What to plant in February (2024)

FAQs

What can I plant in February right now? ›

You still have time to start seeds of cool-season annuals (indoors) such as pansies, dianthus, calendula, English daisy, ranunculus, monkeyflower, annual poppies, primula, Veronica, and forget-me-nots this month. Giving them an early start ensures you'll have blooming plants this spring.

Carrots, onions, and early potatoes can be seeded in warm, sandy soil. Other cool-weather crops that can be sown where the soil is workable are beets, cabbage plants, carrots, cauliflower plants, chard, lettuce, mustard, onions plants and sets, peas, Irish potatoes, salsify, spinach, and turnips.

While it's too cold to plant outside in most parts of the northern hemisphere, February can be a great time to sow seeds in pots in a greenhouse or inside. For example, certain spring-flowering plants, summer produce, and herbs can be germinated inside before transplanting outdoors after the last frost.

Winter Sowing. Sow cold-hardy perennials or annuals. For me in zone 6, sowing time is February and early March. Examples: Brussels sprouts, Monarda (bee balm), pansies.

Bulbs aren't like seeds. They won't survive out of the ground indefinitely. Even if you find an unplanted sack of tulips or daffodils in January or February, plant them and take your chances.

Common cool-season vegetables: asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, chives, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, Swiss chard, kale, leek, lettuce, onion, parsnips, peas, radishes, spinach, and turnips.

Light freeze - 29° to 32° Fahrenheit will kill tender plants. Moderate freeze - 25° to 28° Fahrenheit is widely destructive to most vegetation. Severe or hard freeze - 25° Fahrenheit and colder causes heavy damage to most plants.

For cooler areas, February is a great time to sow your tomatoes and peppers. You should start drawing out your garden for all the vegetables you want to grow. In late February, there are several cool weather vegetables you can directly sow out in the garden.

What are the best fruits and vegetables to plant in February? ›

Some vegetables to plant in February include: tomatoes (in warmer conditions), celery, Brussels sprouts, eggplant and lettuce. You may also begin to plant cauliflower and broccoli as well as peppers - a deer-resistant plant. Start planting berries in February to enjoy later in spring and summer.

Fall and winter vegetables can be started by seed from late August to mid-September, then transplanted into the garden later. Seeds should be started indoors where temperatures are cooler, then the seedlings slowly transitioned outside once temperatures cool down in early October.

Whether or not you can plant annuals in 40-degree Fahrenheit temperatures depends on the type of the annual, on your climate and on whether you have the plants themselves or the seeds to get into the ground. Some types of annuals actually need cooler temperatures, while others will die when the temps drop.

Start flowers and vegetables that benefit from an early start indoors in February. Use grow lights to germinate begonia, geranium, coleus, eggplant, and peppers. For best results, use a soilless seed-starting mix and hang grow lights just a few inches over the top of your plants.

Should you soak spring bulbs before planting? There's no need to soak them before planting. However, if you are late getting them into the ground, then soaking them for 12-24 hours can speed up the rooting process. Adding fish emulsion or liquid kelp to the water before soaking will help them root even faster.

According to Myers, the hardiest vegetables that can withstand heavy frost of air temperatures below 28 include spinach, Walla Walla sweet onion, garlic, leeks, rhubarb, rutabaga, broccoli, kohlrabi, kale, cabbage, chicory, Brussels sprouts, corn salad, arugula, fava beans, radish, mustard, Austrian winter pea and ...

Crabgrass, petunias, and snapdragons are types of annual that will not survive cold temperatures and will need to be cared for to survive winter.

Can I cover plants with garbage bags? ›

Yes – if you secure the plant properly. Garbage bags work to cover plants and protect from frost, but they must not be allowed to touch the plant's surface. Use stakes and supports to create a tent-like structure over the plant, which will retain warm air. Make sure the trash bag goes all the way to the ground.

Cold weather, even if it doesn't drop below freezing, can harm cold-sensitive plants. Freezes are rare, but frosts can occur at above-freezing temperatures. Even temperatures at 45 degrees for more than several hours can harm some tropical orchids.

A. Our recommendation would be to remove the cold protection covering once temperatures are above 32 degrees. If you leave the covering on when it gets warm and the sun is shining brightly, it may get too hot inside the cover and stress out the plants.

Strawberries are best planted in the spring, as early as several weeks before the last frost date. By selecting a range of strawberry varieties you can spread your harvest from late spring through to early fall.

When to Plant Potatoes. Potatoes grow best during cooler weather. Plant potatoes 2-4 weeks before the last frost in the spring, when the soil temperature is at least 40 degrees F. In warm climates, potatoes are planted from January to March and harvested between March and June.

In most areas, that's between 2-4 weeks before the last spring frost. Avoid planting in soggy soil that is still full of moisture from snow or spring rains. Wait until the soil dries out a little so your seeds or transplants don't rot.

In late February to early March, start cabbages, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, leeks, endive, escarole, fennel, lettuce, and artichokes indoors. In mid- to late March, direct sow peas, spinach, fava beans, and arugula outdoors. Start peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, Swiss chard, and tomatillos indoors.

There are number of vegetables that you can start seeding indoors (or in a greenhouse) in March, including brussels sprouts, cauliflower, spinach, squash and perennial herbs (all under cover), chili and sweet peppers and celery. If you have a greenhouse, you can also start sowing cucumbers, gherkins and tomato seeds.

To get a jump-start on your garden and grow some fast-growing, cold-tolerant plants you're going to want to try out some radishes, turnips, sugar snap peas, kale and spinach.

Which fruit grows in winter? ›

Seeds of early spring cool-season crops can be planted when the soil temperature is 40 degrees or above. This includes lettuce, peas, kale, radishes, arugula and spinach. When the soil reaches 50 degrees, plant seeds of leeks, onions, Swiss chard and turnips.

Sage, parsley, coriander, rosemary, thyme, and mint are perfect for growing in the cooler months. Plant with full sun and harvest in a matter of weeks, although a lot of herbs can be picked right after planting seedlings.