February might not seem like prime gardening season when you’re looking out at bare beds and cold weather. However, the work you put in during February gardening will make all the difference when things really start growing.
I know it’s a little early for a lot of you to start planting, but I’m in zone 8, so I get to be a little bit ahead. We did a bit of prep last month, but now it’s the perfect time to prep for planting season.
If it’s not quite time yet where you live, you can always use the discussion here to start planning ahead.
Whether you’re mapping out your garden layout, starting seeds indoors, or prepping your beds, there’s plenty to keep you busy and excited for the months ahead.
Start Your Garden Plan
If you haven’t decided for sure what you want to plant during the impending growing season, now is the time. A little planning now during your February gardening will save a lot of stress later.
Tools like Seed Time and the Epic Gardening Garden Planner can make this a lot easier.
Seed Time helps you figure out when you need to do different tasks, like seed starting, transplanting, and cultivating, based on what you’re planting and where you live, so there’s no flipping through a calendar, manually calculating dates based on your first and last freeze dates. It also gives you instructions for those tasks, which is great for beginners.
The Epic Gardening Garden Planner helps you plan out the actual physical space of your garden. You can drop in your beds, pots, and grow bags, but also other objects like sheds, pathways, and decorations. Then you can select what to plant in each space, and it will tell you how much room each plant needs.
The drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to experiment with different layouts before you commit to anything in the real world. And since it’s cloud-based, I can access my garden plans from my phone when I’m actually out in the garden.
Inventory
My seed inventory spreadsheet should be up to date, but I’ll double-check that. I’ll admit that I’ve been less on top of my inventory of other supplies though.
I need to make sure I know exactly what planters, soils, amendments, fertilizers, tools, and other supplies I have on hand so I can figure out what I actually need to purchase. That way I have everything I need and don’t buy things I don’t need.
Once I know what I have, I’ll make a list of what I need (plus another list of what I want), figure out where they’re available, and price it out. That way, I’ll know about what I’ll need to spend and where I have room in the budget for some extras from the “want” list.
Start Seeds
I’m kicking February off with my cool-season crops: cabbage, chives, lettuce, arugula, spinach, parsley, broccoli, and green onions. These hardy vegetables can handle cooler temperatures and actually do better when they get established before the heat hits.
For the greens (lettuce, spinach, arugula, and cabbage), I’m planning successive plantings over the next few weeks. Instead of starting all my lettuce at once and having it bolt at the same time, I’ll start a new tray every week or two. This way, I’ll have a continuous harvest over the next several weeks.
The broccoli and cabbage take longer to mature, but starting them early gives them time to develop strong root systems. I’ll be starting these in seed trays in the greenhouse, keeping the soil moist but not soggy. If it doesn’t stay warm enough, though, I’ll bring them inside to the workshop so they can thrive. Consistent temperatures around 65-70°F work best for germination.
Around the middle of the month, it’ll be time to start chamomile seeds. I love having fresh chamomile for tea, and it’s surprisingly easy to grow. Chamomile seeds need light to germinate, so I’ll just barely press them into the soil surface. These will stay indoors under lights until after the last frost.
Towards the end of February, I’ll be starting tomatoes, basil, zinnias, and daisies.
The tomatoes will hopefully be the stars of my summer garden, and getting them started at the right time is crucial. Last summer, the hot temps were really rough on my tomato plants. I’m hoping to start them earlier this year so they can hopefully acclimate to the heat better.
Basil will be started alongside the tomatoes since they’re companion plants that thrive in similar conditions, and they’re also delicious.
I don’t usually plant non-native flowers since I try to prioritize pollinators and native species. I have the daisy and zinnia seeds already, though, so I might as well put them to use. They should still appeal to pollinators, and they’ll make pretty cut flowers.
Transplanting
Transplant time makes me feel like a mom on the first day of pre-school. I’ve spent so much time protecting and sheltering these little baby plants. Now it’s time to send them out into the world (my pots and raised beds) without my constant protection. But it’s also incredibly rewarding when I get to see my babies thrive!
In mid-February, I’ll start moving cabbage and lettuce seedlings outside. By this point, they should have developed their true leaves and established decent root systems.
Before I transplant them into their permanent homes, I’ll harden them off over the course of about a week. This means gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions. I’ll start with an hour or two outside in a protected spot, then increasing the time each day.
For spacing, I’m giving my cabbage plants about 18 inches between each plant. They need room to develop those big, beautiful heads. Lettuce can be closer together, around 8-10 inches, depending on the variety. I’m also planning to tuck some lettuce into the spaces between my cabbage plants since the lettuce will be harvested long before the cabbage needs all that space.
The arugula, broccoli, and green onions will be ready to transplant by late February. Arugula is pretty forgiving and grows quickly, so I’m not too worried about these. I’ll space them about 6 inches apart.
Direct Seeding
Towards the end of the month, I’ll be direct seeding potatoes, carrots, peas, and dill straight into the garden beds. These crops either don’t transplant well or actually do better when sown directly, so I’ll wait until the soil is workable and the worst of the winter weather has passed.
Potatoes are one of my favorite crops to grow because they’re so productive. I’ll be planting seed potatoes (not grocery store potatoes, those are often treated to prevent sprouting) about 4 inches deep and 12 inches apart. I like to pre-sprout mine by leaving them in a cool, bright spot for a couple weeks before planting.
Carrots hate being transplanted, so direct seeding is the way to go. I’ll sow them thinly in rows about quarter-inch deep. Carrot seeds are tiny and tricky to space properly, so I sometimes mix them with a little sand or coffee grounds to help distribute them more evenly. Once they germinate, I’ll thin them to about 2-3 inches apart.
Peas are cold-hardy and can actually be planted even earlier in some zones, but I’m waiting until late February to make sure the soil is workable. I’ll plant them about an inch deep and 2 inches apart along my trellis. Peas are nitrogen-fixers, which means they actually improve the soil as they grow.
Dill is wonderfully easy to direct seed and self-sows readily once established. I’ll scatter the seeds in a dedicated patch and lightly rake them in. Dill doesn’t like being transplanted and grows quickly from seed anyway. I use it for pickling, in salads, and with fish dishes, so having a good supply is essential. Plus, it’s a fantastic pollinator attractor and looks beautiful when it flowers.
For successful direct seeding, soil preparation matters. I’ll make sure my beds are free of clumps, rocks, and debris so the seeds can make good contact with the soil. I’ll also keep the soil consistently moist (but not soggy) until germination occurs, which might mean gentle daily watering depending on our weather.
Projects
My husband Matt is getting together a few new beds for me, so I’ll be working with him on that as well.
And speaking of coaxing Matt into projects, I’ve been growing my tomatoes in tomato cages (I hear you, experienced gardeners, I know), but this year I’ll be upgrading. I’ve been debating between a Florida weave set up and a string trellis, but this video from Epic Gardening sold me on the string trellis. Matt’s going to be helping me get that set up together, too.
Plus, I got a new trellis for Christmas, so I need to get that set up ahead of planting season instead of procrastinating. I plan on growing bottle gourds on them so that I can make some Purple Martin houses.
Stay tuned for updates on these projects!
Prep Containers
This includes both my existing bed and containers, and the new ones we’re assembling at home.
I primarily need them ready to transfer my cabbage and lettuce starts in the middle of next month, but it’s a good idea to go ahead and get ahead of the game now.
My old bed could use topping off as the soil has settled over the last couple years since it was built, plus I need to do soil tests
I’m also going to mix in some compost and manure to replenish the nutrients and give my plants the best possible start.
Plan Out Perennials
If you want to introduce new perennials to your garden, February is a great time to start planning for those. Unlike annuals that you plant every year, perennials let you plant once and keep harvesting for years to come.
My current living/gardening situation was originally intended to be temporary so I haven’t wanted to bother with perennials, but it’s looking like we’re going to be here longer than anticipated, so I’m taking the plunge.
I’d like to put in three or four blueberries, and maybe a couple of each raspberries and blackberries.
To do this, I have two things to figure out:
First, I gotta decide where to put them. All of these berries will thrive in full sun, which is a little tricky in my current yard, but they could stand partial shade. I’ve got to scout out some locations and make some decisions.
Second, I gotta figure out where to get them. A lot of sellers just give you a twig from a berry plant and expect you to root it yourself, and I’m simply not going to do that.
So over the course of this month, I’m going to scout out options from my local nurseries and farm stores, and possibly check out a couple bigger cities to see if they have better choices available.
I want healthy, established plants that will give me berries sooner rather than later, even if I have to pay a bit more for them.
Fortunately, I still have a few weeks before I need my plants in the ground, so I have time to consider options.
Growing Forward
February might seem quiet in the garden, but it’s actually one of the most important months for setting yourself up for success. The work you put in now will make the difference between a chaotic, stressful growing season and one where you can actually enjoy the process.
So grab your seed packets, pull out your garden plans, and let’s get ready to grow!
What are you working on in your garden this month? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
