By Gary Crispell, NC State Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer of Durham County
In central North Carolina, frigid temperatures and snow are ushering in February 2026. (Image credits: Sabrina can den Heuvel/Pixabay; Melinda Heigel)
Well, friends, wasn’t January fun? I haven’t worn so many clothes simultaneously for so long since the BIG SNOW of 2000 (or maybe since I was a kid in upstate New York). It has been (expletive deleted) COLD!!
The Accidental Cottage Garden (ACG) has gone into deep hibernation. I have managed to get a solid covering of wood chips on some of it. (Good thing I kept the tractor when I dissolved the landscape company.) My barely functioning left knee prevented any detail work in the ACG. (By the time you read this that problem will have been taken care of.)
February is the official start of gardening season (if there isn’t any white stuff covering the beds). I know that is a fact. I saw it on the internet. There are many more things to do this month than in January, so lets put on all of our clothing and get started.
Lawn Care
Cool season grasses (i.e. fescue and bluegrass) should be fertilized with a slow-release fertilizer following the recommendation of your SOIL TEST.
Late February/early March is the best time to apply a preemergent crabgrass preventer. There are several easy to use granular products on the market. Be sure to read and follow the directions on the label for safe and proper handling and application. Calibrate your spreader to ensure accurate application amounts. Too little will not give you effective control and too much may damage the turf.
Fertilizing
See Lawn Care above and Planting below.
Planting
And so, it begins. The vegetable garden. The reason for existence, for frozen fingers in February, summer sunburn and the endless supply of liniment in the medicine cabinet.
According to NC State experts, “Some cool season crops like Brussels sprouts, beets, collards, kale, parsley, and spinach will survive even if the temperature drops below 26 ºF for an extended period of time.” (Image credit: NC State Extension)
It is time for root vegetables and salad (and beef Bourguignon—which you can’t grow in the garden). Early “plantables” include cabbage, carrots, leaf lettuce, onions, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, spinach and turnips. Work a little fertilizer into the soil that was tested in October (while it was still free to do so) following the recommendations of said SOIL TEST. More winter weather ahead into spring? Learn how to protect your crops.
Be cognizant of soil moisture levels. Mother Nature has not done much in that department since October of 2025, but she can be really fickle. We’ll probably have monsoons in April.
Pruning
If you have been ignoring previous posts, now it would be a good time to prune bunch grapes and fruit trees.
Also due for judicious trimming are summer flowering shrubs and small trees. That list includes rose of Sharon (Hibiscus seriatcus) crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia spp.), butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii), and hydrangeas that bloom on new wood (Hydrangea arborescens & H. paniculata). Note: now is not the time to prune spring-flowering shrubs. You should prune these shrubs AFTER they have flowered in spring, but before the next year’s flower buds are set. If you prune these shrubs in winter or early spring, you will remove many of the flower buds and have fewer if any spring blooms. Spring-flowering shrubs that sucker readily from the base can benefit from some thinning (more here). Examples of spring-flowering shrubs are lilacs, forsythia, viburnums, honeysuckle, chokeberry, mock orange, and weigela.
While you’re out there, late winter to early spring is the time to whack back the ornamental grasses, also.
Got some overgrown shrubs that you’ve been meaning to (or are reluctant to) prune heavily? Go for it now. I understand that if you’ve never done it before it can be a bit intimidating, trust me. The plant will almost always not only survive but also thrive. I am aware of the never-more-than-a-third rule, but sometimes that is not enough. This is known as renewal or rejuvenation pruning and can benefit overgrown and mature specimens. So if it needs to go back to 12”-18” …. go for it. Chances are you and the plant will be glad you did.
Spraying
The orchard needs attention. Peaches and nectarines should be sprayed with a fungicide to prevent leaf curl. Spraying a dormant oil on the fruit trees will help control several insects later in the year.
Other Fun Stuff to do Outside in February
It’s the perfect time to propagate trees and shrubs through hardwood cuttings and tidy up unoccupied bluebird houses. (Image credit: University of New Hampshire Extension; NC Cooperative Extension)
Perennials can be divided as we head into spring. Do it before the above-mentioned monsoons. Read up on it now and be ready.
Many landscape plants can be propagated via hardwood cuttings this time of the year. Some of the plants in the category are crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia spp.), flowering quince (Chaenomoles spp.), junipers (Juniperus spp.), spiraea (Spiraea spp.) and weigelia (Weigelia spp).
Bluebirds will be most appreciative of a thorough house cleaning before the spring nesting season. Remove all the old nesting materials and let them start afresh. It’s like clean linens for them.
Oh, yeah. Lest we forget…order flowers or other living things from the plant kingdom for your significant other. Just for the record, guys like flowers and plants, too. Happy Valentine’s Day, Y’all. Think positive thoughts about an early spring sans late freezes.
Resources and Additional Information
Learn what vegetables to start now on the blog from Master Gardener volunteer Kathryn Hamilton: https://wp.me/p2nIr1-2F1
Prune like a pro with this guide from NC State Extension: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/general-pruning-techniques
From Clemson Cooperative Extension, learn more about providing for bluebirds through nest boxes: https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/providing-for-bluebirds-guidance-for-bluebird-nest-box-establishment-in-south-carolina/
Edited by Melinda Heigel, NC State Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer of Durham County
Article Short Link: https://wp.me/p2nIr1-70W
