February Garden Tips- Gardening Tasks & What To Plant in February

Even though it may still be cold, damp, and miserable outside with an occasional dose of sunshine, it could put the gardening green bug in you. Now is the time to get your garden plan rolling.

In some warmer locations, you can begin sowing your vegetables outdoors (below 2,000 feet). For cooler areas, February is a great time to get a head start on tomatoes and peppers indoors. Also in late February there several cool weather vegetables you can plant directly sow out in the garden beds.

The calendar tasks and chores for February

• Apply third and finals dormant oil spray along with 2nd cooper sulfate spray on fruit trees just before the buds breaks. Out of three this is the most important one out of the three dormant oil sprays.
• Fertilize annuals and perennials with a low nitrogen starter fertilizer or rose and flower food.
• Apply Iron to yellowing Gardenias, azaleas, other acid-loving plants such as blueberries, and citrus.
• Spread wood ash lightly around lilacs to benefit growth and aid in blooming.
• sow seeds indoors for an early start on spring plants.  Check out “Start with seeds they’re dirty deeds done dirt cheap”, for helpful tips on sowing seeds.

• Sow seeds outdoors. See below for more deals.
• Pruning: if you’re located above 2,000 feet prune fruit trees as needed. Check out Backyard Orchard Culture Pruning Techniques for more information. If you’re located below 2,000 feet, prune roses, grapes, raspberries, blackberry, crepe myrtle, gooseberry, and currants.
• Paint trunks of bare root and young fruit trees to prevent borers and protect the plant from sunburn. Use 50:50 ratio of white latex paint and water. Apply generously.
• Start roses on a fungus prevention spray.
• Warm weather after rainfall may increase mosquitoes. Drain standing water from plant saucers, wheel barrels, and dump pets outdoor water bowls and refilled daily to prevent a home for mosquito larvae.
• Cut back ornament grasses to 6” for most varieties.
• Mulching now can prevent additional damage caused by spring fluctuations in the soil temperature. A bonus; it helps reduce the number of spring weeds.
• Protect blossoms: Apricot and Peach blossoms opens so early in spring that it’s highly vulnerable to damage from even relatively minor frosts. Protect your crops, cover the flowers with a horticultural fleece drape over the branches. Remove fleece on warmer days to allow insects in for pollination.
• Turn compost: all heaps need to be turned at least once. Using a garden fork, break up any matted clumps, and move dryer, un-composted material from the bottom and edges to the center. If the contents are mostly composted, empty the heap and start a new one. Compost is black gold on this homestead.
• Lawn: Irrigate lawn once or twice a month if it hasn’t rain.
• Did you check your garden tools yet? Don’t wait until the spring rush, to get your mower back in shape!

What seeds to sow indoors in February

• Peppers – 8 weeks before projected last frost date.
• Leeks– 10 weeks before projected last frost date.
• Tomatoes– 6-8 weeks before the projected last frost date.
• Cauliflower– 4-6 weeks before the projected last frost date.

What to sow outdoors in February

• Peas– 4-6 weeks before the last projected frost date.
• Radishes– 3-4 weeks before the last projected frost date. Sow weekly for a continuous harvest.
• Beets– 3-4 weeks before the last projected frost date. Succession weekly for a constant supply of beets.
• Carrots – 3-4 weeks before the last projected frost date. Sow weekly for a month and harvest.
• Early Potatoes – 1 week before the last projected frost date
• Lettuce – sow as soon as the soil is thawed. 1 week before the projected last frost date is recommended since the young plants are susceptible to frost.
• Late Garlic– a spring variety such as “White Solent” if you missed planting the garlic sets in Autumn.

What to plant in February

• Cover Crops like fava beans can be planted if not earlier.
• Bare-roots, decisions shrubs and trees, roses, grapes, cane fruits, strawberries, herbs, green onions. Below 2,000 feet shallots, lettuce, parsley, and cabbage family.
• Plant rhubarb, horseradish, asparagus, and artichokes.
• Flowers: lobelia, verbena, Catharanthus, begonia tubes. Plant daylilies, bleeding hearts, and hostas.

Don’t forget, even the hardy crops planted out now can be damaged by severe frost. Always check the weather forecast. Clear any heavy snow on the greenhouse, tunnels, and cold frames to prevent its weight from damaging them. Find the late frost date and your plant zone by zip code to help plan your garden.