February is the beginning of the new growing season for many do-it-yourself gardeners. Starting seeds that require a long growing season, planting up tuberous begonias, and also getting last years geraniums and fuchsias out of dormancy so that cuttings can be made are all done now.

Vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers are started now from seed. Flowers  that are started now and in the next few weeks from seed are geraniums, petunias, pansies, impatiens, lobelia, snapdragons, salvia, etc. and many of the perennials such as poppies, columbine, carnations, delphiniums,  digitalis to name a few. These are started early because they take a long  time before they bear fruit or flowers or the germination process takes a long time.

If you are not sure how long seeds should be started before planting outside read the seed packet. Most seed companies have very informative packets that tell you how many days for germination, how to germinate and when to start seeds before the last frost. Here in our Prince George area where the growing season is short you will want to start most flowers and perennials indoors and transplant outside and many of the vegetables with the exception of potatoes, onion sets, carrots, beets, beans, peas, radishes, spinach, and lettuce do better when they get a head start by being starting seeds indoors and transplanting young plants out after the last frost.

Tuberous begonias are available in the garden center now and can be bought and planted as soon as possible. The earlier you start the tuber the bigger the plant you will have in late May when you plant the begonia outside. Plant the tuber in peat pots so that they are easily transplanted with very little root disturbance when they are ready to be placed outdoors. Use a light, airy, well-drained, high quality potting soil as  this is the foundation for the roots. Plant the tuber with the hollow side up, just above the top of the soil level so that it is still visible. Water the soil around the tuber and not on the tuber as this can cause it to rot and then place it in a south facing window sill or under a grow  light where the temperature is 17-20 Celsius.

Geraniums and Fuchsias can also be started from cuttings with plants that were saved over winter from last season. If you have them in a dark area they need to be woken out of dormancy this time of year by trimming the stems to one third of their original height and then placing them in a warm (20-25 Celsius) south facing window. Water the plant allowing the top layer of soil to go slightly dry between waters and fertilize it with 12-36-12. As soon as the plant begins to show growth take it out of its original pot shaking off any excess soil and replant it into a pot just large enough to hold the root ball and use new high quality potting soil. Continue to fertilize and water and soon the plant will be producing new growth shoots.

When the shoots are 3-4 inches long they can be made into cuttings by cutting them off the old plant on an angle just below the leaf node. Remove the bottom leavf and dip the cut end into a rooting hormone (Stim Root #1) and then place the cutting into a good fine textured soil such as a starter mix. Keep the soil evenly moist and fertilize every two weeks with 10-52 10. When the cuttings have formed roots and are established switch fertilizers to 20-20-20. For a bushier plant pinch out the tip of the cutting when it shows growth.

-Jos

Jos VanHage owns two Art Knapp Garden Centres in the Prince George area:

• Highway 97 North at Aberdeen
• Highway 16 west , across from Bon Voyage PPlaza