By Tamara Galbraith

It's a great time of year to clean out the garage, isn't it? Phase 1 of that daunting project has been completed at my house. Next up? Reviewing what organic gardening products I'll need to replace before the growing season begins.

It's important to do this each year, as some products can become less effective over time, while others may do the opposite. Some liquid pesticides and fertilizers can develop gas as they deteriorate, making opening and handling containers hazardous.

Powdered products (like fertilizers and insectides) can usually be stored indefinitely if kept away from moisture, and out of both the sun and extreme temperatures. Liquid fertilizers have a shelf life of approximately 1-2 years, if stored under the same cool conditions. Oil- and soap-based insecticides generally last 1-2 years as well.

Bacteria-based products such Bts (bacillus thuringiensis) and other biological products may have shorter shelf lives. In fact, beneficial nematodes should be used immediately after purchase, if possible. Two days' storage in the refrigerator is about the maximum if you can't apply them immediately.

Of course, check the container of all of your products for an expiration date, and adhere to it if there is one. If there isn't, feel free to contact the manufacturer for advice if you're not sure whether to keep it or toss it.

When disposing of any gardening chemical — either organic or synthetic — it is important that you do so properly. Under no circumstances should you pour products down the drain or sewer. Many cities now have Environmental Waste Chemical Pick-up services. Call your County Extension for direction if you're not sure what to do.

Although February is too soon for planting all summer flowers and vegetables in the ground, it's certainly not too early for planting seeds. Ambitious gardeners with lots of space to fill can grow their own transplants in flats or peat pots filled with sterilized potting soil or seed starter (we recommend Gardner & Bloome Seed Starting Mix). Use bottom heat (70° F, 21° C) from a heat cable to germinate seed. (Alternatively, a 15- or 20-watt bulb in a "trouble light," protected from moisture by several layers of plastic, can be used under flats raised on bricks or flower pots.)

Bright light for healthy transplants can be provided by a fluorescent shop light hung 7 to 10 inches above your flats. Leave it burning from fourteen to sixteen hours per day.

When it is time to move plants outside and/or transplant them into the ground, give them a gentle transition into the garden — first a week in the shade, then one in full sun, bringing them inside at night. The third week leave them out at night too, to harden them off.

1. Choose and plant camellias, azaleas and Chinese magnolias
2. Purchase clivia
3. Plant gerberas and gladioli
4. Plant lilies of the valley
5. Plant asparagus from bare-root
6. Prune kiwi vines
7. Cut back fuchsias once they begin to grow
8. In coastal zones: prune begonias, ginger, cannas, asparagus ferns, ivy and pyracantha
9. Deadhead cool-season flowers to keep them blooming
10. Propagate running bamboo in coastal zones
11. Continue to fertilize citrus trees in coastal zones
12. Continue to fertilize epiphyllums with 2-10-10 or 0-10-10
13. Fertilize avocado trees in coastal zones
14. Feed deciduous fruit trees
15. Fertilize roses
16. Fertilize fuchsias
17. Spread manure over the roots of bananas, ginger, cannas, asparagus, and old clumps of geranium
18. Fertilize cineraria with 0-10-10 or 2-10-10 to promote blooms
19. Fertilize cane berries as they begin to grow
20. Keep roses and bulbs well-watered
21. Bait cymbidiums and clivia for slugs and snails
22. Control pests on citrus trees, sycamore, ash and alder trees
23. Protect cineraria from leaf miners, aphids, and slugs and snails
24. Mulch young avocado trees

Continue to buy, plant, and transplant camellias now, while they're still in bloom and before they start to grow. Most people choose camellias simply by picking out something that looks pretty. It's better to select them for your climate zone and ease of growing. Some are slow growers, others vigorous. Some are good in warmer climates but many varieties need extremes of temperature in order to open their blooms.

Many people who have just moved from a milder area to an area with more variation (or vice versa) try to grow their favorite camellias from their old home and are disappointed. Your best bet is to buy your camellias at a local nursery - like us - that knows the area. As a general rule, singles and semi-doubles do best in milder areas, though many formal doubles will open. Anemone-form and peony-form camellias usually won't open in milder climates, because the winters are too warm.