It's February so Get Busy

 February To-Do List for Central Texas Gardens & Landscapes

 1. Prune (but don’t go wild yet)

Now’s the sweet spot for a lot of pruning before everything wakes up.

Do prune now:

* Roses prune heavily

* Crape myrtles (light structural pruning only—no topping!)

* Fruit trees (peach, plum, apple)

* Shade trees for dead/damaged limbs

* Ornamental grasses (cut back to 6–8")

Hold off on:

* Spring-bloomers like azaleas, redbud, and loropetalum (they bloom on old wood)

 2. Feed the Soil, Not Just the Plants

February is prime time to prep soil so spring growth explodes later.

* Top-dress beds and lawn with compost (better yet get rid of the lawn)

* Add expanded shale if you’ve got heavy clay

* Apply a slow-release organic fertilizer (nothing too hot yet)

* Refresh mulch (2–3", keep it off trunks)

Healthy soil now = fewer problems later

 3. Cool-Season Color Still Shines

It’s not too late to freshen things up.

* Pansies, violas, dianthus, snapdragons

* Dusty miller and ornamental kale

* Feed lightly to keep them blooming into spring

Bonus: they hold beds together until summer plants go in.

4. Veggie Garden: Start Smart

February is sneaky-good for edibles.

Plant now:

* Onions, potatoes

* Lettuce, spinach, kale, Swiss chard

* Sugar snap peas

Start indoors (or buy transplants soon):

* Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant

Also: build or repair beds now you’ll be glad you did.

5. Lawn Prep (Don’t Jump the Gun)

Lawns are still asleep, and that’s okay.

* Scalping warm-season lawns (Bermuda/Zoysia) happens late Feb–early March

* Pre-emergent timing is critical

* Don’t fertilize yet—wait for consistent green-up

Better yet get rid of the lawn

If it’s still brown, it’s still resting

 6. Freeze Readiness Isn’t Over Yet

Central Texas always has a late surprise.

* Keep frost cloth handy

* Know where shutoff valves are

* Avoid heavy fertilizing or pruning right before a cold snap

If you’re comfortable in shorts one day and a hoodie the next—you’re doing February right.

 7. Plan Now, Plant Later

This is the thinking month.

* Walk the yard and note drainage issues

* Decide what struggled last year (and why)

* Measure spaces for spring plantings

* Schedule tree planting or landscape projects early

The best landscapes are planned before the soil warms up.