Cut autumn raspberry canes to ground level ensuring you leave no stumps that could harbour disease. Prune out a quarter of blackcurrant older growth at ground level. Apply a general purpose fertiliser to tree, bush and cane fruit and mulch with well rotted manure or garden compost.
Force rhubarb for early pickings. Start chitting your potatoes. Start sowing some of your
chosen veg seeds indoors, such as broad beans,tomatoes, basil, kale and chilies.
Clean out existing bird boxes or put up new boxes, continue to provide food and keep bird baths topped up with fresh water.
In late February cut back ornamental grasses and other perennials left for winter interest. Cut away old foliage from epimediums, before the spring flowers start to appear. Cut back hard shrubs such as Cornus and Salix grown for winter coloured stems.
Cut back late flowering (group 3) Clematis such as Clematis viticella, C. orientalis and C. “Jackmannii” to a low pair of strong buds. Prune late summer flowering shrubs such as buddleia, lavatera and fuschia hard.Prune winter flowering shrubs such as mahonia, winter jasmine and heathers, once they have finished flowering. Topdress beds and borders with a balanced fertiliser.
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