February may still technically be winter, but it’s on the cusp of spring in the desert garden. Here’s a look at what you can plant, what you should prune, how and when to fertilize citrus, where to donate surplus citrus, and more.
The weather in February is nearly indistinguishable from January’s, and yet as spring approaches, there are more things to be done in the garden this month.
Note that there are a few tasks that should ideally be performed before mid-February and others that should be done towards the end of the month.
This month’s focus is on the care and harvesting of citrus. Even if you don’t grow any citrus, you may benefit from friends, family, or neighbors who will gladly foist generously share a bag of surplus oranges or lemons with you. 😉
February Weather Outlook
February is typically pleasantly cool, and there’s not much change in the weather since last month. The average highs and lows in Tucson and Phoenix are a few degrees warmer than January’s, and the chance of rain is about the same. The sun starts getting a bit more intense compared to January, which has the lowest UV index of the year.
Here’s a look at February weather averages in both Tucson and Phoenix.
February Weather Averages (Tucson)
| High temperature | 69°F |
| Low temperature | 43°F |
| Precipitation | .90″ |
| Relative humidity | 43% |
| UV Index | 3.8 |
| Wind | 13 mph |
February Weather Averages (Phoenix)
| High temperature | 71°F |
| Low temperature | 49°F |
| Precipitation | .87″ |
| Relative humidity | 39% |
| UV Index | 3.3 |
| Wind | 7 mph |
If you live elsewhere, enter your city or town in the search bar at TimeandDate.com to find your weather averages. And you can find your average UV index at UVIndex.io.
February Gardening Tasks
Compared to last month, there is more to do in the garden. Here’s a snapshot of the tasks you can expect to do (or not do) this month.
| ✅ | Be prepared for frost |
| ✅ | Water on a winter schedule |
| ✅ | Plant bare-root fruit trees |
| ✅ | Fertilize citrus |
| ✅ | Harvest citrus |
| ✅ | Prune some plants |
| ✅ | Buy spring seeds |
| ✅ | Watch for weeds |
| ❌ | Don’t plant most plants |
| ❌ | Don’t fertilize most plants |
| ❌ | Don’t prune most plants |
Read on for all the details and exceptions!
What To Do in the Garden in February
As spring approaches, there are more ways to keep busy in the garden this month.
What to Plant in February
You can continue to plant bare-root fruit trees and grape vines through February, but bare-root roses should be planted by mid-month.
You can continue to plant some cold-weather vegetables through mid-February and then take a pause. Late February is a good time to plan your warm-weather garden and acquire your vegetable and annual seeds. By March, you can start planting warm-weather vegetables.
Winter Water Schedule
Continue to water your plants on a winter schedule. Here’s what your watering schedule should look like.
Not sure how to water your plants in February?
These articles can help:
7 Tips for Watering Landscape Cactus (& Other Succulents)
How to Water Desert Trees: How Often? How Much?
How to Water Desert Shrubs: How Often? How Much?
What to Fertilize
Don’t fertilize landscape plants this month. Feeding them now can encourage them to push out new frost-sensitive growth. However, you should still fertilize potted flowering annuals once a month. And you should fertilize citrus this month. (This will be discussed below.)
What to Prune
Get out your pruning tools, because there are quite a few plants that should be pruned this month.
Deciduous Trees
If you didn’t do it last month, you can still prune deciduous trees provided they are still dormant and there are no buds on the trees. This includes fruit trees such as figs and pomegranates, but not citrus. You can prune suckers, water spouts, or dead or broken branches on shrubs or trees anytime, especially if they pose a hazard.
Ornamental Grasses
The end of February is the time to give ornamental grasses a hard prune. Cut them down to 3 to 4 inches above the ground. Pruning them severely lets light penetrate the crown and makes way for new spring growth.
You can cut them straight across, but slightly irregular cuts look more natural and mimic the grazing that would occur when growing in grasslands, their native habitat.
Red Bird of Paradise
February is a good time to give red bird of paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) a hard prune, down to about 12″, to manage its size, get rid of dead stems, keep it vigorous, and promote blooming. You want to prune before new spring growth appears.
Note that there are several desert landscape plants called “bird of paradise” and not all of them should be hard pruned now. If you’re not sure which “BOP” you have, don’t rely on the common name, check out our article Desert Bird of Paradise Plants Compared to know for sure.
Roses
Ideally, you should have pruned your roses last month, but if you didn’t get to it, cut them back by one-half to two-thirds in early February.
Don’t Prune Cold-Damaged Plants
As tempting as it is to get your plants looking beautiful again, wait until the danger of frost has passed to prune cold-damaged perennials, ground covers, shrubs, and vines. Trimming now encourages new, cold-sensitive growth.
Watch for Weeds
Depending on how much winter rain you’ve had, you may see some weeds pop up this month. The best strategy for keeping weeds under control is to pull them when they’re young, and the ground is wet.
If you sowed wildflower seeds in the fall or hope some of your plants will reseed, be sure you aren’t pulling any seedlings of plants you want in your yard. 😉
Continue to Be Prepared for Frost
Don’t get lulled into thinking that freezing temperatures are over. You may see that some websites list the last frost date sometime in February. I was surprised that the National Weather Service lists Tucson’s average last frost date as February 7. (That is way too early.)
But then it occurred to me that if you go by an average date, you’ll be wrong half the time!
According to the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Tucson’s last frost date is March 15. Most experienced gardeners I know use this as their rule of thumb.
If you don’t live in Tucson, you can learn how to find your accurate last frost date here.
February: Peak Citrus Month
If you have citrus trees, February is a busy month in the garden. There are two main tasks — fertilizing and, everyone’s favorite, harvesting.
Fertilize Citrus
Sometime between January and February is the time to give your citrus trees their first of three annual doses of fertilizer. So if you didn’t fertilize your citrus last month, it’s time to do it now.
Many gardeners like to use holidays as prompts and fertilize around Valentine’s Day, but there is nothing special about this date.
There’s more to fertilizing citrus than haphazardly sprinkling fertilizer around a tree. Citrus trees can produce copious amounts of fruit, consequently, they need a lot of nutrients.
Properly fed trees are healthier and more resilient to whatever the desert throws at them — temperature extremes, drought, pests, and diseases. Healthy trees produce better yields and tastier fruit.
Learn how to fertilize citrus correctly for best results in our article How & When to Fertilize Citrus Trees.
Harvest Citrus
Most citrus is ripe enough to pick this month. When ripe, fruits should have a pleasant citrusy smell and have some heft when you hold them.
If you suspect your fruits are ripe, pick one and give it a try. It’s the only way you’ll know for sure. And remember that citrus, once harvested, does not continue to ripen. And as the adage goes, “The longer on the tree, the sweeter it will be.”
Donate Surplus Citrus
Don’t let the bounty go to waste!
If you have more citrus than you can use, store, or give to neighbors, various organizations are willing to take your surplus citrus. In southern Arizona, we have a few solutions.
The Community Food Bank hosts monthly Super Citrus Saturdays from January through March. You can bring your citrus to one of their designated drop-off sites, and they’ll make sure it doesn’t go to waste.
Iskashitaa Refugee Network couldn’t make it easier to donate your fruit. They will come to your home, harvest your fruit, and then distribute it to hunger relief organizations across Arizona. You can also arrange to drop your citrus off at their Tucson office.
In Maricopa County, St. Mary’s Food Bank accepts citrus donations at various locations around the Phoenix area. They share it with those in need.
Upcoming Gardening Events in February
There are loads of gardening classes and events throughout February. You’ll find an up-to-date list of gardening-related events in our Tucson Gardening Events Calendar.
Don’t live in Tucson? Look for online classes. You can participate in these no matter where you live.
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Author Bio
Deane Alban is the creator of Southwest Gardener. She is a science writer with a bachelor’s degree in botany from the University of South Florida. Gardening is her lifelong passion. She’s been gardening in Tucson for over 15 years.
