February Garden Guide: 72 Crops to Plant Now

February Garden Guide: 72 Crops to Plant Now

Welcome to my biggest February Garden Guide yet! I’m sharing over 70 vegetables, herbs, and flowers you can plant right now. No matter where you live—hot or cold climate—this list has something for everyone. 

Get a free prinatble PDF checklist of the things you can plant in February HERE.

Watch the video version of this guide on my YouTube channel

When I say "warm climate", I mean gardeners who have passed their last spring frost date or will be passing it in the month of February.

When I say "cold climate" , I mean those of you that have a last spring frost date further ahead, beyond the month of February. 

You really need to know your last spring frost date for this guide to work. Please reseatch or Google it if you dont know. 

GREENS

  1. Lettuce

    • Warm Climate: Direct sow seeds now.
    • Cold Climate: Start seeds indoors 4–6 weeks before last frost.

  2. Spinach

    • Warm Climate: Not recommended if temps will exceed 80°F soon. Best if planted in late fall to harvest before heat returns.
    • Cold Climate: Sow seeds indoors 6 weeks before last frost, then transplant.

  3. Swiss Chard

    • Warm Climate: Direct sow now; Swiss chard is more heat-tolerant compared to spinach.
    • Cold Climate: Sow indoors 6 weeks before last frost and transplant.

Heat-Tolerant Greens

  1. New Zealand Spinach
  2. Tatsoi (Asian mustard green)
  3. Molokhia
  4. Malabar Spinach
  5. South Sea Salad Tree
  6. Longevity Spinach
  7. Okinawan Spinach
  8. Chaya
  • Warm Climate: Plant cuttings or transplants so they’re established before heat the heat returns.
  • Cold Climate: Can grow these too once your past all danger of frost. I reccomend you grow in a container to bring indoors during the winter or take cuttings. These plants do not like the cold. 

Asian Greens

  1. Hon Tsai Tai (flowering cabbage)
  2. Yukina Savoy (crinkled-leaf tatsoi)
  • Warm Climate: Direct sow if your past your last spring frost date. 
  • Cold Climate: Start indoors about 6 weeks before your last spring frost date. 

BEANS

  1. Bush Beans
  2. Pole/Vining Beans
  • Warm Climate: Direct sow if your past your last spring frost date. 
  • Cold Climate: Wait until your past your last spring frost date. Beans need warm soil to germinate. 
  1. Fava Beans
  • Cold climate: Direct sow seeds if your not expecting hard freezes and the ground is workable. Can tolerate cold down to 10F. However, protect young seedlings.
  • Warm Climate: Should have been planted in fall/winter.
  1. Lima Beans
  2. Soybeans
  3. Azuki Beans
  • Warm Climate: Direct sow now for a spring harvest before the heat returns.
  • Cool Climate: Wait until after your last spring frost date and the soil warms up a little bit. 
  1. Runner Beans
  • Warm Climate: Direct sow if your past your last spring frost date. Perennial in warmer zones.
  • Cold Climate: Wait until after your last spring frost date and the soil warms up a little bit. 

TOMATOES (21)

  • Warm Climate: Transplant now if you’ve started seedlings. If not, choose faster-maturing varieties like micro dwarf, dwarf, cherries, and determinates.
  • Cold Climate: Sow seeds indoors about 8 weeks before last frost. Use grow lights and heat mats to speed up growth. 
  • Watch my how to sow tomato seeds guide HERE.

PEPPERS (22)

  • Warm Climate: Should already have seedlings started; focus on tropical or hot pepper varieties if behind schedule.
  • Cold Climate: Start seeds indoors ~12 weeks before last frost. Peppers are slow growers—give them plenty of time under lights.
  • Watch my how to sow pepper seeds guide HERE.

BRASSICAS

  1. Bok Choy
  2. Napa Cabbage
  3. Chinese Broccoli
  • Warm Climate: Direct sow now. Fast growers—harvest before the heat returns.
  • Cold Climate: Start indoors 6 weeks before last spring frost or direct sow when soil is workable.
  1. Broccoli, 27. Cauliflower, 28. Cabbage, 29. Brussels Sprouts
  • Warm Climate: Most of these heading brassicas will not grow well in the spring because the heat returns too quickly. Instead grow them in the fall. But you can direct sow seeds for Chinese broccoli or Napa cabbage.
  • Cold Climate: Sow heading brassicas indoors 10–12 weeks before your last spring frost date to grow transplants. You can direct sow seeds for Chinese broccoli or Napa cabbage after your last spring frost date. 
  1. Kale
  • Warm Climate: Transplant now if you have seedlings.
  • Cold Climate: Sow indoors about 8 weeks before your last spring frost date. 
  1. Mustards
  2. Collard Greens
  • Warm Climate: Transplant now if you have seedlings.
  • Cold Climate: Sow indoors about 8 weeks before your last spring frost date. 

CORN (33)

  • Warm Climate: Direct sow once you’re past frost. Choose sweet, dent, flint, or popcorn varieties depending on your goals.
  • Cold Climate: Wait until soil warms after your last spring frost date to direct sow seeds. 

EGGPLANT (34)

  • Warm Climate: Transplant if you already have seedlings.
  • Cold Climate: Sow indoors about 3 months before your last spring frost date to grow transplants. 

SQUASH, CUCUMBERS & MELONS

  1. Squash (I reccomend Black Beauty zucchini, Patty Pan squash, Butternut squash, Tromboncino rampicante, Seminole Pumpkins)
  2. Cucumbers
  3. Cucamelons
  4. Indian Snake Cucumber
  5. Armenian Cucumber
  6. Watermelons
  7. Cantaloupe
  8. Honeydew
  • Warm Climate: Direct sow or transplant right after your last spring frost date. Try to harvest before pest/disease pressure spikes in late spring/early summer.
  • Cold Climate: Start indoors 6–8 weeks before your last spring frost date, in larger containers (solo cups with drainage holes cut at the bottom); transplant once all danger of frost has passed.

OKRA (43)

  • Both Warm Climate & Cold Climate: Wait until 1-2 months after your last spring frost date to direct sow seeds or transplant. Needs about 4 weeks of growing time if you sow seeds indoors.

TOMATILLOS (44)

  • Sow seeds indoors like tomatoes if you’re 8+ weeks away from your last spring frost date.
  • You need at least two plants for cross-pollination.

HERBS (45)

  • Warm Climate: Direct sow herb seeds or transplant once your past your last spring frost date.
  • Cold Climate: Sow indoors; pot up them up as they grow bigger. Transplant outside once your past your last spring frost date.  

FLOWERS (46)

  • Warm-season direct sow after your last spring frost date: sunflowers, zinnias, calendula, cosmos, nasturtiums.
  • Warm-season plant bulbs: dahlias, gladiolus, Asiatic lilies, hollyhocks.
  • Warm-season use transplants: pansy, poppies, Bachelor’s Buttons, yarrow, snapdragons.

GRAINS

  1. Sorghum
  2. Millet
  3. Amaranth
  4. Quinoa
  • Warm Climate & Cold Climate: Direct sow after your last spring frost date in a sunny spot with well-draining soil.

ALLIUMS

  1. Bunching Onions
  2. Chives
  • Warm Climate: Direct sow or transplant green bunching onions or chives.
  • Cold Climate: Start seeds indoors if temps are below freezing.
  1. Intermediate Day or Long-Day Bulbing Onions, 54. Leeks, 55. Shallots
  • Cold Climate: Sow seeds indoors, 3 months before your last spring frost date. Or purchase transplants/bulb sets and plant once your past your last spring frost date. 

ROOT CROPS

  1. Radish
  2. Beets
  3. Turnips
  • Warm Climate: Direct sow seeds
  • Cold Climate: Direct sow once soil is workable; frost is usually okay for seedlings.
  1. Sweet Potatoes
  • Start rooting tubers now for slips; plant slips 1–2 months after your last spring frost date.
  1. Parsnips, 61. Carrots, 62. Celeriac, 63. Rutabaga
  • Cold Climate ONLY: Direct sow if soil can be worked and no hard freezes are expected.
  1. Potatoes
  • Plant seed potatoes 2–4 weeks before your last spring frost date in colder climates.

GROUND CHERRIES (65)

  • Warm Climate: Direct sow or transplant after your last spring frost date. 
  • Cold Climate: Start indoors about 8 weeks before your last spring frost date, in the same way you start tomato seeds. 

FRUIT TREES (66)

  • If your past yur last spring frost date: It is a great time to plant new fruit trees (mulberry, peaches, figs, etc.) so they’re established before summer.

ASPARAGUS (67)

  • Warm Climate: Plant crowns after your last spring frost date. Choose heat-tolerant varieties like UC 157 or purple asparagus.
  • Cold Climate: Plan to plant asparagus crowns after your last spring frost date. You can also sow seeds indoors about 12 weeks before your last spring frost date. 

COLD-CLIMATE ONLY

  1. Celery
  • Start seeds indoors 8–12 weeks before last frost (needs light to germinate).
  1. Celtuce
  • Similar to lettuce with an edible stem. Sow seeds indoors 8 weeks before your last spring frost date. 
  1. Mâche/Corn Salad
  • Direct sow in cool soil; tolerates a lot of cold and germinates in cold soil.
  1. Parsley Root
  • Sow seeds in early spring; needs loose soil and a long growing season.
  1. Wu Choy
  • Ultra-cold-hardy bok choy variety. Direct sow if ground is workable.

 

There you have it—72 planting ideas to jump-start your February garden! Remember to adjust planting times based on your last spring frost date, not just your zone. If you’re in a hot climate, plant earlier and choose heat-tolerant varieties; if you’re in a cold climate, focus on indoor seed-starting now so your seedlings are ready to go when the weather warms up. Happy planting, and may your February be full of new growth and garden successes!

Back to blog

1 comment

Jerra – I planted onions like you suggested in Nov/Dec and they still are not bulbs yet. Did I do something wrong?

june Maryann skula-channing

Leave a comment