The month of February is fast approaching, and the garden tasks are waiting to be done, before Spring shows up. I always love November/December/early January because those are my “sleepy” months, when I get to stay inside, and do other things like crafting and reading. But come end of January, I know I have to gear up. This past weekend I spent it in our greenhouse, cleaning and tidying it up. Apparently, certain small boys and their friends feel that the greenhouse is where you go into on cold days to play – and to leave a million sticks in. I cleaned it all out and we had a fire in the pit last week!
The zone we use for our homestead is 7, rather than what the zone chart claims is 8b. In a previous post I talked about my decision to follow a colder zone here in Maple Valley, Wa. I find that we have cold/wet longer into early spring than other zone 8’s have. The foothills of the Cascade Mountains and Mount Rainier help play into the weather as well. And it gives me more time, in case a heavy rain or late freeze comes. A good example is yesterday, when we had over an inch of rain in a day! Early seeds would have been destroyed and flooded out, if not covered.
Garden Tasks:
- Figure out what you want to grow, and purchase seeds.
- Plan your garden layout for the year.
- Clean up your garden work storage space – whether it is a shed, garage or a greenhouse.
- Sharpen and clean tools.
- Clean up tree debris, such as fallen branches and pinecones.
- Assess fruit and nut trees for minor pruning.
- If the ground isn’t frozen, plant bare root trees and shrubs.
- Plant asparagus bare roots.
- If using raised beds for crops, start making them, of if existing, turn the soil over and remove weeds.
- If planning on in ground gardening, consider getting it ready – cover with cardboard to smother weeds, or get garden tarps down. Working in amendments can be tricky this early due to heavy rains in the PNW.
- If you have ignored your compost bin, work on it. At minimum, start turning it.
Seeds To Plant:
To see more on when to seed, and transplant, see here.
Below are seeds you can start in February, which are either colder-weather crops, or need a longer start time. The dates are not set in stone, it is a guide of what week may be most preferable to get them started. Needless to say, the start of February is a good time to have seeds on hand, potting soil and small pots – and a sunny window, greenhouse or grow light system on hand. And if you start them later? It’s OK for many crops. And for temperamental ones like broccoli, you always can grow those as a fall crop, where they often fare better than in spring, if you miss the window, or late winter is too warm.
Artichokes:
Indoors February 18th
Beets:
Indoors February 18th
Broccoli:
Indoors February 18th
Brussel Sprouts:
Indoors February 18th
Cabbage:
Indoors February 7th
Cauliflower:
Indoors February 8th
Celery:
Indoors end of January/early February
Chard:
Indoors February 18th
Collards:
Indoors February 11th
Herbs:
Indoors mid February to early March.
Kale:
Indoors February 7th
Kohlrabi:
Indoors February 7th
Leeks:
Indoors end of January/early February
Lettuce:
Indoors February 1st
Onions, from seed:
Indoor January 7th to early February
Peas:
Direct seed February 18th to March 8th.
Peppers:
Indoor February 18th to March 22nd
Spinach:
Indoor February 1st
Tomatoes:
February 25th