02/06/2026
February Hort Tips
Trees and Shrubs
•Fertilize trees, including fruit trees, nut trees, and shrubs, according to a soil test. (HLA-6412)
•Most bare-rooted trees and shrubs should be planted in February or March. (HLA-6414)
•Finishing pruning shade trees, summer flowering shrubs and hedges. Spring blooming shrubs such as forsythia may be pruned immediately after flowering. Do not top trees or prune just for the sake of pruning. (HLA-6409)
•Look for arborvitae aphids on many evergreen shrubs during the warmer days of early spring.
•Gall-producing insects on oaks, pecans, hackberries, etc. need to be sprayed prior to bud break of foliage.
•Dormant oil can still be applied to control mites, galls, overwinter aphids, etc.
Flower Beds
•Water plantings thoroughly at least 24 hours before a hard freeze, especially if the soil is dry.
•Avoid the temptation to prune roses. This should be done in March.
•Pre-emergent herbicides labeled for landscape beds, such as shrub borders and perennial beds, can be applied at this time to control summer annual w**ds.
Vegetables
•Start cool-season vegetable transplants for a late spring garden. (HLA-6020)
•Terminate cover crops 10 to 14 days prior to planting. (HLA-6436)
Lawn and Turf
•A broad-spectrum herbicide labeled for use in Bermuda lawns can be used when temperatures are above 50°F for winter w**d control. (HLA-6421)
•Apply pre-emergent herbicides for crabgrass and broadleaf summer w**d control. (HLA-6421) Heed label cautions when using any w**d killers near or in the root zone of desirable plantings.
Fruit and Nuts
•Spray peaches and nectarines with a fungicide for prevention of peach leaf curl before bud swell. (EPP-7319)
•Fertilizer fruit and nuts trees according to soil test.
•Plant bare-rooted fruit trees as soon as they arrive.
•Choose fruit that are well-adapted for Oklahoma's climate. Check out HLA-6222 for a list of recommended varieties.
•Collect and store graft wood for grafting pecans later this spring.
Indoors
•Force spring flowering branches like forsythia, quince, peach, apple, and weigela for early bloom indoors.
•Forced spring bulbs should begin to bloom indoors; many need 10-12 weeks of cold, dark conditions prior to blooming.
General
•Provide feed and unfrozen water for birds. (HLA-6435)
•Clean up birdhouses before spring tenants arrive. (HLA-6435)
