11 Survival Garden Crops to Grow from Seed in February

Have you ever heard of a victory garden? During the Second World War, American gardeners began growing bushels of fresh produce to combat food rationing. Rather than pay exorbitant prices for fruits and vegetables, gardeners grew what they needed themselves. This freed up lots of fresh food for soldiers fighting in the war.

Though these gardens were often neat and tidy, you can plot your survival garden however you’d like! Nowadays messy gardens are all the rage—they’re better for local wildlife than tidy ones and just as productive! All the hidden foliage provides places for pollinators, beneficial predatory insects, and small critters that need habitat space. 

You have a few options when planting in February. Winter sowing, indoor seed starting, and direct sowing are all ways to cultivate seedlings amidst cold weather. Which method works best for you depends on your climate and the crops you’re growing. 

Potato

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Clancy Potato Seeds

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Broccoli

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Waltham 29 Broccoli Seeds

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Pea

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Oregon Sugar Pod II Snow Pea Seeds

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Potato

	botanical name Solanum tuberosum
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-2’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Though gardeners often start potatoes from “slips,” or cut potato pieces, you can start them from seeds! It’s a rewarding experience for relief from February’s chilly temperatures. Unlike planting slips, you’ll plant potato seeds indoors four to six weeks before your last average frost date. Then, you’ll transplant them outside after the danger of frost passes.

After transplanting, potatoes grow well with consistent moisture and loose, fertile soil. If you see tubers poking out of the ground, add more soil on top of them to protect them from sunlight. Sunlight turns potatoes green and makes them inedible. 

‘Clancy’ is a superb variety that sprouts red-skinned tubers with creamy, yellow flesh. Harvest the plant early for fingerling potatoes, or let them mature and die first for full-size tubers.

Onion

	botanical name Allium cepa
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-2’
	hardiness zones 5-10

Nutritious and delicious, onions are essential for thousands of recipes. Their fresh crunch adds texture and a fresh taste to dishes, while sauteed or grilled onions add savory, oily flavors. Which onion works best for your garden varies depending on where you live.

Onions fall into three categories, long, intermediate, and short day. Long-day onions produce bulbs when the days grow long in summer with between 14 and 16 hours of daylight. Intermediate onions ripen when days last for 12 to 14 hours, and short ones ripen when they’re 10 to 12 hours. 

Grow long-day onions in northern states where the days grow longer than 14 hours in the summer. Short-day types work best for warm climates in zones 9 and 10, while intermediate types grow well in the gardens between short-day and long-day regions.

Broccoli

	botanical name Brassica oleracea var. italica
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-3’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Get the most bang for your buck with broccoli! A single plant produces a mature head that lasts a week or longer in the fridge. The vegetable is also versatile, working well in fresh and cooked dishes. There’s nothing like the taste of a homegrown broccoli head.

Warm-climate growers should sow broccoli in mid-winter for a spring harvest. If you face recurring winter and spring frosts, start broccoli indoors four to six weeks before the last frost date. Then, transplant the maturing seedlings outdoors after the frost disappears while temperatures are cool and mild.

‘Waltham 29’ is a terrific broccoli heirloom that’s exceptionally cold-tolerant. You may grow it indoors, or try direct sowing seeds in the garden a month before the final frost. This cold-loving variety will perform well despite lingering winter weather. 

Pea

	botanical name Pisum sativum
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-3’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Peas are the crop to grow in February! You can plant them outdoors while winter temperatures are still abundant. Place them an inch deep into the ground, and keep their soil moist. The seedlings emerge as winter turns into spring, providing you with buckets full of fresh peas.

Though February is ideal for planting peas, they like soil temperatures of 40°F (4°C) for optimal germination. Avoid starting peas indoors as they’re sensitive to root disturbance like squash and beans. 

My favorites are snow peas, though there are many other types to choose from. Snow peas grow edible, crunchy pods with small peas inside. ‘Oregon Sugar Pod II’ is superb for the Pacific Northwest and similar climates. Eat the pods fresh, or freeze them for long-term storage. 

Pepper

	botanical name Capsicum spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-4’
	hardiness zones 3-11

Peppers grace the world with spicy or sweet flavors. They’re prolific producers; a single specimen can grow dozens of chiles! Plant your favorites in the garden and you’ll never have to buy peppers from the store again.

Though peppers are famous for their spiciness, many varieties offer mild or medium spice levels with extra sweetness. Try bell or sweet snacking peppers if you dislike the heat. Spice-lovers can be bold! Try growing the super spicy ‘Ghost’ pepper, or opt for the ‘Habanero’ pepper for flavor and heat. 

Peppers are frost-sensitive. Start them from seeds indoors in February, then transplant them outdoors two or more weeks after the last average frost date in your area. They’re annuals in most regions, but grow perennially in zones 9 through 11. 

Tomato

	botanical name Solanum lycopersicum
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-10’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Like peppers, tomatoes are prolific producers perfect for the survival garden. Use the fresh fruit in salads, sandwiches, and charcuterie boards. Or, try cooking them down into sauce or paste for pizza and pasta. The possibilities are endless!

Not only can you cook infinite dishes with tomatoes, but there are also hundreds of varieties to choose from. Opt for large, slicing varieties like ‘Containers Choice’ if you like eating them fresh. Roma and sauce tomatoes are great for cooking; try ‘San Marzano’ or ‘Italian Roma.’

Tomatoes are frost-tender and need some time to mature before they produce fruit. Start them at the same time as peppers, 10 to 12 weeks before your last frost. Then, transplant mature seedlings outdoors two or more weeks after the date. 

Eggplant

	botanical name Solanum melongena
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-4’
	hardiness zones 9-12

Eggplants are ornamental and edible! They look fantastic in pollinator gardens where bees and insects flock to their flowers. After the flowers fade, large, oblong fruits form that hang from the plant. Large, delicious, and full of vitamins and minerals, eggplants are necessary additions to the survivor garden.

Like tomatoes and peppers, eggplants grow best from seed indoors. Plant them in mid-February under bright light, and let them mature until the danger of frost passes. They’re ready for the outdoors when the soil and air temperature stay above 60°F (16°C).

Kale

	botanical name Brassica oleracea var. sabellica
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-4’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Kale are hardy because of their biennial nature; they produce leafy greens their first year, enter dormancy in winter, and produce flowers the next year. They withstand light frost, snow, and heavy rains. With a row cover or greenhouse, you can cultivate fresh kale greens throughout the winter!

Unlike most species on this list, you can sow kale seeds outdoors a week or two before the last frost happens. Start them outdoors if the date is in February or March. Otherwise, sow them inside a month before the date and move them outside when temperatures are cool, not freezing, and when moisture is abundant. 

Lettuce

	botanical name Lactuca sativa
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-12”
	hardiness zones 2-11

Lettuce is a cool weather lover that excels in late winter and early spring. If you let a lettuce plant flower and seed, you’ll have dozens of volunteer seedlings the next year. Start this February season and sow lettuce in pots indoors, or direct sow them outdoors once soil temperatures hover at 40°F (4°C) or higher. 

The possibilities are endless when it comes to lettuce selection. Romaine types tend to perform better in warm regions than other lettuce types. Butterhead varieties have sweet, soft leaves that add fresh flavor to salads. Try ‘Rouge d’Hiver’ for red-leafed romaine lettuce, or ‘Buttercrunch’ if you like soft butterhead types.

Curly leaf, mini lettuce, and crisphead are some other types. Crisphead includes the common iceberg varieties that restaurants and grocery stores use. It’s always best to grow the crops you enjoy eating in your survival garden. Pick a variety you like that’s easy to cultivate in your climate.

Endive

	botanical name Cichorium endivia
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-2’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Endive is another leafy green that excels in cold gardens. Like lettuce and kale, it thrives while temperatures are mild, moisture is abundant, and the days are lengthening. You may plant them outdoors in February if your last frost is in March or early April. Otherwise, sow seeds indoors eight to ten weeks before the date. 

After a month or six weeks of growing indoors, the seedlings grow ready for transplanting. Endive prefers frosty weather, so aim to move them outside a month before the final frost date. Keep their soil moist, not soggy, and protect them from intense heat or harsh afternoon sun. 

A typical endive is green with lacy leaves. The unique variety ‘Olesh Tres Fine’ has inner white leaves and outer green ones, and it’s perfect for edible and ornamental gardens alike.

Basil

	botanical name Ocimum basilicum
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 4”-3’
	hardiness zones 10

Herbs are a crucial aspect of survival gardens. They add micronutrients, flavor, and aromas to meals, helping growers stay happy, well-fed, and healthy. Basil is one of the most common herbs for home growing. Their flowers lure pollinators into your garden; they flock to your other flowers, pollinating and fertilizing the blooms so you have plenty of fruit come harvest time.