Skip to main content
Home

Service menu

  • Search
  • Where to buy
  • Contact
  • Sustainability
Home lovethegarden

Main navigation

  • Products
    Lawn Care
    Plant Food
    Soil, Potting Mix and Mulch
    Plant Protection
    Pest Control
  • Brands
    Scotts Osmocote for Indoor Plants
    Scotts Osmocote
    Scotts Lawn Builder
    Performance Naturals
    Scotts Everydrop
    Debco
    Defender
    Tomcat
    MiracleGro
  • Tools
    Your monthly planting guide
    Find hands-on guidance for what to plant and when.
    Learn more
    All growing guides
    Discover how to grow any plant.
    Learn more
    Pest, disease & weed identifier
    Find out what's wrong
    Learn more
    Potting Mix Calculator
    Calculate how much potting mix your garden needs.
    Calculate now
    Mulch calculator
    Calculate how much mulch your garden needs.
    Calculate now
    Videos
    Discover all of our helpful video content.
    Watch now
  • Advice & Inspiration
    Grow Your Own
    Lawn Care
    Plants, Trees & Flowers
    Fruit & Citrus
    Weeds, Pests & Diseases
    Garden Care
    Garden Design & DIY
    Bees & Wildlife
    Gardening Questions
    See all articles
  • Search
  • Where to buy
  • Contact
  • Sustainability
  1. Home
  2. Tools
  3. Garden calendar
  4. February

Your Monthly Planting Guide

February

Summer’s not quite done yet …

By February, life has returned to normal after the holiday break. School is in and most of us have settled back into our usual routines. The garden is still full of colour, with brilliant flowers like these sunflowers highlighting that we are not quite done with summer just yet. The sun is rising a little later and setting  earlier but there’s still some heat in it and there will be days when temperatures peak in the high 30s or 40s.

    Calendar

    Jan
    Feb
    Mar
    Apr
    May
    Jun
    Jul
    Aug
    Sep
    Oct
    Nov
    Dec

    Gardening In February

    • Vegetables
    • Fruit & Citrus
    • Indoor Plants
    • Lawn Care
    • Plants, Trees & Shrubs
    How to grow chillies

    Chilli

    It seems that most people now have at least 1 or 2 Chilli plants at home – it’s become incredibly trendy. Find out how...

    Read more
    How to grow potatoes

    Potatoes

    Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) are tubers that grow and form at the plant’s roots. Plants also produce flowering shoots...

    Read more
    Cucumbers

    Cucumbers

    Delicious in salads and sandwiches, the crisp, sweet crunch of a cucumber is one of the joys of summer. Growing...

    Read more
    how to grow spring onions

    Spring Onion

    Spring onions (also known as green shallots and green bunching or salad onions) are a delicious addition to a whole...

    Read more
    How to grow tomatoes

    Tomatoes

    Nothing beats the taste of your own home-grown tomatoes, freshly picked and warm from the Summer sun. Slice them into a...

    Read more
    how to grow peas

    Peas

    Nothing beats home-grown peas for their tenderness and taste. That's because when they are picked, their sugars start to...

    Read more
    How to grow onions

    Onions

    The basis of so many delicious dishes, onions (Allium cepa) are an essential ingredient in every cook’s store cupboard...

    Read more
    How to grow garlic

    Garlic

    Growing Garlic (Allium sativum) at home is now very popular. It's an easy vegetable to grow - just plant a Garlic clove...

    Read more
    how to grow courgettes

    Zucchini

    Zucchini are now a common, summer staple in the vegetable garden. They are relatively easy to grow and they can be eaten...

    Read more
    Caring for Runner Beans

    Runner beans

    Runner beans, or more correctly scarlet runner beans, (Phaseolus coccineus) are among the easiest and most rewarding...

    Read more
    growing salad leaves

    Salad leaves

    Bags of salad leaves are quite expensive to buy and have a fairly short lifespan in the fridge. Grow your own and you...

    Read more
    How to grow pumpkins

    Pumpkins

    Delicious in pies, soups and stews and full of vitamins and minerals, pumpkins are a tasty autumn and winter treat...

    Read more
    growing sweetcorn

    Sweet Corn

    Sweet Corn, or maize, won't really grow as high as an elephant's eye, but it will be sweet, tender and delicious -...

    Read more
    How to grow & care for asparagus

    Asparagus

    Asparagus is a classic spring vegetable worth establishing in your garden. You’ll need to wait 2 years from planting...

    Read more
    How to grow & care for cauliflower

    Cauliflower

    Drizzled with olive oil and baked whole or sliced into steaks, cut into individual florets and wok-tossed in a stir fry...

    Read more
    How to grow & care for broccoli

    Broccoli

    Broccoli is a must have in every home veggie patch - it’s productive, nutritious and very easy to grow. Although it’s...

    Read more
    How to grow & care for rhubarb

    Rhubarb

    Rhubarbs edible stalks grow from a central crown and this popular vegetable is most commonly eaten as a sweet! Once...

    Read more
    How to grow blueberries

    Blueberries

    Eaten fresh, baked in muffins or as the star attraction in jams or desserts, blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) are...

    Read more
    how to grow strawberries

    Strawberries

    Who doesn’t love strawberries? If you’re a strawberry fan, the many varieties of Fragaria × ananassa are easy to grow at...

    Read more
    How to grow raspberries

    Raspberries

    What could be better than a bowl of sweet, fresh-picked raspberries in summer? These delicious fruits are easy to grow...

    Read more
    How to grow & care for cherry trees

    Cherries

    Homegrown cherries are sweet, juicy and delicious. Many varieties will be dripping with ready to pick cherries around...

    Read more
    How to Grow Fiddle Leaf Figs

    Fiddle Leaf Figs

    With their lush, upright stature and huge, glossy leaves, the Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata) is one of the most popular...

    Read more
    Peace Lily

    Peace Lily

    With their dark green foliage and pure white flowers, Peace Lilies are a stunning addition indoors. Being just as...

    Read more
    How to grow Monstera

    Monstera

    Monstera are one of the most recognisable and beloved indoor plants to grow and care for. Several species of Monstera...

    Read more
    Philodendron Plant

    Philodendron

    There’s a reason why Philodendrons make such great indoor plants… well several actually! They look good, aren’t fussy...

    Read more
    How To Grow & Care For Buffalo Lawn

    Buffalo Grass

    A popular stalwart in Australian gardens for good reason, buffalo grass makes for an incredibly resilient lawn. It is...

    Read more
    How To Grow & Care For Kikuyu Lawn

    Kikuyu Grass

    Kikuya grass, or Pennisetum Clandestinum, is a vigorous plant often used in Australian lawns and common in public...

    Read more

    Vegetables

    What to harvest now:

    The veggie garden will be at its most prolific now, with all the summer crops ripening or ready to harvest. Tomatoes, climbing and bush beans, peas including sugar snap varieties, zucchinis, cucumbers, radishes, Asian greens, lettuce, sweet corn and other crops will all taste great when picked and eaten on the same day. 

    Corn crop

     

    As crops finish, pull out plants and put them into the compost bin if they are disease-free. Dig over empty rows to break up the soil and incorporate the mulch, and add a dressing of garden lime (one handful per square metre) and a dressing of organic manure in preparation for autumn planting.

    What to plant now:

    Seedlings of salad and Asian greens may still be planted now into well prepared, moist soil. Water in with a half strength solution of liquid fertiliser. It is a little too early to sow seeds or plant seedlings of winter crops but check your local garden centre to see what other veggies are on offer.

    Plant seedlings of the following:   
    • Asian greens
    • Lettuce
    • Radish
    • Silver beet
    • Spring/Green onion
    Veggie patch tips for February:
    • Keep vegetables and herbs producing well with a liquid plant food like Osmocote Boost+Feed Vegetables, Tomatoes & Herbs or a certified organic fertiliser. 
    • Check the ties on bush tomatoes and other veggies to ensure they are not too tight.
    • Hand pull or hoe out weeds that compete for nutrients and moisture and may also harbour pests that could attack your crops. 
    • Continue watering crops early in the day direct on to the soil – avoid wetting leaves because this could encourage diseases.
    • Bird netting over the entire veggie patch will keep birds and possums out, ensuring everything that’s ripe is for you, not the wildlife. Make sure the mesh size is less than 5mm to prevent birds or animals catching their claws in it.

    Fruit

    What fruits to harvest now:

    The stone fruit and berry seasons continue, with more varieties ripening their crops this month. Pick fruit early in the day, while it’s still cool, leaving that still firm to the touch on the trees until fully ripe. Pick and discard any diseased or damaged fruits immediately to reduce the potential spread of diseases. 

    Basket full of fruit

     

    Some of the very early cropping varieties of apples and pears may be ripe enough to pick from mid-February onwards. Passionfruit will also mature and falling to the ground now, and there may also be good crops of lemons and oranges in some areas. Tropical fruits and citrus are still cropping in warmer areas, and honeydew melon, watermelon and cantaloupe are still in season in hot, dry climates.

    What fruit to plant:

    Citrus trees, passionfruit vines and other evergreen fruiting trees and shrubs may be planted from the middle of the month. Water in well and keep moist (but not wet) until they are well established.

    What flowers to plant:
    Sow seeds of the following into seed trays mid-month, for planting in Autumn:
    • Arctotis
    • Alyssum
    • Antirrhinum (snapdragon)
    • Aquilegia (granny’s bonnet)
    • Calendula
    • Canterbury bells (campanula)
    • Carnation
    • Cineraria
    • Delphinium
    • Gaillardia
    • Geum
    • Gypsophila
    • Iceland poppy
    • Larkspur
    • Nemesia
    • Nigella
    • Pansy
    • Polyanthus
    • Primula
    • Scabiosa
    • Sweet William
    • Verbena
    • Viola

    Light red and yellow flower in a field

    Indoor Plants

    Tips for Indoor Plants:

    • Water indoor plants when the top 5cm or soil of potting mix feels dry to the touch. Allow excess water to drain freely from the base of the pot. Don’t leave pots standing in saucers of water.
    • Keep the air around indoor plants humid by regularly misting plants with a water atomiser.
    • Feed fortnightly with ready to use Osmocote Pour+Feed Indoor Plants – no mixing required. There are also Pour+Feed products for orchids and cacti.
    • If indoor plants need reporting, use Osmocote Professional Indoor Plants Potting Mix, made from coir fibre not composted materials that may provide shelter for fungus gnats.

    Lawn

    Maintenance tips:

    • Make sure the lawn is well watered at least once a week, if local water authorities permit or there’s no rain. The earlier in the day you water, the less risk there is of the sun burning the grass through moisture droplets. 
    • Watch for bindii spreading through lawns and get on top of any incursions quickly with Lawn Builder Bindii, Clover & Broadleaf, a ready-to-use, hose-on lawn weeder that’s safe to use on all grasses.

     

     

    Sprinkler watering the lawn
    ​

    Garden Tasks

     Things to look out for and do during the month:
    • Pick up and dispose of any fruit on the ground under fruit trees – they may be diseased or harbouring insect pests. Discard in the household rubbish – DO NOT put them in the compost bin!
    • Cut out and dispose of galls (stem or branch swellings) on citrus trees to help eradicate gall wasps.
    • Tidy up the garden by removing spent flowers and flower spikes from perennials and annuals.
    • Dahlias and chrysanthemums may need staking and/or the ties checking to ensure they are not cutting into stems.
    • Fortnightly applications of Osmocote Boost+Feed All Plant Types will keep your garden healthy and growing well.
    • Continue regularly trimming evergreen trees and shrubs to keep them neat, particularly hedges, buxus balls and mop-tops.
    • When high temperatures or strong winds are expected, take down hanging baskets and move them together with outdoor pots to a shady, sheltered spot where they won’t get burned to a crisp.

    Person trimming back a hedge

     

    Pest Control:

    • Watch for thrips and aphids on flowering plants. Defender Pyrethrum Insect Spray will control them. Don’t forget to spray the undersides of leaves as well as the top surface.
    • If you don’t want to use chemicals, hang yellow sticky traps among plants to attract and catch pests.

    Thrips and aphids on flowering plants

     

    • Watch for powdery mildew on roses and other plants including pumpkins and zucchinis, especially when nights are warm and humid. Use a copper-based fungicide to control them.
    • Newly planted seedlings may be targeted by snails and slugs. Protect them with Defender Snail & Slug Pellets.
    Suggested Products
    AU_120470_PN_PS.png

    Scotts Performance Naturals Lawn Food

    AU_107930_SPN_PS.jpg

    Scotts Performance Naturals Lawn Topdress

    New
    AU_122715_SLB_PS.jpg

    Scotts Lawn Builder Tough Custom Grass Seed (Warm Climate)

    New
    AU_122710_SLB_PS.jpg

    Scotts Lawn Builder Tough Custom Grass Seed (Cool Climate)

    New

    Find your local store and start growing your garden.

    Looking for gardening advice or hunting for a specific product? Visit your local store and get help from dedicated staff.
    Find a store near you

    Find your local store and start growing your garden.

    Looking for gardening advice or hunting for a specific product? Visit your local store and get help from dedicated staff.

    Use my current location

    What to do in your garden in February

    Why To Put Your Indoor Plants In The Rain

    Should I Put Indoor Plants in the Rain?

    Have you noticed that after rainfall plants seem greener, cleaner and lusher? That's because rainwater has benefits for...

    Read more
    Tips For Growing Healthy Plants & Veggies

    Garden Smarter, Not Harder with Melissa King

    Follow Melissa King’s Top 6 Tips for having healthy plants and a bumper crop in the veggie patch! 1. Healthy Soil =...

    Read more
    Summer Lawn Care

    Summer Lawn Care Tips

    Australian Summers are filled with endless hours of fun. From slip and slides on the lawn to entertaining friends with...

    Read more

    Explore all of our articles

    Our Newsletter

    Sign up to our newsletter and get expert gardening tips, advice, and inspiration. Start creating your own green oasis today.

    Sign Up Now

    Footer

    • Our purpose
    • Contact
    • Brands
    • Terms of use
    • Privacy and cookies

    © 2022 Evergreen Garden Care Australia

    Evergreen Garden Care Australia,
    Level 2, Bldg E, 24-32 Lexington Drive
    Bella Vista, NSW 2153, Australia

    Scotts® & Lawn Builder™ are trademarks of OMS Investments, Inc. and are used under licence from OMS Investments, Inc.

    Change country
    A local version of The Love The Garden website exists

    Switch over if you want to find gardening products and brands available in your country.

    ajax_loaderGroup 72 Atoms/Icons/cross1 Fundaments/Icons/FitlerCombined ShapeCombined Shapeicon--plusicon-reseticon-sorticon-staricon-starGroupicon-checkGroup 2