What to plant in February

A metal serving plate holds to cooked round zucchini's. They are stuffed with different fillings.
Sunflowers growing. Many sunflower heads growing in a garden box.
Armenian Cucumber
A blue tarp holds soil known as mel's mix. Mel's mix is brown in color. The tarp is laid over a wooden raised garden bed.

For the month of February there is still a chill in the air, in fact you can even expect a frost up until about the middle of the month!  However, higher temperatures are getting closer.  This is why it’s so important to figure out what to plant in February.  

For Phoenicians there is one word we all dread…

Summer.

Whether or not we want it summer is coming, and February is the month to get ready for it!  Right now the garden is in full swing with vegetables and herbs planted from the fall and winter months.  Some of these plants will start to bolt (go to seed) during this month, it is your call if you would like to let them keep growing and save the seeds for next year, or pull them and make way for the warmer season crops.

When you do have some empty space in the garden, it is a wonderful time to add nutrition back into the soil.  The simplest way to do this is to add compost back into the beds (I prefer to make Mel’s Mix), or use a balanced natural fertilizer.  After the long growing season, your soil will really appreciate it.

As with every month, some vegetables will do better planted from seed, and others are better off being transplanted.  Below you will find what works best for what.  If they do equally well from both seed or transplant, you will see that listed below as well.

The month of February has some pretty decent temperature swings from the beginning of the month to the end.  Due to this, some of the vegetables will need to be planted after the 15th of the month.  Those will be noted below.

Here is a list of what to plant in February

These typically do best from Transplant:

  • Artichokes (Jerusalem)
  • Asparagus
  • Blackberries
  • Bok Choy
  • Collard Greens
  • Grapes – After the 15th.
  • Ground Cherry – After the 15th.
  • Lettuce
  • Mustard Greens
  • Peppers – After the 15th.
  • Swiss Chard
  • Tomatillos – After the 15th.
  • Tomatoes – After the 15th.

These typically do best from Seed:

  • Carrots
  • Corn – After the 15th.
  • Cucumber (Armenian) – After the 15th.
  • Onion (via sets)
  • Potatoes (via seed potatoes)
  • Radishes
  • Sunflowers
  • Turnips
  • Watermelon – After the 15th.

These grow equally well from Seed or Transplant:

  • Artichoke (Globe)
  • Beets
  • Cantaloupe – After the 15th.
  • Cucumber – After the 15th.
  • Luffa – After the 15th.
  • Squash (Summer) – After the 15th.

If you want a head start, you can plant these seeds indoors for the upcoming months:

  • Basil
  • Cantaloupe – Before the 15th.
  • Cucamelon – Before the 15th.
  • Cucumber – Before the 15th.
  • Eggplant
  • Ginger
  • Jicama
  • Luffa – Before the 15th.
  • Malabar Spinach
  • Okra
  • Peppers – Before the 15th.
  • Pumpkin
  • Roselle Hibiscus
  • Sesame
  • Squash (Summer) – Before the 15th.
  • Squash (Winter)
  • Sweet Potatoes (Slips)
  • Turmeric
There are 3 plants in a window sill. They are sweet potatoes that are starting to grow slips. The slips vary in color from purple to green.
Sweet Potato slips growing in the window.
A green Cucumber that was grown in a clay looking plastic pot. The cucumber is green, ribbed and has fine hair on it. There are several green cucumber leaves in the picture too.
A cucumber grown in a pot ready to be harvested.

I hope that this list was helpful for you in planning you garden in February and on through the summer months.  February can be a daunting month with everything that is going on, but with a little planning you will set yourself up nicely for the coming months.

I wish you nothing but happiness and success in the garden!

Aaron.