Gardening & Horticulture in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Horticultural Society encourages interest in horticulture in Oklahoma by sharing our knowledge of growing vegetables, fruits, flowers, trees and shrubs.  We aquaint ourselves with the best plants and practices for our region by touring inspiring private and public gardens, hosting knowledgeable speakers and welcoming the public to these events.

OHS supports the future of horticulture by providing scholarships to students of the horticultural science degree programs in Oklahoma.

Become a Member

YOUR INVITED TO JOIN

The Oklahoma Horticultural Society.

The Society was formed in 1970 to further the appreciation of gardening and horticulture throughout Oklahoma.  This nonprofit organization recognizes and promotes excellence in gardening and horticulture across Oklahoma and the United States.

The OHS-supported gardening show airs weekly

It is a great time to be planning spring and summer gardens.

SAVE THE DATE SEMI ANNUAL MEETING 

Tulsa - February 22

Oklahoma City - February  23

The semi-annual Oklahoma Horticultural  Society SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING will be held in Tulsa on February 22nd at the  Tulsa Botanical Gardens at 6 pm and in Oklahoma City on February 23rd at the Oklahoma City Zoo Auditorium 

at 2 pm. 
 

Bill Quade, Senior Manager of Horticulture at The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC will be the keynote speaker.   

His topic in Tulsa will be MAINTAINING OLMSTED'S VISION.    Frederick Law Olmsted was one of the greatest creative figures in  America, and  his masterpieces are not  to be found on  the walls of museums but  in the open air.  Two of the public spaces he  designed to provide "a specimen of God's handiwork" are  the Biltmore Estate and New York's Central Park.   

In Oklahoma City the topic will be GARDENING AT BILTMORE ...AND YOUR HOME TOO.

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Lectures are free and open to the public.  

FEBRUARY & MARCH GARDENING TIPS 

Here's a checklist for gardeners, new and experienced, to use as a guide as they work to get their  yards and gardens  ready for Spring.    These suggestions are great for helping you stay focused on what is important to take care of during these specific times -  February and March.

by David Hillock, Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture

Oklahoma State University

FEBRUARY  

General

• Base any plant fertilization on a soil test. For directions, contact your county Extension Educator.

• Provide feed and unfrozen water for your feathered friends.

• Clean up birdhouses before spring tenants arrive during the middle of this month.

• Avoid salting sidewalks for damage can occur to plant material. Use alternative commercial products, sand or kitty litter for traction.

• Join Oklahoma Gardening on your OETA station for the start of its 39th season beginning in February. Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. and Sundays at 3:30 p.m.

Trees & Shrubs

• Fertilize trees, including fruit and nut trees and shrubs, annually. 

• Most bare-rooted trees and shrubs should be planted in February or March. (HLA-6414)

• Finish 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. 

• 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, overwintering aphids, etc. 

Fruit & Nuts

• Spray peaches and nectarines with a fungicide for prevention of peach leaf curl before bud swell. 

• Mid-February is a good time to begin pruning and fertilizing trees and small fruits.

• Collect and store graft wood for grafting pecans later this spring.

• Begin planting blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, asparagus and other perennial garden crops later this month.

• Choose fruit varieties that have a proven track record for Oklahoma's conditions.  

Turf

• A product containing glyphosate plus a broadleaf herbicide can be used on dormant bermuda in January or February when temperatures are above 50o F for winter weed control. 

Vegetables

• Cool season vegetable transplants can still be started for late spring garden planting.

• By February 15 many cool season vegetables like cabbage, carrots, lettuce, peas and potatoes can be planted. 

Flowers

• 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.

• Feed tulips in early February.

• Wait to prune roses in March.

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MARCH

Lawn and Turf

• Remove excessive thatch from warm season lawns. Dethatching, if necessary, should precede crabgrass control treatment. 

• Broadleaf weeds can easily be controlled in cool-season lawns at this time with post-emergent broadleaf herbicides. 

• Preemergent crabgrass control chemicals can still be applied to cool and warm season turfgrasses. Heed label cautions when using any weed killers near or in the root zone of desirable plantings.

• March is the second best time of the year to seed cool-season turfgrass; however, fall is the best time to plant.

• Cool-season lawns such as bluegrass, fescue, and ryegrass may be fertilized now with the first application of the season. Usually, four applications of fertilizer are required per year, in March, May, October, and November.

• Begin mowing cool-season grasses at 1 ½ to 3 ½ inches high. 

Flowers & Vegetables

• Cultivate annual flower and vegetable planting beds to destroy winter weeds.

• Apply mulch to control weeds in beds. Landscape fabric barrier can reduce the amount of mulch but can dry out and prevent water penetration. Thus, organic litter makes the best mulch.

• Prune roses just before growth starts and begin a regular disease spray program as the foliage appears on susceptible varieties. (HLA-6403 & EPP-7607)

• Avoid excessive walking and working in the garden when foliage and soils are wet.

• Start warm season vegetable transplants indoors.

• Divide and replant overcrowded, summer and fall blooming perennials. Mow or cut back old liriope and other ornamental grasses before new growth begins.

• Your cool season vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, carrot, lettuce, onion, peas, spinach, turnips etc. should be planted by the middle of March.

• Watch for cutworms that girdle newly planted vegetables during the first few weeks of establishment.  Cabbage looper and cabbage worm insects should be monitored and controlled in the garden.

Trees & Shrubs

• Prune spring flowering plants, if needed, immediately following their bloom period.

• Plant evergreen shrubs, balled and burlapped, and bare root trees and shrubs.

• Anthracnose control on sycamore, maple, and oak should begin at bud swell. 

• Diplodia Pine Tip blight control on pines begins at bud swell. 

• Chemical and physical control of galls (swellings) on stems of trees should begin now. 

• Dormant oil can still be applied to control mites, galls, overwintering aphids, etc. 

• The 1st generation of Nantucket Pine Tip Moth appears at this time. Begin pesticide applications in late March. 

• Control Eastern tent caterpillars as soon as the critters appear.

Fruits

• Continue to plant strawberries, asparagus, and other small fruit crops this month.

• Start your routine fruit tree spray schedule prior to bud break. (

• Remove winter mulch from strawberries in early March.

Monthly Gardening Tips are produced by the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service through the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and Agricultural Communications Services. Our studio garden is located at The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University.

Current OHS Board of Directors

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President:  Susan Satterlee

Vice President:  Kathleen Hardwick

Secretary:  Marianna Sikkar

Treasurer:  Karen Filley

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Past President:  Lou Anella

Program Director:  Dave Edwards

Office Manager:  Cathy Hersom

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Board Members through 2019

Jamie Brown

Joe Howell

Julia Laughlin

Wanda White

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Board Members through 2020

Sharon Beasley

Jennie Brooks

Dave Edwards

Casey Sharber Hentges

Johnny Satterlee

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Board Members through 2021

Sandy Casteel

Haldor Howard

Janet Latham

Allan Storjohann