Our recent weather has felt more like spring than winter. Extended warm weather, particularly when it continues into the evening hours, can speed up the spring display. From flowering quince to spring bulbs, spring is arriving early. While many people are saying that winter is over, they have more confidence than I do. This is Arkansas, after all, and we still have to get through February and March. Keep a close eye on the forecast and your garden, and do what you can to protect your plants.

February is the beginning of real gardening for the year. From planting to pruning, there are many chores to be accomplished now. The early spring garden can be planted, everything from English peas to spinach, onions, Irish potatoes and greens, the garden will kick into gear. Broadcast fertilizer at planting, and then side-dress six to eight weeks later. Mulching will help to moderate soil temperature, and black plastic mulch can help to warm the soil.

It is also the beginning of the asparagus season. As spears begin to emerge, harvest frequently. Young planting should be harvested cautiously. Usually one to two weeks of a three year old planting and three to four weeks when they are four years old. Discontinue harvesting when the spears are smaller than pencil diameter. If you harvest too long, you can sap the energy from the plants, which can hurt your harvest for years to come. Keep in mind, that asparagus plants are heavy feeders, and should be fertilized at least twice during the growing season. If you don't have an asparagus planting, work up the soil and incorporate as much organic matter as possible. Plant one or two year old crowns in the bottom of the trench, and then gradually cover the spears as they emerge. Do not harvest at all the first year of planting, and only sparingly the second year.

There are blooming plants around town, and they aren't just winter annuals. Winter jasmine has begun to bloom with its cascading branches of yellow flowers. Many mistake it for a lower growing forsythia, but it normally blooms several weeks earlier. Sasanqua camellias are still blooming in some parts, and a few japonica camellias are showing some blooms. Flowering quince is beginning to bloom, along with the yellow blossoms on mahonia, and there are a some staggered blooms on loropetalum and witch hazel. While some may be a bit off on their normal bloom season, many do add some color to the winter landscape. Keep in mind, winter need not be devoid of color.

Spring bulbs are up and growing–some even blooming. Fertilize the bulbs with a complete fertilizer as you see the flower stalk emerging. Then, fertilize again lightly after bloom. The foliage on bulbs needs to be in the sunlight and actively growing for a minimum of six weeks after bloom. It is this period of time when the bulbs need to replenish themselves so that they have a flower again next season. The foliage of these spring bulbs is very cold tolerant, but once the flowers begin to open and show color, there is some variability. Early bloomers–crocus and some daffodils, are also quite cold tolerant. Hyacinths and tulips should not be in bloom this early, and would need some protection.

Potted, forced spring bulbs are at many outlets now. They bring a nice touch of spring indoors. People often want to care for these bulbs to reuse them. While it is possible, it often doesn't give you optimum results. Forced bulbs have been pre-chilled and then given greenhouse conditions to get them into bloom. They could not be planted directly outdoors, and usually inside conditions are not conducive to bulb formation. Go with the Janet Carson theory, and enjoy them as long as they are pretty, and then put them in the compost pile.

Pruning and February are synonymous. From roses and crape myrtles, to fruit trees and shrubs, this is one of our busiest months for pruning. Hybrid tea rose bushes are always pruned the latter part of February. If mild weather continues, the plants may be actively growing by then, but still hold off on your pruning. These hybrid teas should be pruned hard every season–normally to within 8 - 18 inches from the ground. There are buds (or possibly sprouts) all along the stems. Prune slightly above an outward facing bud. Seal the cut edge with white glue to prevent insects from boring into the stems. Prune your climbers and shrub roses after spring bloom.

Fruit trees and grape vines need annual pruning. From the year you plant, and then every succeeding year, these plants need pruning to get top production. Fruit trees and grape vines set way more flower and fruit buds than the tree could support. If you leave all the buds and branches, you will have lots of small, poor quality fruit, and you may have breaking limbs.

A general rule of thumb, is that plants that bloom in the summer, set flower buds on their new, or current season, growth. With the exception of bigleaf hydrangeas and gardenias, summer flowering shrubs should be pruned this month. Not all plants need to be pruned every year. Assess your plants and determine their pruning needs. Buddleia (butterfly bush) benefits from an annual haircut to make way for new growth. Althea, summer spiraea, vitex, abelia and Crape myrtle can be pruned as needed. I prefer to allow standard crape myrtles to grow into trees, but it still may need some shaping or thinning cuts.

Winter weeds are kicking into high gear. Warm season lawns, such as Bermuda and zoysia aren't greening up yet, but winter weeds are. If you have an abundance of dandelions, chickweed, henbit and wild onions, spray with a broadleaf weed killer. Another common weed, but one that isn't quite as visible is spurweed. You need to move on this low grower soon, since once they bloom, they will set those nasty stickers which plague many a home lawn. Once the stickers are set, there isn't much you can do.

More pruning is needed with perennial ornamental grasses-- from the large pampas grass to the small monkey grass or Liriope (which is really in the lily family). Ornamental grasses need to be cut back yearly to keep looking attractive. Remove the old foliage to make way for the new. Be sure to check to see how tall the new growth is before cutting. A yearly haircut will produce a healthier and more attractive plant. Lift and divide old clumps at the same time.

Don't be too quick about removing mulch from your perennial beds. Fluctuating temperatures can cause harm to your plants. Keep the mulch handy for late freezes when extra protection may be needed. Keep some extra mulch on hand, since milder than normal temperatures may cause some plants to begin growing prematurely. Young, tender new growth is much more susceptible to a hard freeze.

Valentines day is a day for flowers. Whether you are giving or receiving, there are plenty of options to choose from. Roses are often synonymous with Valentines day, but there are other great choices, from mixed floral bouquets, to miniature spring bulb gardens, to houseplants. An interesting choice is a blooming spathiphyllum, or peace lily, growing in a vase of water with a living beta fish beneath it–two gifts for the price of one! Regardless of what you are given, proper care can extend the plants life. Most cut flowers benefit from cool temperatures out of direct sunlight. Changing the water, or using flower preservative in the water can also extend their life.

February marks the end of the dormant season–this year maybe sooner than normal. Any plants which need transplanting, should get moved this month. If you have more tender plants, move them at the latter part of the month. For roses and crape myrtles, move them after pruning, to make a more manageable sized plant.

Not only is it a good tranplanting month, but also a good time to plant. Plants come in various forms–container plants are by far the most common, but there are still balled-in-burlap and even some bare root plants around. Bare root plants are those that come wrapped in a protective plastic sleeve. They need to be planted while they are dormant, so get them in the ground as soon as possible. Many mail order plants are shipped bare-root to reduce the weight of the soil. Balled-in-burlap benefit from planting before active growth begins as well, however, you can plant them for a longer period of time, and container plants are now available for planting year-round.

If some of your plants were plagued with diseases or insects last year, now is a good time to give them a dormant oil spray. Read and follow label instructions, but a thorough coverage is needed to completely smother the insects or disease spores. Consider removing the old mulch and spraying even the ground around them. Then apply a new layer of mulch. This should give you a fresh start.