Forcing forsythia to bloom, pruning coral bark maple and other February gardening tips

February begins with forsythia.

The bright yellow blooms on this rather rangy shrub can substitute for sunshine, which means the end of gray winter days. The problem is that forsythia can awaken slowly some years, so waiting for the buds to burst can take weeks. This is the week to take charge and fool Mother Nature.

Forsythia is so easy to force into flower, you’ll wonder why you ever spent February without fresh flowers before. Just cut bare branches now from any part of the shrub. You can prune to shape, removing only the end tips of branches about 12 inches long for a short bouquet or follow a branch down into the shrub and remove long whips 3 feet or longer.

Bring the cut branches indoors and stand them in a vase of water. That’s it. Now just wait for the buds to burst open and yellow blooms to appear. Every few days you can change the water to keep it fresh and re-cut the stems, but in most cases the forced forsythia will flower for weeks even if you do nothing but admire the show.

Q. How can I make cut hellebores last longer in a vase? Once I cut the stems, they seem to droop and wilt quickly. I have tried cold water and warm water and even putting bleach in the water. — G.H., Seattle

A. Hellebores need a lot of help if you want to keep the blooms on the fleshy stems as cut flowers.

The juice that flows from the cut end must be stopped by searing the end over a flame or dunking it into boiling water. But even the heat won’t guarantee a long and healthy vase life. A day or two is all you can expect. A much better way to enjoy the winter flowers of hellebores is to float them in a bowl of water with only a short bit of blossom stem attached, or moisten some moss, lay cut hellebore blossoms on top of the mossy blanket and cover with a glass dome or bowl to keep in humidity. When you float the hellebore blossoms, they can last for weeks, especially in cool conditions such as front porch or patio.

Q. Help! The wind broke some branches from my coral bark maple. They are still attached by just a bit of bark but bending towards the ground. Should I prune them off now or wait until spring? — H., Buckley

A. Prune broken branches when the shears are sharp.

This old gardening advice just means you don’t have to wait for the right time of year to clean up winter storm damage or to tidy up wind-torn trees and shrubs. Make your cut a few inches below the damaged area and keep in mind that new growth will sprout from the first node or growth point following your cut. If you want a more open tree or shrub, then make the cut just above a node that is facing outward on the branch.

A node may not look like much on a dormant maple tree. Look for a slightly raised line that goes only partway around the branch. This is the spot that will erupt with new growth once the branch above it is cut out.

Q. I want to plant vegetables this year. I am new to the area. When do I plant seeds for things like tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, beans and peas? — New Gardener

A. Welcome to farming in Western Washington.

The easy answer is to read the instructions on the seed package. In Western Washington you can grow cool-season crops (lettuce, peas, kale, ) by planting seeds in March or April while the weather is still cool. You also can plant warm-season crops such as beans, squash and tomatoes but not until the weather is warm and soil more dry, usually in mid-May.

Your soil type and drainage contribute to how quickly your soil will warm up. For more detailed answers to growing questions, visit my hosted website at www.plantersplace.com and click on “Ask the Expert.” You also can send me images of your site or plants for a more accurate way to diagnosis plant problems.