulb | February - March | summer fall | Many species and hybrids are available. There are also some summer blooming natives. |
Tigridia (tiger flower) | bulb | February | summer | Gophers do like these bulbs. |
Tuberose | rhizome | February | summer fall | Should return with bloom year after year. |
Zephranthes (Argentine lily) | bulb | Anytime | summer fall | Low water but prefers periods of wet and dry. Will multiply to give a good showing of crocus like flowers. |
Water - Check potted plants for moisture, even though it is cool, plants still need moist soil. Dormant plants also need to have adequate moisture in the soil for healthy spring production of foliage, bloom, or fruit.
Frost Protection - Cover succulents and sensitive plants with old sheets if a heavy frost is forecast. Most plants can tolerate a short period of freezing overnight but will be damaged with prolonged freezing or temperatures in the 20s.
Fruit - Plant bareroot fruit trees and berries. Finish pruning fruit trees and dormant spray (pesticides applied to plants when they are dormant or just beginning to bud). For more information on which dormant sprays to use and the timing of spraying, please see UC ANR's Winter Pest Management in Backyard Deciduous Fruit Trees. Pruning done at this time of the year will encourage strong spring growth.
Ornamentals, Annuals and Cool Season Perennials - Finish pruning roses, strip old leaves for disease prevention. Fertilize after new growth is seen. Planting annuals such as pansies, violas, snapdragons, calendulas, and poppies will add color to a spring garden. Asters, salvias, and California fuschia can be pruned down to new growth. Plant cool season perennials such as cyclamen, hellebores, and ibiris which will thrive and add color year after year.
Mulch - A 3-4 inch layer of mulch will retain soil moisture and prevent soil erosion from rains. Don't forget to leave some areas without mulch in the garden to provide habitat for our ground nesting California native bees.
Vegetables - Cool season vegetables such as lettuce, beets, carrots, and spinach can be direct seeded into the ground. To get a jump on summer vegetables start seeds indoors of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers.
February Vegetable Planting GuideClick the thumbnail image on the right to open a larger image or the link below to open a PDF of Peg's February Vegetable Planting Guide. This guide will tell you which Yolo County and Sacramento area vegetables are recommended for planting during the month of February, along with how and when to plant them. |
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This article was originally published in The Yolo Gardener Newsletter, February 2025