Consumers get answers from Department of Agriculture

Prepared by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Office of Public Affairs Tommy Irvin, Commissioner. Call Consumer Q's hotline at 1-800- 282-5852. February Gardening Tips from the

Farmers Almanac

.. Re-invigorate your houseplants by removing the top 1/4 inch of soil and top-dressing with fresh potting soil.

.. Spider mites are apt to thrive in warm, dry houses. Frequent misting under the leaves of houseplants will discourage them. A solution of 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup buttermilk, and a gallon of cool water, applied in a mist, is a good organic deterrent.

.. Houseplants will be sensitive to overfeeding at this time of year. Provide lots of sunlight, fresh air, and frequent bathing for plants that seem a little worse for the winter.

.. Forced paper-white narcissus will bloom more quickly now than earlier in the season.

Plan Your Garden

.. Shop early for seeds from catalogs and garden stores.

.. Want colorful salads this summer? Order seeds now for red iceberg lettuce, ruby Swiss chard and purple pod beans.

.. Plan some window boxes. Good choices for plants: zinnias, nasturtiums petunias, geraniums, begonia. Edible choices: cherry tomatoes, lettuce, kale, and herbs.

.. Test the germination of last year's surplus seeds before ordering new ones. Place ten seeds between damp paper towels. Keep them consistently damp and in a dark place. Check germination rates to determine how many seeds to use for your real planting.

.. Take an inventory of your preserved foods - in the freezer, in cans, or the root cellars. This should help you decide your seed order for the upcoming season.

Get a Head Start

.. Start onions from seed now. They'll be ready for setting out in April. Onions from seed are generally firmer and longer lasting than from sets.

.. Start parsley indoors now. You may think you have successfully wintered over the plant, but it is a biennial and will soon go to seed.

.. Take cuttings of wintered-over lantana, coleus, fuchsia, and begonia for plants to be set in May or June.

It's Time to Prune

Late winter is the time to prune many woody landscape plants. Pruning during the dormant season allows you to better see branch structure and encourages a flush of vigorous new growth in spring. By waiting until the coldest winter weather has passed, you minimize damage to tissue around pruning cuts.

The exceptions to the late-winter pruning are spring-flowering shrubs, including azaleas, rhododendrons, forsythia and weigela. These plants bloom on old wood - the flower buds are formed the previous summer. Prune these now and you'll prune away potential flowers; instead, prune just after bloom.

Trees and shrubs that bloom in summer, including butterfly bush, rose of Sharon, beautyberry, and crape myrtle, produce flowers on new wood - the flower buds form in spring and early summer on new growth. These may be pruned now to encourage new growth with abundant flower buds.

Every pruning cut should have a purpose. Research each type of plant to determine its natural growth habit and optimum pruning time and technique. Some plants thrive with repeated shearing; others don't. If a tree or shrub is grossly out of proportion where it stands in your landscape, consider removing it and planting something more appropriate. Repeatedly hacking back overgrown plants is often detrimental to the plant and results in an unnatural, awkward form.

There are three main reasons for pruning. Keep these in mind, in this order:

.. Prune for safety. Remove branches that obscure visibility or that are hazardous to pedestrians and people mowing. Remove weak and overhanging branches that could fall in a storm. Have your local utility or a professional arborist prune trees near utility lines.

.. Prune for health. Prune damaged and diseased branches, and those that are rubbing against each other. Remove weak growth to promote increased vigor in remaining branches. Prune crowded growth to improve air circulation.

.. Prune for aesthetics. Prune to maintain desired size and shape, to improve flowering or fruiting, to increase light penetration and to improve the overall appeal of your landscape.

Pruning terminology can be confusing. Consult a reference for each of your plants.

Types of Plants

Broad-leaved evergreen: an evergreen plant with broad leaves rather than needles. Examples: rhododendron, azalea, mountain laurel, and boxwood.

Narrow-leaved evergreen: an evergreen plant with needle-like leaves. Examples: pine, spruce.

Deciduous: describes plants that produce leaves during the growing season, then drop their leaves during the dormant season. Examples: maple, poplar.

If you have questions or problems with services or products regulated by the Georgia Department of Agriculture you may write Consume Services, 19 Martin Luther King Drive, Room 224, Atlanta, Georgia 30334 or call 1-800-282-5852.