WSU Extension Snohomish County Master Gardeners
SCMG Education Outreach
February GARDEN TIPS AND TASKS
SCMG Education Outreach
February GARDEN TIPS AND TASKS
In anticipation of the warmth and light of spring, you can research seed preparation, as well as clean up, prune, and assess your existing plants.
SPOTLIGHTS IN THIS ISSUE
PEST MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT - Viburnum leaf beetle, slug eggs, moles.
GENERAL OVERALL MAINTENANCE - Water issues; drainage, french drains, berms, swales.
EDIBLES - Winter clean-up, dormant spraying, winter pruning, starting vegetable seeds indoors, cool season crop planting with row cover protection.
FLOWERS AND FOLIAGE - Ornamental grasses, cutting back ferns, pruning, hardwood cuttings for propagation, planting bare root trees, sowing sweet peas indoor
LAWNS - Keep off lawns; soggy lawns and soil compaction.
PLANT OF THE MONTH JANUARY - Buttercup Winter Hazel (Corylopsis pauciflora).
SPOTLIGHTS IN THIS ISSUE
PEST MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT - Viburnum leaf beetle, slug eggs, moles.
GENERAL OVERALL MAINTENANCE - Water issues; drainage, french drains, berms, swales.
EDIBLES - Winter clean-up, dormant spraying, winter pruning, starting vegetable seeds indoors, cool season crop planting with row cover protection.
FLOWERS AND FOLIAGE - Ornamental grasses, cutting back ferns, pruning, hardwood cuttings for propagation, planting bare root trees, sowing sweet peas indoor
LAWNS - Keep off lawns; soggy lawns and soil compaction.
PLANT OF THE MONTH JANUARY - Buttercup Winter Hazel (Corylopsis pauciflora).

PEST MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT
If the weather allows, check your trees and shrubs for damage. Also keep an eye out for overwintering insect eggs.
If the weather allows, check your trees and shrubs for damage. Also keep an eye out for overwintering insect eggs.
- Viburnum leaf beetle eggs are laid in a row of slits that can be seen on the underside of viburnum branches. See the July Tips and Tasks, Pest Section, to learn more about this new invasive, very devastating insect.
- Snohomish County Master Gardener website publication; Tips and Tasks.

Slug eggs may be found underneath stones, garden debris, and in pockets in the soil. They look like opaque pearls. Seek and destroy!
- You may notice new mole mounds. The mole may be moving through to a neighboring property. In spring, it will be apparent if the mole has made your yard her home.
- Snohomish County Master Gardener April website publication; Tips and Tasks.
- In these long days anticipating spring tasks, you might consider downloading/purchasing the publications frequently used in diagnostic clinics.
- Be aware: Master Gardeners can only recommend pesticides approved by Washington State University (WSU), such as those listed in Hortsense.
- WSU Extension website; WSU Hortsense.
- Published handbooks help to identify what is antagonizing your plant, how to use cultural controls, timing of pesticides, and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques.
- Oregon State University (OSU) Extension Service publication; 2022 PNW Insect Management Handbook.
- OSU Extension Service publication; Pest Management Handbooks; Plant Disease Management Handbook.
- WSU Extension publication; Landscape Plant Problems: A Pictorial Diagnostic Manual, (MISC 0194).
- WSU Extension publication; Pacific Northwest Landscape Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Manual : Culture of Key Trees & Shrubs / Problem Diagnoses and Management Options (MISC 0201).
- This may be found through booksellers such as Amazon, etc.
- Photo Credit, WSU Extension publication; Pest Watch: Viburnum Leaf Beetle.
- Photo Credit, Slug Eggs, Vicki Sorg, WSU Snohomish County Master Gardener.
- The Snohomish County WSU Master Gardener Office Clinic is open:
- 11:00am to 3:00pm, Monday through Thursday, January – March.
- 10:00am to 4:00pm, Monday through Thursday, April – December.
- The clinic is located in the Administration Building at Willis D. Tucker Park, 6705 Puget Park Dr., Snohomish, WA 98296.
- Accurately identify the pest or problem. For help you can contact the Master Gardener hotline at 425-357-6010 or send an e-mail and photo to: snocomg@gmail.com. Below is a helpful website:
- WSU Extension website; WSU Hortsense.
- Choose the least toxic options and use them judiciously. Instead of pesticides/herbicides, consider cultural changes as well as physical or biological controls.
- Use chemical controls only when necessary.
- Thoroughly read the pesticide label to ensure safe handling.
- The label must state that the pesticide is for the problem you are addressing.
- Grow Smart Grow Safe website.
- Be sure to take any unused pesticides to your local Household Hazardous Waste center for safe disposal.
- Washington State Department of Ecology website; Household Hazardous Waste & Moderate Risk Waste.
- https://ecology.wa.gov/Waste-Toxics/Community-waste-toxics/Household-hazardous-waste-MRW
GENERAL OVERALL MAINTENANCE
While the days may be getting longer, your garden may still be in winter mode. The key is patience.
While the days may be getting longer, your garden may still be in winter mode. The key is patience.
- The January issue of Tips and Tasks, General Maintenance section, has information about winter care in your landscape.
- Snohomish County Master Gardener Foundation website publication; Tips and Tasks.
- This is a great time to walk around your garden and look for water issues.
- Areas with standing water are likely to have poor drainage. Locating these spots now will help you make plans for your garden.
- Improving the soil at these sites will help with drainage problems.
- Washington State University (WSU) publication: A Home Gardeners Guide to Soils and Fertilizers.
- Consider plants that are suitable for areas like this.
- Saving Water Partnership publication; Plants.
- Creating raised beds will keep your plants from getting waterlogged. Planting in pots can be an option as well.
- WSU publication: Raised Beds.
- Improving the soil at these sites will help with drainage problems.
- You may see signs of runoff or erosion, even on very slight slopes.
- Check to see where the water from your downspout is going. It can be a source of drainage and erosion problems.
- Slowing down the movement of water allows it to be absorbed into the soil, while diverting it can keep it from problem areas.
- French drains collect water in pipes and move it through gravel trenches. Consult a professional for a job like this.
- Berms are raised areas that are used to slow down and divert water.
- Swales are shallow ditches that capture and hold water, where it can sink into the soil.
- Both swales and berms are elements that can be incorporated into your garden design and are relatively easy to create. For details and instructions see:
- WSU Clark County Extension Service publication: Improving Drainage.
- Consider adding a rain garden.
- WSU Extension publication; How To Build a Rain Garden.
- Areas with standing water are likely to have poor drainage. Locating these spots now will help you make plans for your garden.
EDIBLES
Maintenance / Clean-up
- Continue winter clean-up. If vegetables survived severe winter weather, leave them in place. They may put out sprouts in the spring that will give you a head start on salad makings.
- Fruit trees are dormant now and February is a good time to use dormant sprays and do winter pruning. See the January Tips and Tasks for more information on these topics.
- Snohomish County Master Gardener Foundation website publication, Edibles Section; Tips and Tasks.
- If you plan to start vegetable seeds indoors, this is a good time to prepare your space, check equipment (lights, seed trays, heat mats, etc.), and purchase seeds if needed.
- It’s still too early to plant most vegetables outdoors, but some can be started inside this month.
- It’s good to get an early start on vegetables that take a long time to germinate or grow very slowly: parsley, celery, onions, leeks, shallots.
- Two reliable sources for determining when to start seeds either inside or outside are below.
- Washington State University (WSU) Extension publication; Home Vegetable Gardening In Washington.
- For an interactive tool to calculate seed starting dates:
- Margaret Roach website publication; When to Start Seed.
- You can also make your own seed starting chart by looking at the information on the seed packet and counting backward from the probable transplant date.
- Prepare for indoor seed starting in March and April. Learn the basics at:
- Oregon State University (OSU) Extension Service video; Start Your Own Vegetables from Seeds.
- or review the steps at:
- University of Minnesota (UMN) Extension publication; Starting Seeds Indoors.
- Prepare for indoor seed starting in March and April. Learn the basics at:
- Some people say to plant peas outdoors in late February, but if cold wet weather continues the seed will rot, so be prepared to replant. Peas need fairly dry, warm soil to thrive.
- WSU Extension publication; Vegetables, Growing Green Peas in Home Gardens.
- Some cool season crops, such as lettuce, arugula, and bok choi, can be planted outdoors with protection like row cover or hoop houses, etc., which can boost the soil temperature a few degrees. Learn more at:
- WSU Extension Fact Sheet; How to Install a Floating Row Cover.
- WSU Extension Master Gardener Program publication; Is a Hoop House for You?.
FLOWERS AND FOLIAGE
Maintenance / Clean-up
- Check the base of ornamental grasses. If you see signs of new green sprouts (this may happen anytime from February to April), cut back the dead stems just above the new growth. Wait to see the new sprouts!
- Birds will appreciate the standing grass seed heads, and insects often shelter there.
- The frost-killed grass blades also protect the tender emerging shoots from frosts and rabbit nibbling.
- Cut back the foliage of most ferns before the fiddleheads emerge This is not necessary for the health of the fern, but gives a cleaner look as new fronds develop.
- Hardy Fern Foundation upload; Cutting Back Ferns -The Art of Fern Maintenance.
- Trim the foliage of epimedium and hellebores before the flower stalks rise. The flowers are easier to see and appreciate, and the foliage will flush out quickly.
- Washington State University (WSU) upload; Epimediums: A wonderful and versatile shade plant.
- University of Washington Botanic Garden; When and Why to Cut Leaves off Epimedium and Hellebores.
- Prune ornamental vines that bloom in summer or fall. Examples are honeysuckle, trumpet vine, and some varieties of clematis. For plant lists and details on pruning, see:
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden Organization article; How to Prune Your Vines and Other Climbing Plants.
- Thin or redirect some dormant trees and shrubs.
- Consult diagrams on proper cutting before making cuts. A cut too close to a tree trunk can encourage tree-killing diseases. A cut leaving stumps or removing too much can harm the plant.
- Washington State University (WSU) Spokane County Extension publication; Keys to Good Pruning. (Trees)
- Oregon State University (OSU) publication; Pruning Trees and Shrubs.
- Consult diagrams on proper cutting before making cuts. A cut too close to a tree trunk can encourage tree-killing diseases. A cut leaving stumps or removing too much can harm the plant.
- Have a purpose to prune; not every plant needs pruning.
- WSU publication; Reasons to Prune Trees and Shrubs in Home Gardens.
- When pruning larger tree limbs (greater than 2” diameter), make a series of 3 cuts to remove a branch. (See diagrams in references.) A single, straight down cut will likely tear bark off with the branch, damaging the tree by causing water transport to stop in that area.
- Cass Turnbull’s video series; Guide to Pruning.
- Prune summer and fall blooming trees and shrubs. They set flower buds on this year’s growth. Examples are butterfly bush, abelia, figs, hibiscus (Rose of Sharon), and viburnum.
- Wait to prune spring and early summer blooming trees. They set their flower buds the year before, on old wood, and earlier pruning will remove those buds. Examples are star magnolia, rhododendron, mock orange, lilacs, daphne, spirea, and forsythia.
- A good reference book for pruning is Brickell, Christopher and David Joyce, The American Horticultural Society Pruning & Training, DK, 2017.
- It may not be too late to take hardwood cuttings for propagation if the plant is still dormant. See January Tips and Tasks, Flowers and Foliage section.
- Snohomish County Master Gardener Foundation website publication; Tips and Tasks.
- If temperatures allow, plant bare root trees and shrubs.
- WSU Spokane County Extension publication; Planting Bare Root Trees.
- Sow non-edible sweet pea seeds indoors now to transplant outdoors for early spring blooms. For specific instructions:
- Texas A&M University Cooperative Extension publication; Starting Sweet Peas from Seeds.
LAWNS
February is an excellent time to heed those “Keep Off the Grass” signs. Too much traffic this month can damage dormant lawns and compact the soggy soil beneath. Though the weather may remain wet and chilly, time spent off the grass can instead be used to observe and plan:
- How can I get rid of the puddles that remain after a rainy day?
- Should I be growing grass on this steep slope?
- What can I do to improve the look of scraggly paths created by my family and pets?
- Can grass grow well in this much shade?
- Is my lawn too close to the creek running at the edge of my property?
- Should I apply lime?
- February is too early because of potential frost.
- Test your lawn soil first to see if it is needed.
- Snohomish County Master Gardener Foundation website publication; Tips and Tasks.

PLANT OF THE MONTH - FEBRUARY
Buttercup Winter Hazel
Corylopsis pauciflora
(kor-ih-LAWP-sis paw-si-FLO-ra)
Buttercup Winter Hazel
Corylopsis pauciflora
(kor-ih-LAWP-sis paw-si-FLO-ra)
- Buttercup winter hazel is a stunning member of the Hamamelis family that provides a year-round show.
- Small red buds form on bare branches and open to racemes of soft yellow bell-shaped flowers.
- Lightly fragrant blossoms appear in late February to early March and can persist for several weeks.
- Heart-shaped, rough-textured leaves with a pink blush emerge after flowering, then change to dark green when mature. In the fall, we get another splash of color as the leaves turn yellow.
- It matures to a densely branched, vase-shaped shrub, 4-6 ft wide and tall, with a slow to moderate growth rate.
- It’s perfect for part shade or woodland settings. It can also tolerate a sunny, but not too hot, location as well.
- A garden with fertile, well-drained soil is the best location, but winter hazel is not too picky and will tolerate anything but heavy clay.
- Once established deep watering should suffice. For extended summer dry periods more frequent watering might be needed.
- With its bright burst of color, winter hazel is sure to brighten up those dreary, gray days of late winter.
- Great Plant Picks website publication; Buttercup Winterhazel.
- University of Washington Botanic Gardens publication; April 2017 Plant Profile Corylopsis pauciflora.
- Photo Credit, Buttercup Winterhazel, Karen Panek, WSU Snohomish County Master Gardener.