Though February is still cold to plant outdoors for most zones, winters are about to end. Pretty soon, it will be springtime and the weather will be ideal for most vegetables to go into the garden.
Are you all set for the upcoming growing season? Have you decided on the vegetables you’re going to grow this year? Have you started your vegetables indoors? Even if you haven’t, there’s still plenty of time for all your planning and preparation. Starting seeds earlier on in the season gives you a headstart, allows you to make succession plantings, and enjoy fresh produce for a greater part of the year.
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For many zones, February is an excellent month to sow several vegetable seeds indoors. A seed propagator is perfect for starting crops indoors. But if you don’t have one, a sunny window will work too.
If you have a warmer climate, you may even be able to start outdoor gardening. Continue reading, and you’ll find out which vegetable seeds to plant in February so you can start enjoying your homegrown produce in the next few months.
Vegetable Seeds To Plant In February For Different Zones
Different zones have different climates. Your growing season will vary according to the region you live in. Here’s some seed sowing advice for February for gardeners in different zones:
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Zone 1 to 4
In zones 1 to 4, it’s still too early to start most vegetables indoors. You can sow short-day onions, celery, leeks, asparagus, and pumpkins indoors in propagators or greenhouses since they’ll require a long growing season. Starting these vegetables in February gives you a good headstart, so the seedlings are already established when it’s time to go in the garden. Towards the end of February, you can also sow cucumber seeds indoors.
Zone 5
As compared to zones 1 to 4, zone 5 is a little more bearable to crops in February. Still, don’t plant anything in the ground just yet. You can grow herbs indoors, preferably cool-season varieties like parsley, cilantro, and chervil. Parsley takes a long time to grow. When started indoors by February, you can move it outdoors once the weather starts warming up.
You can also start lettuce, chards, Brussel sprouts, celery, and cabbage indoors. Asparagus and short-day onions can also be started around the same time. It’s still a bit early for planting warm-season crops. If you plan on growing tomatoes and peppers, wait until the end of March to plant the seeds indoors.
Zone 6
You can start cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and other cruciferous vegetables by early February. It’s also a good idea to start celery, onion, and leeks in seed propagators or under grow lights to get a headstart on the season.
Hardy herbs, like basil, parsley, thyme, and sage, also work well when planted in February. Place them at a sunny window or under grow lights for optimal growth.
Get the garden bed ready for peas, potatoes, and other early-season crops. Amend it with plenty of compost, so the soil is enriched with nutrients just in time for spring planting. However, it’s still a bit early to sow anything in the ground just yet.
Zone 7
February will be a busier month for zone 7 gardeners than it is for the cooler climates. Start cabbage, broccoli, celery, kale, and lettuce indoors in early February. Harden off cool-season crops and plant them outdoors by the end of the month. You may need to install a cold frame if the weather is still cold. Start early tomatoes and peppers indoors towards the end of the month.
Alternatively, by mid-February, many cool-season crops can be directly sown in the garden, including peas, parsley, onion, carrots, beets, turnip, parsnips, potatoes, spinach, kale, and radishes.
Zone 8
Zone 8 gardeners can enjoy longer growing seasons than the cooler climates. Asparagus and artichokes can go in the ground as soon as it can be worked. As soon as the weather permits, you can direct seed lettuce, kale, spinach, broccoli, peas, collards, parsnips, beets, turnips, and radishes in the garden. Onion sets and potatoes can also go in the ground once you’ve worked it well.
If you’ve already started brassica crops indoors in the past few weeks, harden them off under a cold frame and plant them in the garden by the end of the month. It’s also a good time to start tomatoes and peppers indoors under grow lights. They’ll be ready to go in the garden once the soil is warm enough.
Zone 9
Set out cabbage, kale, lettuce, collards, and other cool-season transplants in the garden in early February. Towards the middle of the months, it’s safe to plant most cool-season crops directly outdoors, including turnips, beets, lettuce, kale, and collards.
Warm-season vegetables and herbs, including cucumbers, sweet corn, beans, dill, and basil, can also be sown directly in the garden under cold frames, particularly if a frost or freeze is predicted in the coming weeks. As for tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers, continue growing the seedlings indoors under grow lights.
Zone 10
For zone 10 gardeners, it’s time to plant cool-season vegetables directly in the ground. Sow celery, carrots, broccoli, beets, chards, collards, and cabbage outdoors earlier in the month. Plant warm-season crops, like tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, pumpkin, and squash either indoors, or outdoors in cold frames. If you start the warm-season crops indoors, they can go in the garden as soon as the weather is favorable. Herbs can also be sown outdoors in the cold frame.
Conclusion
Don’t take February lightly! It may seem cold, but you’ll find something to plant indoors or outdoors no matter which zone you live in! Make a list of all the right vegetable seeds to plant in February, depending on which zone you live in, and sow them on time for a garden brimming with fresh produce this spring!