February not limiting for planting? Discover what you can seed and transplant this month
**Preparing Your Garden for Spring: A Guide to Sowing and Planting in February**
As February approaches, it's time to start thinking about sowing and planting seeds for a bountiful garden this spring. Here are some tips for getting started, suitable for mild to warm climates like Arizona.
**Indoor Sowing**
Starting seeds indoors can increase the chances of success for certain plants. In February, it's recommended to sow quick-maturing salad leaves and herbs such as basil, coriander, and parsley indoors. Additionally, okra, chichiquelite (a type of berry plant), comfrey, peppers, and roselle hibiscus can also be started indoors this month. These plants will be transplanted outside in March or April when the weather is warmer.
**Outdoor Sowing**
For vegetables that can be sown directly outdoors, kale can be sown 2-4 weeks before the last frost date, which can be in February depending on your climate. Cucumbers can be sown about two weeks after the last frost in your area. Cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are best planted in late autumn to early winter for cold weather maturation, so February could be suitable in mild regions.
**Growing Onions and Lettuces**
Onions with a mellow flavor are preferred for cooking and salads. A small amount of spring onion seed can be sown once a month, starting around February, to ensure a continuous supply. Lettuces can be covered with fleece at night for additional protection during colder months. There are many varieties of lettuce available for year-round growth, with 'Winter Density' and 'Rouge d'Hiver' being tried-and-tested options.
**Tips for Success**
- Spring onions can grow close together, but may need to be thinned as they grow. Thinning can provide baby onions for cooking or salads. - If no cold frame is available, covering spring onion pots with fleece can help raise the temperature and aid germination. - Towards the end of February, chillies, bell peppers, and greenhouse tomatoes can be started off indoors. - Italian and French tomato cultivars will love the extra heat from growing indoors and will stay in the greenhouse all summer.
**Summary**
Following these guidelines will help successfully start and transplant a variety of vegetables and herbs that are suited to sowing indoors in February and planting outdoors in early spring for a thriving garden. Adjust timing as needed for local climate conditions. Autumn-sown lettuce seedlings should be ready to plant out by now, provided they have been protected against slugs. The cultivar 'White Lisbon' is winter hardy and a favorite for growing spring onions. Outdoor cultivars of tomatoes will be sown next month to prevent them from growing too large before they can go outside. Carrots can be sown between spring onions, as the smell of onions helps deter carrot fly.
- Sowing and planting seeds indoors in February can increase the chances of success for various plants like basil, coriander, parsley, okra, chichiquelite, comfrey, peppers, and roselle hibiscus, which will be transplanted outside in March or April.
- For vegetables that can be sown directly outdoors, you can sow kale 2-4 weeks before the last frost date in February, and cucumbers can be sown about two weeks after the last frost in your area.
- Onions with a mellow flavor are preferred for cooking and salads. A small amount of spring onion seed can be sown once a month, starting around February, to ensure a continuous supply.
- As the end of February approaches, you can start chillies, bell peppers, and greenhouse tomatoes indoors, and Italian and French tomato cultivars will love the extra heat and will stay in the greenhouse all summer.
