When the snow falls and the days are dreary cold, there are seeds to start in February that warm any gardeners heart. Starting seeds is how gardeners extend their season, especially those who do not have a long enough season to grow warm loving crops like tomatoes and peppers.
This is the case for us here in Zone 8. Although, a zone can be a very broad term. The weather can be so different on this side of the mountain compared to the other side.
Do research to find out what other crops can be started in your area. You can look on Almanac.com and other posts like Thompson and Morgan‘s garden page.
Seeds to start in February
February sowings are special in that they are the “firsts” for many gardeners. After a winter indoors, this can be the most exciting time. It might be strange, but February is nearly the most exciting for me as a gardener. Sure, the harvest time is exciting. But there is something about starting that is the most satisfying.
The top 5 seeds we start in February are:
- Radishes
- Kale
- Swiss Chard
- Spinach
- Poppies
Now those are my favourites, but there are some others to consider. For example, there are other seeds you could start indoors. Or some flowers can be started indoors and outdoors. Furthermore, you could also consider starting some plants that you neglected to start in December or January.
You will see a mix of headings further down with some repeat crops here and there. This is so that you can scroll to the heading that best applies to you and jot down the list of crops to start.
Keep in mind that my last frost date is April 27th, although this varies year to year and area to area despite the “zone”.
Plants to start in February
Plants you could start in February are largely plants you could have already begun since Christmas season. In this list, I would include:
- Ginger: which you could have started as early as Christmas, because it can take 10-11 months to mature
- Turmeric: can be started indoors from the beginning of the year.
- Rosemary: seeds can be started in pots inside, ready to be planted out when they are slightly mature. You could also direct sow seeds outside because they are frost tolerant and will sprout when the weather is to its liking.
Master list of seeds to start in February
My master list of seeds to plant in February including flowers and vegetables are” for both indoors and outdoors are:
- Onions
- Peppers
- Leeks
- Radishes
- Poppies
- Pansies
- Kale
- Swiss Chard
- Spinach
- Celery
- Lavender
- Herbs: Dill, Parsley, Cilantro, Hyssop, Thyme, Tansy
- Snapdragons
- Ginger
- Tumeric
With this list, select the varieties that you wish to grow in your garden and get planting!
Vegetables
The vegetables we start indoors in February are usually the kinds that require a long season to grow. For example:
- Onions
- Peppers
By starting these seeds indoors, the plants can grow to a decent size. By the time they are ready to be translated outdoors, they have already lived a good amount of life produce a significant amount of fruit in their final days outside.
Flowers
While I don’t grow all the kinds of flowers out there, on my list for flowers to start indoors in February are:
- Snapdragons
- Lisianthus
- Lavender
Flowers usually require a longer warm season to grow. Most seeds packets will mention starting the flowers a number of weeks before your last frost date. If you do the math, you will note that there are flowers to start indoors.
Herbs
The herbs we start in February include:
- Parsley
- Thyme
- Dill
- Cilantro
- Hyssop
- Tansy
You could start herbs inside or wait a couple of weeks and direct sow them into the garden in March. We do both indoor starts and direct sowing outdoors in March!
There are several seasons that we start herbs inside in February:
- back up plants
- experiment with indoor vs. outdoor starts
- give plants a head start in a warm seedlings cabinet (if there’s room)
In some years, we have had frost surprise us later than we anticipated. Starting herbs indoors gives peace of mind and established plants by the time the warmer season rolls around.
Should I start seeds indoors or plant them outside?
You should read the back of the seed packed to determine how long it takes for plant to mature from the date that you plant it. Figure out if you have enough time to direct sow the seeds outside or need to start them indoors. This would largely depend on when your last frost date is. And also when you expect the first frost in the fall months.
For us, the “warm season” is around end of May – August”. This gives us all of 3-ish months to really grow plants well. That said, one can grow a lot of “cool loving plants” before the hot hot heat.
Seeds to start indoors in February
The seeds I noted on my calendar to start indoors during February are:
- Onions
- Leeks
- Peppers
- Snapdragons
- Celery
- Lavender
We grow a mix of vegetables and flowers, so I start a variety of seeds indoors during the month of February.
Seeds to direct sow outdoors in February
The seeds we daring sow straight into the garden beds are:
- Radishes
- Mustards
- Kale
- Swiss Chard
- Spinach
- Carrots
- Beets
- Turnips
- Kohlrabi
There is no harm in sowing this many seeds os early in spring. In nature, seeds naturally lay around and wait for their time. Even if these seeds don’t germinate straight away, I know that they are planted and ready to grow when their time comes. The seeds best determine their time than I or any human soul can plan.
See more of our garden
If you are a keen gardener and love to see other gardens, see more of ours:
- March Garden: Storage Potatoes, Spring Plants and Planting in March
March is my one of my favourite months for gardening. The winter longings are finally soothed by the first planting in March. Not only are we looking at seeds growing indoors,… - Snow and Seeds is the February Gardening in Winter
Gardening in the winter looks much different than in the summer. Over November we rest. In December, we read and dream. In January, the dreams are shaped into plans and garden… - Simple Peppers & Growing Bell Peppers from Seed in 4 monthsPeppers are the summers thirst quenching snack, one we appreciate for fresh eating and salads. Growing bell peppers from seed is worthwhile if you don’t have a nursery close-by or the…
- Abundant Vegetable Garden Layout (with Flowers and Companion Planting)
Our vegetable garden layout is packed full of flowers and herbs that work with companion planting practices. Planting a mixed garden with vegetables and flowers is one of the ways we… - Abundant Winter Garden Plants in January (Indoor and Outdoor)
Welcome to this month’s garden tour! Learn why you should grow a winter garden and how. I’ll also share our winter garden harvest and which winter garden plants you can expect… - Grow Lights DIY Indoor Planting Rack from an Old Dresser/Bookshelf
Turning an old dresser/bookshelf into a DIY indoor planting rack was one of my favourite projects in our home. With the doors removed and lights installed onto each shelf, this cabinet…
Pin for later
You can save this post to return to later when you are getting ready to start seeds in February! I hope that it’s given you great insight on the many seeds you can start indoors and outdoors in February.
Happy gardening friends!
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