February 2025 In the Garden
For most Canadians, Valentine’s Day falls in one of the coldest months of the year! On a positive note, the days are getting longer! A visit to a garden centre on a winter day lifts your spirits and provides you with an opportunity to choose a flowering gift plant or two for that special someone and even one or two for you!
Primula, mini roses, cyclamen, calla lilies, mixed tropical and flowering baskets, African violets, carnations, azaleas, cineraria, reiger and solenia begonias. Floral Acres offers a cheery and colorful selection of gift plants not only for Valentine’s Day but all year round! These plants offer the promise that spring will arrive – Keep the faith people! Spring is coming!
While we are waiting for Spring 2025 there are a few things we can be doing to get ready for another growing season.
If you are planning to start your own seeds, mid to late February is the time to make a visit to Floral Acres for seeding supplies. The seed selection is at its best and the knowledgeable garden centre staff are always available to help you make the most of your visit.
To help you time your seed starting journey, please note the following.
Projected frost free days in Saskatoon for 2025 according to the Farmer’s Almanac 2025
Last spring frost – May 15
First fall frost – Sept 19
Please note that these are approximate dates only.
If you are looking up more information on seed starting on the Prairies, make sure you include Zone 3b in the search bar. Seed start timing varies greatly due to the many zones found in Canada.
For highly informative blogs on our website on the topic of starting seeds click on the ‘Advice’ category.
You can find these articles by clicking on ‘This Month in the Garden’
Garden Jargon for Beginners: Starting Seeds (Feb. 3 – 2022)
Ten Things You Need to Know About Starting Seeds from Scratch (Feb 1, 2020)
Christmas and Thanksgiving Cacti can bloom well into February. After all the blooms and buds have disappeared, this is the time to prune them to keep their shape in check and to encourage bushiness before their active growing season in spring. You can safely prune back 1/3 of the volume of the plant. Use your fingers to twist between two stem segments (cladophylls). If you use small pruners, make sure they are sterilized before pruning. The cuttings can be propagated in water or in soil.
Water Method: Use cuttings that have 2 or more segments and put each cut end into water that just covers the bottom of the container. Check daily and top up the water as needed. Once the roots are 2.5 cm or longer, put the cuttings into small soil filled containers with drainage. As usual, patience is a virtue, as this method usually takes eight weeks to see new growth.
Soil Method: Place the cuttings in a warm place out of direct sun for 24 hours or longer until the cut ends are calloused over. Dip the callused ends in rooting hormone, shake off any excess and plant in 10 cm pots filled with tropical/cactus-succulent soil mix. Do not plant the cuttings too deep and use pots with drainage holes.
Keep the soil just moist but never soggy. Place in a location that has bright, indirect light. New growth is a sign that the cuttings have rooted.
If you have a wood burning fireplace in your home, now is a good time to remind you about the use of wood ash in your garden and compost. Yes, wood ash, used in moderation, is a good organic fertilizer or compost amendment.
There are a few important considerations though when using wood ash in your compost or as a soil amendment.
Wood ash is very alkaline (caustic). Our southern Saskatchewan soil is slightly alkaline. Alkaline soil has a natural buffering capacity that resists changes to pH. Wood ash will not change our soil pH.
In Saskatchewan, the best wood to burn for ash amendment is dry pine, spruce, ash, birch or poplar. It is important to know the source of your firewood.
Wood ash does not contain nitrogen. It does contain trace minerals, a very small amount of phosphorous, potash and calcium carbonate. Seeds planted in soil that has a high wood ash component will not germinate. If you want to add wood ash to your veggie garden in spring, deeply dig or till it into the existing soil.
When handling wood ash remember that it is very caustic. Do wear gloves, a mask, eye protection and long sleeves.
Store wood ash in a metal container and make sure it is totally cold before filling the container. Do not keep this container close to your home or adjacent buildings.
Do not use ash that is the result of burning treated/painted wood, coal, BBQ briquettes, fuel-fired wood, cardboard or fake fireplace logs.
Do not apply synthetic Nitrogen fertilizer with wood ash. Mixing the two will cause a chemical reaction that produces ammonia gas. Never mix wood ash with ammonium sulphate, urea, or ammonium nitrate. You can use organic sources of nitrogen.
I recommend that you use wood ash in your compost sparingly. For every six inches of green or other brown organic material, you can sprinkle a very light layer of ash.
Too much negatively affects the soil bacteria, slowing down the composting process. When applying that compost to your garden in spring, mix it into the soil really well.
If your compost pile is close to your home or garage; I cannot emphasize enough that the ash be completely cool before you put it on your compost pile.