13 Vegetables to Plant in February
In the limbo land between winter and spring, there are still lots of vegetables to start seeding and planting in February. Join former organic farmer and garden expert Logan Hailey to explore 13 crops you can get started now!
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While northern zones still linger in the snow-covered chill of winter, southern zones are already showing signs of spring. February is a bit like “limbo land” for many gardeners, but there are still dozens of vegetable seeds that you can start indoors and plant outside based on your climate.
Whether you have an elaborate greenhouse and indoor seed-starting setup, or you just want to scatter sow some seeds outdoors, here are the best vegetables to plant in February.
What Vegetables Are Best to Plant in February?
February is ideal for planting and growing cool-season vegetable crops like spinach, arugula, mache, kale, radishes, peas, and beats. It is also a great month to start slow-growing seeds indoors to prepare for transplanting later in the spring. Great crops for indoor seed-starting include leeks, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, and for some zones, tomatoes and peppers.
If your last frost date is on the horizon or you have a protected outdoor growing space, you can plant carrots, nightshades, and even squash-family crops as soon as February. Cold frames, hoop houses, and row covers are useful for protecting tender plants from chilly nights and early-season pest pressure.
13 Vegetable Crops to Start in February
Depending on your zone, February can bring sunshine, snow, and every type of unexpected weather in between. Nights are still chilly, and many zones are still far from their last frost date. Still, there are plenty of veggies that are ready to sprout indoors or outdoors as long as you pay attention to soil temperatures and days to maturity.
Outdoors
Warmer growing zones should take advantage of early spring weather to grow cool-season crops that typically struggle in their summer climates. Meanwhile, northern gardeners can use hoop houses and cold frames to grow these frost-hardy plants in a protected area. As long as the soil is workable, these veggies are eager to grow!
Mache (Corn Salad)
Nicknamed “corn salad” or “lamb’s lettuce,” mache is one of the most underrated winter greens growing in gardens. While it is very popular in Europe, this hardy yet tender vegetable is mostly unknown in the United States. Mache was originally discovered as a winter weed in corn fields where it sprouted up in spite of frigid nights. The frost-sweetened greens have a juicy, nutty, slightly sweet flavor that perfectly complements early spring dishes.
Mache can germinate in soils as cold as 40°F (4°C), which means that you can sow these seeds in February anywhere that the ground has thawed. As long as you can get into your garden beds, mache is likely to grow. In ultra-cold zones, start mache indoors in an unheated seed-starting area. No heat mat is necessary!
Spinach
I have seen spinach overwinter in the coldest climates, like Montana and northern New England, so of course, it can be added to the February garden. While overwintered spinach goes dormant in the most frigid months, seeds that are sown in late winter will eagerly sprout and yield until the weather is too warm.
Spinach doesn’t mind sprouting in soil temperatures around 45°F (7°C), and it even refuses to germinate in warm weather. I prefer to directly sow spinach 2-3” apart for a quick baby greens harvest within a few weeks.
As long as you leave the central growing tip intact, you can pluck side leaves continuously throughout the spring. For larger spinach plants, spread the spacing to 5 or 6”. Start indoors in cell trays if your garden beds are still covered in snow.
Arugula
Another ultra-hardy late winter vegetable, this plant will blow you away with how much cold it can handle in February. Arugula is a mustard-family vegetable typically known for its spicy flavor, but when it is grown in cooler weather, arugula is much milder and sweeter.
These seeds germinate best in soil temperatures between 40 and 75°F (4-24°C). A thermometer probe can help you gauge where your soil is at, or you can simply push your hand into the soil—if it is pliable between your fingers (and no longer frozen), you are safe to sow arugula.
For warmer climates, I recommend a slower-bolting variety so you can extend your arugula harvest later in the spring. Remember, warm weather inhibits germination and causes this brassica to become spicier in flavor.
Beets
A northern essential, beets are bulbous roots closely related to chard and amaranth. These quick-growing roots sprout from multigerm seeds, which means that each seed is actually a cluster of two to four individual seeds. I prefer to sow beets in clusters 3-6” apart, leaving a few seedlings to grow together as a bundle of roots. However, beware that overcrowded seedlings will fail to yield significant bulbs.
Beets are very frost-hardy and don’t mind sprouting in cold soils as long as there is mild frost protection like a light row cover. For the best flavor and texture, harvest them while young and smaller than a baseball. A common complaint is that beets are too tough or woody; this only occurs if you let them get too large before plucking.
Don’t forget that beet greens are edible too! They can be used like Swiss chard in any recipe. The baby greens make excellent, colorful additions to salads and sprout blends.
Radishes
The hallmarks of spring, radishes are among the most beginner-friendly vegetable seeds to plant in February. They sprout in as little as five days and mature in just a few weeks. Contrary to popular belief, you can grow radishes in containers, but they are most commonly direct sown outside in early spring.
Compared to others on this list, the seeds are slightly slower to sprout in extra-cold soils, so prioritize row cover or hoop houses for this lovely root. Once established, the plants don’t mind temperatures dipping slightly below freezing. In frigid zones, wait until March or April to start your spring radishes. In warmer months, prioritize radishes now, as they can get very spicy and pungent once the weather is hot.
Peas
Sugar snap peas and snow peas are more spring classics that grow surprisingly well in the chill of February, but colder soils do slow down their germination a bit. Be sure to check that your soil thermometer probe reads at least 40-45°F (4-7°C) at a 4” depth. In zones 7 and warmer, there is no problem with sowing peas outside, but gardeners in colder climates should give peas a head start indoors in cell trays.
Sugar snaps and snow peas grow at similar rates, averaging 60-70 days from seed to harvest. If you want to try both, space them in different areas of the garden to lessen the likelihood of cross-pollination. Both types require a trellis to vine upward. I prefer posts with floral trellis netting strung between them.
Direct sow the seeds 2-3” apart right at the base of the trellis or transplant seedlings as close as possible to the netting. This allows the tendrils (vine-like appendages) to easily clasp onto the trellis once they are tall enough.
Chicories
The chicory family is a diverse group of unique vegetables that are most popular in Europe. Known for their bittersweet flavors and high-end culinary uses, chicories are exceptionally cold-hardy and thrive in late winter and early spring. Radicchio, endive, sugarloaf, escarole, and frisee are a few of the nutty, sweet, and mildly bitter types that offer unique flavors during an otherwise bland month in the garden.
‘Palla Rossa’ is one of my all-time favorites for overwintering in zones 4-8 or spring seeding anywhere that the ground is workable. This pretty reddish-white round chicory may look like a cabbage at first glance, but its unique shape and texture are far different from a brassica. The red color and sweetness intensify in cool weather, and the mildly bitter flavor is perfectly complemented by olive oil, balsamic, and a hearty cheese.
Direct seed chicories in February in milder climates. The plants can handle light frosts, but their taproots will struggle to establish anywhere that the ground is still frozen. You may need to experiment with different varieties and seed timings to get the best harvests of this rarer vegetable.
Indoors
Many of the best spring vegetable crops are planted indoors in late winter around February or March. You can create a basic indoor seed-starting setup with cell trays, flats, quality seed-starting mix, and a south-facing window or grow lights. You may also need heated germination mats to help warm-loving crops like peppers and tomatoes sprout.
Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Kale
Brassica-family vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and kale are great for indoor seed-starting in February in zones 8 and warmer. Zones 6 and 7 may want to wait a few more weeks unless you plan to up-pot the seedlings.
These tiny rounded seeds only need to be pressed ⅛” into the soil and lightly covered with perlite or compost. They appreciate 6-cell trays, proper spacing (thin to one seedling per cell), and mildly warm temperatures. While brassicas are cool-climate plants, they need warmth to germinate. They do not become cold-hardy until they are closer to maturity.
Leeks
These allium-family stalks are notoriously slow-growing. As a commercial organic farmer in the far north, leeks were often the very first crop I began in my greenhouse in late winter. These seeds do best when sown in open flats fairly close together.
After germination and a few inches of growth, you can gently dig up the root zones and lay on a table to delicately pull apart individual plants. Then, up-pot in bundles of two or three in cell trays or a larger open flat. Allow leeks to reach about a pencil-width thickness before giving them a “haircut.” Pruning the upper half of foliage off while still indoors can ensure strong bulbous root growth later in the season.
Transplant leeks outdoors around your last frost date and keep them moist all summer. Leeks become exceptionally cold-hardy once they mature and can even stay in the ground long past your fall frost later this season.
Onions
Many varieties of onions take 100 days or more to mature to their full bulbous glory. Like their leek cousins, these allium seeds are best started indoors around February in open flat trays. Eight to ten weeks before your last frost date is prime time for onion seeding. If you forget to sow them in the early spring, you can always plant onion bulb sets outdoors later in the season to ensure quicker harvests.
When choosing a variety, remember that onions depend on day length to properly form their bulbs. Short-day onions are ideal for zones 7 and warmer, and long-day onions are best for zones 6 and colder. Day-neutral varieties perform well in any climate. Keep seedlings and mature plants consistently moist, as onions are notoriously shallow-rooted and susceptible to drought stress that can prevent bulbing.
Peppers and Tomatoes
Summer may seem far off for some, but it is right on the horizon for all of you southern gardeners. Peppers grow very slowly and really appreciate a warm indoor headstart around February or March. Tomato seeds can be sown a little later to prevent legginess or rootbinding.
Both of these nightshade-family vegetables absolutely demand full sunlight and warm soils. If you don’t have a south-facing window or warm greenhouse, be sure to supplement with a grow light and heating mat. Sow the seeds about ¼” deep and sprinkle with vermiculite or compost. Keep consistently moist and thin to one plant per cell. Overcrowded seedlings will not yield strong plants.
Carrots
This unconventional recommendation comes from a farmer friend in northern California who successfully transplants carrots early every spring. These infamous root crops can thrive with indoor seeding in soil blocks and careful planting under cover. If you have a low tunnel or cold frame, you are even better off for sowing carrot seeds in February.
Although carrots are known for their cold hardiness and sweet flavor after a light frost, the seeds require sufficient warmth to germinate. Ensure that soils are at least 55-65°F (13-18°C), and use row cover to keep them consistently warm and moist.
Carrots are one of the slowest vegetables to germinate, so be patient and do not let them dry out. Protect them from unexpected cold snaps by laying clear plastic over the bed; the plants do not become truly cold-hardy until they mature.
Squash-Family Crops
In zones 7 and warmer, February is usually mild enough to start seeding squash-family crops. Cooler zones should wait several more weeks or months to begin these fast-growing cucurbits.
Zucchini, cucumbers, yellow squash, pumpkins, and winter squash varieties are often direct sown outdoors, but they do well with indoor headstarts as long as you are very careful during transplanting. This is a seedling where soil blocks shine because they prevent disturbance to the delicate taproots.
Sow seeds in soil blocks two to four weeks before your last frost date. If you sow sooner, be prepared to up-pot or transplant outdoors more rapidly, as these vining crops grow quickly. Use a heat mat to ensure that soil temperatures are at least 60°F (16°C) to facilitate even germination for these heat-loving plants.
