BREAKING GROUND

Kale can handle freezing conditions that kill other green vegetables.
Kale can handle freezing conditions that kill other green vegetables.

FEBRUARY

Our first winter weather came and went pretty quickly. Depending on where you live in the state, snowfall was non-existent to 7 inches or more.

• The weight of the snow bent some branches, but it didn't last long enough to cause permanent damage, and those leaning branches should become upright again -- unless they broke. The only time you want to prune out winter damage during winter is when a plant has broken limbs that threaten to collapse in a way that will do more damage.

• If plants simply have damaged leaves, leave them in place to serve as a buffer should we get more winter weather.

• Hold off on pruning chores until late February to early March, and then know which plants should be pruned and which should not.

• Spring-blooming shrubs have been so confused already that many were blooming before the cold snap. Wait to prune spring bloomers until after they finish blooming this spring. Let's just hope they have more flower buds to give you a show.

• February is pruning month for some plants. Fruit trees, blueberry bushes, grapevines, roses and ornamental grasses need to be pruned every year before they leaf out. If you are a commercial grower and have hundreds of plants, you may need to start pruning earlier in the month, but most home gardeners have a handful of plants, and they should wait to prune as late in the month as possible. Pruning early exposes more tender parts of a plant and could lead to winter damage if extremely cold weather were to occur after pruning.

• Last year due to the late, cold spring, many of us didn't prune until mid-March, and our plants were fine.

• Know why you are pruning, how you should be pruning and when to do so. Most plants that bloom in the summer flower on new growth. They should be pruned before they begin to grow in earnest. Plants that benefit from pruning before new growth begins include crape myrtles (don't murder them), althea or rose of Sharon, butterfly bush, summer spirea and vitex. Exceptions are big-leaf hydrangea, oakleaf hydrangea and gardenia, which all are summer bloomers that should be pruned after they flower.

• If you have winter annuals in the garden, pick a mild day and give them some fertilizer. Pansies in particular will bloom better with regular feeding.

• Many who planted flowering kale and cabbage have found their plants are already beginning to stretch a little, which signifies the end of their season. Blame our mild December on that. We are also beginning to see some bolting -- when a flower stalk emerges on cool-season vegetables. Again, the huge fluctuations in temperature we have had are to blame. You can't stop it once it starts, so try to use the vegetables you have.

• Avoid applying any weed-and-feed type of application to your lawn. While we do have an ample number of winter weeds growing in our lawns, weed-and-feed potions include herbicide and fertilizer. Your lawn is dormant, so all you would be feeding is winter weeds, and they are doing fine on their own. Many were already blooming in December, so they are well-established. If you want to combat weeds, use a stand-alone herbicide, and avoid spraying on a windy day.

• If you just have a few weeds, consider hand pulling or keeping them mowed low to prevent blooms and seed set.

• Spring bulb foliage is up in many gardens, and a few people actually have seen some blooms already. (It has been a weird winter so far.) Blooms should begin soon on early-season flowers and advance as spring progresses. Usually we see crocuses first, followed by daffodils, then hyacinths and finally tulips. Remember that these bulbs set next year's flower buds in the six weeks after bloom.

• February is typically the last month of the dormant season. If you have plants that you need to move from one part of the garden to another, this is a great time to do so. Make sure you protect the root ball during transit since exposed roots will be more susceptible to damage. Replant and water as quickly as you can.

PLANT OF THE MONTH

For years, grocery stores threw away kale after it withered on the shelf. It was not the hot commodity that it is today.

These days, kale is considered one of the super foods, ranked among the top 10 of the world's healthiest foods when it comes to providing the most nutritional value for the least number of calories.

Kale is loaded with antioxidants and vitamin C. A cup of kale contains more vitamin C than an orange.

Kale is in the cabbage family and is quite cold hardy. It is easy to grow from seed but is also sold as transplants. I've had five different varieties growing in my garden since fall, and none has been damaged by the cold.

If you don't have any kale in your garden, this is the month to begin planting. Varieties come with green or purple leaves and smooth, flat or rippled and curly leaves.

Some of the more popular varieties include the dinosaur or Lacinato kale, also called Tuscan or black kale. This smooth-leafed kale has thin, upright, dark bluish-gray foliage. It is considered sweeter than some of the other kales.

Redbor kale is not only nutritious but quite showy in the winter garden. The foliage is purplish red and darkens as it ages.

Regardless of which variety you grow, give kale full sun and even moisture, and you will be rewarded with months of tasty leaves.

Janet B. Carson is a horticulture specialist for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.

HomeStyle on 01/30/2016

Upcoming Events