Fruit trees and fruit-bearing canes such as raspberries can be pruned any time the weather is agreeable. Trees and shrubs may be pruned as well. Dried fruits and cankered branches should be cut from fruit trees and burned now before they spread disease spores.
Shrubs that have spring flowers should not be pruned until early summer, since pruning now will remove flower buds. Roses should not be pruned until April or May, near the time of last frost. Dormant oil spray can be applied to fruit trees this month.
This month is the best time to prune grape vines. Grapes are borne on branches from buds on canes formed the previous year. The most productive buds are between the fourth and tenth nodes. Prune hard except on trellises.
Broccoli, cauliflower, and other members of the cabbage family can be started from seed in the house anytime after Valentine’s Day. Flower seeds that are slow growing can be started in the house this month. These include ageratum, petunia, lobelia, scabiosa, verbena, and blue salvia.
Edward Farrington wrote part of this article