This week’s gardening tips: cool-season color edition – The Times

Need cool-season color in a partly shaded area? The best choices are
cyclamen, primroses, pansy, viola, nicotiana, lobelia, foxglove and
forget-me-not.

• If needed, apply lawn weed killers now to control cool-season weeds before they have more time to grow. There is no advantage in delaying. Make sure the product you use is labeled safe on the type of grass you have. Follow label directions carefully and spray on a mild day with a high of 60 degrees or above. Do not use weed-and-feed products. It’s too early to fertilize.

• Harvest parsley regularly by breaking off the lower, older leaves. There is still time to plant parsley transplants now for harvest through early summer.

• Finish harvesting any fruit still remaining on citrus trees. The fruit will store well on the tree, but ultimately the quality will begin to decline. Leaving old fruit on the tree beyond mid-February may interfere with this spring’s flowers and fruit set.

• Spring is beginning, but there is still some chance of freezes. Don’t let mild weather fool you into planting tender vegetables and bedding plants unless you are willing to protect them if necessary — especially north of the lake.