Show Your Garden Some Love - February Garden Chores

As you look over the February gardening tasks, knowing when your last frost date is, and your average temperatures are more important than your gardening zone. After all, the weather will determine when it’s time to plant peas or put tomato plants in the garden. Our Seed Starting Planner can give you planting dates according to your zip code.

In February, the days are slowly getting longer, and temperatures can be erratic. Those warm spells have fooled me a time or two into thinking spring was here. However, the ground will still be cold and frozen in zones 3, 4, 5, and even 6.

We can’t help but feel the pull to get out in the garden in February. What garden chores can you be doing in February?

It’s not too late to plan out your spring and summer garden. You can cozy up indoors when it’s cold outside with a stack of gardening books. You’ll learn a lot and get inspiration for planning your garden.

Our Planter’s Library will give you growing information to help you plan. Read through our Complete Guide to Indoor Seed Starting.

Get ready for pepper season with these guides:

Garden Like a Pro: Perfect Way to Start Growing Peppers from Seed 

The Home Gardener’s Guide to Sweet Bell Pepper Colors and Flavors 

Some Like it Hot! 10 Hot Peppers Anyone Can Grow in a Home Garden 

Get your gardening tools ready. Inventory what you need so you’re ready for spring gardening sales. Make sure you have the essential tools. Do you need a new hose or gloves?

Clean your seed starting trays and pots. Mix up some seed starting medium.

Order your seeds to ensure you have what you want. Take a look at our new varieties.

Set up your indoor grow station. Make sure you have sufficient lighting.

In February, you can start your cool weather spring vegetables indoors:

Broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, celery, strawberries, onions, leeks. Check the timing to see how many weeks you need before the last frost date. 

It’s also time to cold stratify seeds - Catnip, lavender, hyssop, cilantro, black-eyed Susan, and lupine are some of the seeds you can put in the fridge now so they’ll be ready for spring planting. 

Plant an indoor herb garden if you don’t already have one. Your potted herbs can be used when they’re young and will be ready to go outside to continue growing when the weather warms up.

There’s still time for winter sowing. You can put out larkspur, sweet peas, poppies, and snapdragons.

Take a look at your compost pile. Is it steaming? That is a sign that it’s decomposing. If it is getting too soggy, you can cover it with a tarp. Usually, you can leave it alone for now so there is less heat loss.

When the weather allows, February is time to make repairs to irrigation systems, fencing, sheds, and cold frames. Snow on the ground can show animal prints, and you can see where the bunnies are getting in.

Winter gardening is ending, and it's time to focus on the spring and summer garden. As you look forward to warmer temperatures, are you ready with warm-weather crops? Have you chosen the sunniest spot for those peppers and tomatoes?

Make your plan now for succession planting so you can always have a harvest of lettuce and herbs.

Flower and vegetable beds could use a soil refresh. Add a few inches of compost to garden beds to increase their fertility. Get the soil ready for transplanting tomatoes and peppers.

Prepare now with strong tomato cages and raised garden beds. 

Check our Seed Starting Planner to see if it’s time to plant lettuce, kale, collards, kohlrabi, broccoli, cabbage, and other cool-weather vegetables.

Pepper and Tomato seeds can be started indoors along with other warm-weather crops like luffa, cucumbers, and eggplant.

When nighttime temperatures are above 65ºF, you can plant out the warm weather crops like tomatoes and loofah.

February is a good time to start your flowers. Plant pansies, English daisies, stock, snapdragon, carnations, baby’s breath, blanket flower, moss verbena, Mexican sunflower, black-eyed Susan,

8 Easy Flowers to Grow from Seed

Alpine strawberries can be transplanted outdoors.

Direct sow your herbs such as cilantro, chives, dill, and lemon balm.

Maintenance tasks are a part of February gardening. Prune and divide perennials such as coreopsis and Alpine strawberries.

Add a layer of mulch to flower beds.

Check for aphids and use natural methods to get rid of them. In the wet February weather, it’s time to put out the slug bait before slugs and snails destroy your garden.

Maintain your home composting with a mix of browns and greens.

Overwintered plants may be at the end of their productivity. Have you harvested all your leeks, beets, and kale?

Every garden plot is a little different, but this list of February garden tasks can serve as a general reminder. Use these suggestions to create your own gardening checklist and stay on top of garden chores to enjoy every season.

If you didn’t get to it in January, you can still :

Make your garden plan with our Seed Starting Planner. 

Order seeds - You can do this year-round at Sowrightseeds.com, but be sure to get your seeds in time for planting. 

Gardening tool cleaning and sharpening. 

Prep seed starting supplies - clean and sanitize. 

Show some love to your indoor houseplants. Apply fertilizer and refresh the potting soil or pot up if needed. 

Plan big garden projects like a trellis, bench, or a whole new garden plot. 

Build sturdy tomato cages.

We love to hear from our gardening friends. Let us know what you’re doing in your February garden.