Garden Q&A: Should I start feeding my outdoor plants in February?

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

February is that 'buffer zone' between winter and spring for gardeners, says Peter Dowdall. File picture

Question

Can I start feeding the plants in my garden in February? I am dying to get to work in the room outside and for the winter to be over, but wonder if I'm being over-eager.

Answer

Believe me, I understand that desire to get back out there. It’s probably a bit early to feed most plants in the garden but there are some that will benefit. 

Feeding spring-flowering bulbs with a good quality, seaweed feed will help, particularly as they begin to die off and the swollen bulbs need to absorb what nutrients they can for next year's display. 

I would hold off on feeding the lawn for another month or until temperatures begin to climb. 

February is that buffer zone between the end of winter and the start of spring so pruning of many summer flowering shrubs and in particular, roses, can be done during the month.

However, I would leave it till late February. 

Again, choose a good quality seaweed feed — and most importantly of all, add organic matter to the soil to improve not just the nutrient content but also the soil structure.

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