Gardening tips for February

• Time to prune your wisteria – cut back side-shoots on the main stems to two or three buds.
• Plant out shallots and onions in well-drained, previously manured soil – for heavier soils wait till next month.
• With spring just around the corner take hardwood cuttings of Honeysuckles, Weigela, deciduous Viburnums, Spirea and Rosa rugosa.
• Plant bare-rooted trees which are much cheaper than those in pots, so a good chance to save a few euros after Christmas!
• Clear away dead plant material and seed heads from your borders to make way for imminent new growth.
• Give the grass a trim during milder spells later this month, taking care not to cut it too short.

Get Chitting!

Now’s the time to buy up your seed potatoes and start them into growth. You are best buying your seed potatoes from a garden centre or via mail order than from a supermarket which have been known to carry viruses. All types will benefit from “chitting”. This is a technique, which encourages the seed potatoes to sprout indoors before planting. Place them on a tray or in old egg boxes with the side with the most eyes pointing upwards in a light, cool and frost free place. After a while you’ll notice new shoots appearing which will then start to grow. When these are 2-3cm in length they are ready for planting. The advantage of chitting is that it gives the potato plants a head start and as a result generally produce much bigger crops than if they were sown straight away.