What to do in the garden by month: February

Spring is finally starting to be getting closer and the days are starting to get longer. Many gardeners get very eager in February to get all seeds planted ready for spring to come. This is a little eager, and although you can grow some seeds in February (depending on where you are in the world) it is important to remember than for most of this month you will be preparing for early outdoor sowing in March! 

What to grow direct into the ground

Right now there isn't a lot you can grow direct into the ground, other than onions, garlic, broad beans and some of the hardier crops that can withstand a freeze (as we are still at risk of frost for a while yet!) Although the soil will start to warn up around the middle of the month there is still a risk that any buds could freeze. 

Some that you definitely can grow right now are:

• Spring onion
• Onions
• Garlic
• Rhubarb

Chose a position that's got full sign, lots of space and rich soil; plant your crowns now in Feb and water well. Rhubarb takes two years to establish before it will taste nice just bear this in mind! 

• Broad beans
• Early carrots
• Early lettuce

Just remember not to plant too much at once incase there is a frost. Little and often! 

What to grow in the greenhouse

You can start sowing seeds indoors, or in a heated greenhouse in February. You will need heat, light and lots of room to do this however. Full windowsills and kitchen tables are unfortunately in most gardeners houses from February - March, so if you're ok with this then get sowing!

• Tomatoes - how to

You can start growing tomatoes in February under grow lights with heat, but bear in mind that they will sometimes get a bit leggy which is not good for the plants structure in the long run. A lot of gardeners do say that the tomatoes they sow in March - April almost always outgrow the ones sown early in February; not a fact but a common perception of early growing is that is gives little benefit. 

• Brussels
• Onions
• Spinach
• Artichokes
• Sprouting broccoli 
• Rocket
• Kohl Rabi
• Winter lettuce

Harvest

• Kale

Kale will still be growing in February if left to overwinter, the leaves will be sweeter and richer due to the frost and there should be a months worth of crop before the plant starts to bolt. 

• Rocket

If you grew rocket last year and overwintered it, along with lettuces, it should be ready to harvest now to give you some fresh greens until your spring crop starts to develop. 

• Brussels
• Cabbages
• Parsnips
• Leeks
• Cauliflower
• Land cress

What jobs needs doing 

Fertilise 

Now is the time to top dress all trees and bushes, they were pruned previously and will be in needs of a good fertiliser to feed them before they start to shoot their spring bugs and leaves. For most plants a general fertiliser will be fine, but check out the how to guides for each plant individually if you are not sure. 

Chit potatoes

Get your potatoes chitting ready for planting in spring. If they are sprouting too quickly you can remove leaves, or rub off extra eyes to slow them down lightly. Check out How to: Potatoes for more info! 

Composting

Hot compost bins can be used in greenhouses and polytunnels to keep the temperatures up if you want to get some early planting done. Your compost does have to be at it's hottest though for this to work. Check out -> our composting blog to give you a helping hand.

Pruning, bed prep and tidying up

Bed prep

In Feb it is the best time to start if you haven't already preparing your bests for spring sowing. This is extremely important to make sure that your beds have all the right nutrients to provide to your crop! Dress with organic materials, mulch, compost etc in Feb for the best results. It's a bit too late for fresh manure as it won't have enough time to break down, but composted manure is perfect this time of year. 

Covering your soil that isn't already covered with cloches or sheet plastic will warm it up ready for spring sowing, but just remember not to plant too much at once incase there is a frost. Little and often! 

Painting

When the days are dry and it's mild outside it's always worth getting a coat of paint on your sheds, benches, fences and raised beds; it reduced the change of rot, makes the garden fresh again and will save you money in the long run.

The biggest challenges 

Low light

Artificial light can be used in greenhouses for longer growing seasons, but as a rule low light will decrease plant growth so if you have anything planted and it's not doing a lot don't panic! 

If you are using artificial light then bear in mind that some crops such as tomatoes will get leggy! 

Freezing temperatures

You can still get frosts in February, so keep this in mind when planning to plant outdoors. Frost hardy plants will be ok in this month, such as onions and late garlic; but do not plant anything that cannot handle a frost such as tomatoes, peas, peppers etc. they will not service and you will just waste time and money.  

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