February Is the Last Real Window to Prune Before the Garden Wakes Up

February looks quiet, but it carries the clearest deadline of the gardening year. Miss it, and a hedge that needed renovating has to wait until autumn, carrying its overgrowth and its coral spot risk through an entire summer.

Which February jobs have a deadline?

Hedges come first, and nothing else in the list competes with them. The RHS calls February the last window to cut or renovate deciduous hedges before nesting begins in March. That makes hedges the first priority if one needs a hard cut, or is overgrown, or has congested growth inside it. The RHS links coral spot, a fungal disease that shows up on bare stems, to poor ventilation and unpruned, crowded growth such as the inside of clipped hedges.

The RSPB recommends cutting hedges between 1 September and the end of February, but adds that some birds start nesting in January or February. So look before you cut: watch for birds going in and out of the same spot for a few days, then inspect the hedge. The RSPB suggests hand tools because they are easier to stop. The longer guide is when to trim a hedge in the UK.

Two other jobs share the same logic, because they are best done before growth starts:

• Summer-flowering deciduous shrubs that bloom on new wood. The RHS gives February to March for Buddleja davidii, Hydrangea paniculata, Perovskia, hardy fuchsias and similar shrubs.
• Wisteria and late-summer clematis. Wisteria side-shoots go back to two or three buds, keeping the flower buds. Group 3 clematis are cut to the lowest pair of strong buds, then mulched.

What should wait until after flowering?

Anything that flowers in spring. The RHS says to prune spring-flowering shrubs after they bloom, or you lose this year's display. Slightly tender evergreens such as Choisya wait until April, and hardy evergreens such as cherry laurel can have a hard prune from later in the month, or mid-March in colder areas.

What is the weather doing to the soil?

The Met Office's 1991 to 2020 averages for Heathrow show February with a daytime high of 9.0°C, a night-time low of 2.7°C and 6.2 days of air frost. It also has 45.0 mm of rain over 9.5 days, which is less than January's 58.8 mm but enough to keep soil cold and wet.

Heathrow is in west London, so an Enfield garden will not match it exactly. The practical point is that wet and cold soil sets the order of jobs:

• Leave saturated heavy soil alone. Frozen or waterlogged ground is the wrong time to dig or lay turf.
• Mulch lighter soils now and leave heavier soils until March. The RHS says heavy soils are less saturated by then. Weed first, and see how to mulch flower beds for depth and materials.
• Test the soil pH. The RHS says it helps you choose suitable plants, and that simple tests can be done at home or through its soil analysis service.

Should you mow the lawn in February?

Usually not, and resisting the urge is the whole job. The RHS says grass starts growing above 7°C, so mow only in warm weather, with the blades on the highest setting and the grass dry. It also says not to mow or walk on areas where daffodils or crocuses are coming up.

Do not lay turf on frosty or waterlogged ground. If you want to sow a new lawn, the RHS suggests preparing the soil now, if it is not too wet, and sowing in March or April. The first mow of spring has the cutting height and checks.

Which wildlife jobs matter in February?

Moles are more active in January and February. The RHS suggests tolerating molehills where you can, or removing the largest and re-firming the soil.

The RHS says perennials left standing for winter interest can be cut back now, or left a few more months to give wildlife cover. It also says to cut back deciduous grasses such as Miscanthus now, unless you want them for winter interest.

When does it help to bring someone in?

If you only book one thing this winter, make it this. February is the sensible time to get a hedge cut or renovated, because the deadline is close and the work only gets harder once nesting starts. Our hedge trimming and pruning service covers it, and our garden maintenance team handles regular pruning and tidying. The visit is free and followed by a written quote, and green waste is taken away and disposed of properly at recycling centres. You can ask on our contact page.

The months either side

Last month's list is in January, and March covers the first mow and the start of nesting.

Sources

• Met Office: Heathrow location-specific long-term averages, 1991 to 2020
• RHS: February jobs
• RHS: February trees and shrubs
• RHS: February lawns
• RHS: February flower garden
• RHS: January flower garden
• RHS: March flower garden
• RSPB: Birds' nests and nestboxes

This reflects our own read of what matters most in a London or Hertfordshire garden in February, not a guaranteed task list for yours. How close your hedge is to the nesting deadline depends on the plant, the weather and the birds already using it, so use this as a guide rather than a script. Get in touch if you would like a hand before the window closes.