As winter begins to loosen its grip on the UK, February offers the perfect opportunity to kick-start your gardening year. Despite the cold, this month presents the chance to get ahead by sowing seeds and planting early. By taking advantage of this head start, you can enjoy a longer growing season, with flowers blooming earlier and vegetables ready to harvest sooner. This comprehensive guide will explore the essential tasks for February gardening, including sowing seeds, planting summer-flowering bulbs, and preparing your garden for the warmer months ahead.
The Importance of Early Sowing in February
Sowing seeds in February is a strategic way to extend the growing season, allowing you to enjoy a continuous supply of flowers and vegetables throughout the year. By starting early, you give your plants the best chance to develop strong roots and vigorous growth, leading to healthier plants and larger harvests.
Advantages of Early Sowing
There are several benefits to sowing seeds early in the year, particularly in February. These advantages include extending the growing season, ensuring a steady supply of produce, and maximizing the use of your garden space.
1. Extending the Growing Season
By sowing seeds in February, you can extend the growing season, allowing you to harvest vegetables and enjoy flowers earlier than usual.
- Earlier Harvests: Early sowing gives crops like tomatoes, chillies, and aubergines a head start, meaning they can be harvested earlier in the summer. This is particularly beneficial in the UK, where the growing season can be relatively short.
- Longer Bloom Period: Flowers sown early, such as cosmos and other hardy annuals, will begin blooming sooner, providing color and beauty in your garden from spring through to autumn.
2. Ensuring a Steady Supply
By staggering your sowing times, starting in February and continuing through the spring, you can ensure a continuous supply of vegetables and flowers.
- Succession Planting: Succession planting involves sowing seeds at intervals, ensuring that new crops are always coming into harvest as older ones finish. This technique helps maintain a steady supply of fresh produce throughout the season.
- Avoiding Gaps: Early sowing helps prevent gaps in your garden, ensuring that there is always something growing and producing, even as other plants finish their cycles.
3. Maximizing Garden Space
February is an ideal time to start using indoor spaces, such as windowsills and greenhouses, to begin the growing process before outdoor planting is possible.
- Efficient Use of Space: By starting seeds indoors in February, you can free up garden space for later plantings, making the most of your available growing area.
- Early Transplants: Plants started early can be transplanted into the garden as soon as the weather warms, giving them more time to mature and produce.
Essential Equipment for February Sowing
To successfully start seeds in February, it’s important to have the right equipment. This includes heated propagators, grow lamps, and suitable containers for sowing seeds.
1. Heated Propagators
Heated propagators are essential for starting seeds in February, especially for plants that require warm soil temperatures to germinate.
- Maintaining Temperature: Heated propagators keep the soil at a consistent temperature, which is crucial for germinating heat-loving seeds like tomatoes, chillies, and aubergines.
- Improving Germination Rates: By providing the right environment, heated propagators improve germination rates, ensuring more of your seeds develop into healthy seedlings.
2. Grow Lamps
Grow lamps are invaluable for providing the light needed by seedlings, particularly in February when natural daylight is still limited.
- Supplementing Natural Light: Grow lamps supplement the low levels of natural light during winter, ensuring that seedlings receive enough light to grow strong and healthy.
- Preventing Leggy Seedlings: Adequate light prevents seedlings from becoming leggy and weak, which can happen when they stretch towards insufficient light sources.
3. Seed Trays and Pots
Choosing the right containers for sowing seeds is crucial for the success of your early planting efforts.
- Seed Trays: Seed trays are ideal for starting large numbers of seeds, allowing you to grow many plants in a compact space.
- Pots and Modules: For larger seeds or plants that will need more space to develop before transplanting, pots and modules are a better choice. They provide more room for root growth and reduce the need for early transplanting.
Sowing Seeds in February: Vegetables and Flowers
February is the perfect month to sow a variety of seeds, both vegetables and flowers. With the right care, these early-sown plants will reward you with abundant harvests and beautiful blooms.
1. Sowing Vegetables
Starting vegetables in February gives them a head start on the growing season, particularly those that require a long period to reach maturity.
A. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are a popular crop to start in February, as they require a long growing season to produce a bountiful harvest.
- Varieties: Choose from a wide range of tomato varieties depending on your taste preferences and growing conditions. ‘Moneymaker,’ ‘Gardener’s Delight,’ and ‘San Marzano’ are excellent choices for UK gardens.
- Sowing Tips: Sow tomato seeds in small pots or seed trays filled with a quality seed starting mix. Place them in a heated propagator or on a warm windowsill, and provide plenty of light from a grow lamp if necessary.
B. Chillies and Peppers
Chillies and sweet peppers also benefit from an early start, as they need a long growing season to ripen fully.
- Varieties: Popular chilli varieties include ‘Jalapeno,’ ‘Cayenne,’ and ‘Habanero,’ while ‘California Wonder’ and ‘Bell Boy’ are well-suited for sweet peppers.
- Sowing Tips: Sow seeds in pots or trays and keep them warm, ideally using a heated propagator. Once germinated, place the seedlings in a bright location or under grow lamps to ensure strong growth.
C. Aubergines
Aubergines (eggplants) are another warm-season crop that benefits from early sowing.
- Varieties: ‘Black Beauty’ and ‘Rosa Bianca’ are popular aubergine varieties that thrive in the UK climate when given a head start.
- Sowing Tips: Sow aubergine seeds in a heated propagator and keep the soil consistently warm. Provide ample light to the seedlings as they grow, using grow lamps if necessary.
D. Kale
Kale is a hardy vegetable that can be sown in February and transplanted outdoors once the risk of frost has passed.
- Varieties: ‘Nero di Toscana’ and ‘Red Russian’ are resilient varieties that offer both cold tolerance and excellent flavor.
- Sowing Tips: Kale can be started in pots on a warm windowsill. Once the seedlings have grown strong, they can be hardened off and planted outdoors in early spring.
2. Sowing Flowers
Early February sowing is not just for vegetables; many flowers benefit from an early start as well, ensuring they bloom sooner and for longer periods.
A. Cosmos
Cosmos is a hardy annual flower that thrives when sown early in the year. It’s easy to grow and produces an abundance of colorful blooms.
- Varieties: ‘Cosmos bipinnatus’ is a popular choice, with its delicate, feathery foliage and large, daisy-like flowers in shades of pink, white, and crimson.
- Sowing Tips: Sow cosmos seeds in pots or trays filled with seed compost. Place them on a warm, sunny windowsill or under grow lamps. Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged.
B. Sweet Peas
Sweet peas are a beloved garden flower, known for their fragrance and vibrant colors. Sowing them in February ensures an early start and a longer flowering season.
- Varieties: Consider varieties like ‘Old Spice’ for their strong scent or ‘Cupani’ for their historical significance and rich colors.
- Sowing Tips: Soak sweet pea seeds overnight before sowing to improve germination rates. Plant them in deep pots, as they develop long roots. Keep the pots in a cool but bright location to encourage healthy growth.
C. Lobelia
Lobelia is a versatile plant that works well in borders, containers, and hanging baskets. Early sowing ensures that it will be ready to plant out as soon as the weather warms.
- Varieties: ‘Crystal Palace’ and ‘Cambridge Blue’ are popular varieties that offer vibrant blue or purple blooms.
- Sowing Tips: Sow lobelia seeds in trays or small pots, covering them lightly with vermiculite. Place them in a warm spot with plenty of light. Lobelia seeds are very fine, so handle them carefully.
D. Delphiniums
Delphiniums are tall, stately flowers that add a touch of elegance to any garden. Starting them early gives them plenty of time to establish strong roots.
- Varieties: ‘Pacific Giants’ and ‘Magic Fountains’ are popular delphinium varieties that produce stunning spikes of flowers in shades of blue, purple, and white.
- Sowing Tips: Sow delphinium seeds in seed trays and cover them lightly with compost. Place the trays in a cool, bright location and keep the soil moist. Delphiniums benefit from cold stratification, so consider placing the trays in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse.
Planting Summer-Flowering Bulbs and Perennials in February
In addition to sowing seeds, February is an excellent time to plant summer-flowering bulbs and hardy perennials. Planting these now ensures they have time to establish before the growing season begins in earnest.
1. Summer-Flowering Bulbs
Summer-flowering bulbs can be planted in February to ensure they are ready to bloom at the height of summer. These bulbs thrive in well-drained soil and sunny locations.
A. Lilies
Lilies are a classic choice for summer gardens, offering elegant, fragrant blooms that are perfect for cutting.
- Varieties: ‘Oriental’ and ‘Asiatic’ lilies are popular choices, each offering a wide range of colors and sizes.
- Planting Tips: Plant lily bulbs in pots or directly in the ground, ensuring they are placed in well-drained soil. Plant the bulbs 2-3 times as deep as the bulb’s height, with the pointed end facing upwards. Position the bulbs in a sunny spot for the best results.
B. Gladiolus
Gladiolus are tall, striking flowers that add drama to any garden display. They’re perfect for cut flowers and come in a wide range of colors.
- Varieties: ‘Priscilla’ and ‘Green Star’ are popular gladiolus varieties, known for their large, colorful blooms.
- Planting Tips: Plant gladiolus corms in well-drained soil, spacing them about 6 inches apart. For a continuous display of flowers, plant corms in succession every two weeks from February to April.
C. Dahlias
Dahlias are a must-have for any summer garden, offering a stunning array of colors, shapes, and sizes. They can be planted in pots in February and moved outdoors later.
- Varieties: ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ and ‘Café au Lait’ are popular dahlia varieties, each offering unique and showy blooms.
- Planting Tips: Start dahlia tubers in pots filled with well-draining compost. Keep the pots in a bright, frost-free location until they are ready to be planted out in late spring. Water sparingly until new growth appears.
D. Begonias
Begonias are ideal for adding color to shaded areas of the garden. Planting them in February allows them to establish strong roots before the growing season begins.
- Varieties: ‘Nonstop’ and ‘Illumination’ are well-known for their vibrant, double blooms that last throughout the summer.
- Planting Tips: Plant begonia tubers in pots with the hollow side facing up. Cover them lightly with compost and place the pots in a warm, bright spot. Water sparingly until growth begins, then increase watering as the plants develop.
2. Hardy Perennials
Planting hardy perennials in February gives them a head start, allowing them to establish themselves before the main growing season. These plants will provide structure and continuity in your garden for years to come.
A. Japanese Anemones
Japanese anemones are a beautiful addition to the late summer garden, with their delicate, wind-swept blooms and attractive foliage.
- Varieties: ‘Honorine Jobert’ and ‘September Charm’ are popular choices, known for their white and pink flowers, respectively.
- Planting Tips: Plant Japanese anemones in well-drained soil in a partially shaded spot. These perennials can be slow to establish, so planting them in February ensures they have plenty of time to develop strong roots before the summer.
B. Hardy Geraniums
Hardy geraniums, also known as cranesbills, are reliable perennials that offer a long flowering period and require minimal care.
- Varieties: ‘Rozanne’ and ‘Johnson’s Blue’ are popular varieties that produce masses of blue or purple flowers throughout the summer.
- Planting Tips: Plant hardy geraniums in well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. They are relatively low-maintenance, making them ideal for filling gaps in borders or as ground cover.
C. Lupins
Lupins are tall, striking perennials that add vertical interest to borders. They are easy to grow and come in a range of vibrant colors.
- Varieties: ‘Russell Hybrids’ and ‘Noble Maiden’ are popular lupin varieties that offer a mix of colors and striking flower spikes.
- Planting Tips: Plant lupin seeds or young plants in well-drained soil in a sunny spot. Lupins prefer slightly acidic soil and benefit from regular watering during dry periods.
D. Delphiniums
As mentioned earlier, delphiniums can also be planted as young plants or bare-root perennials in February. This ensures they have enough time to establish before they bloom in early summer.
- Varieties: Choose from the same varieties as you would for seed sowing, such as ‘Pacific Giants’ or ‘Magic Fountains.’
- Planting Tips: Plant delphiniums in well-drained soil enriched with compost. They prefer full sun but will tolerate partial shade. Support the tall flower spikes with stakes as they grow to prevent them from being damaged by wind.
Preparing the Garden for Spring
In addition to sowing seeds and planting bulbs and perennials, February is an important month for preparing your garden for the upcoming growing season. Taking the time to prepare now will ensure your plants have the best possible start when the warmer weather arrives.
1. Soil Preparation
Good soil is the foundation of a healthy garden. Preparing your soil in February ensures it is ready for planting in the spring.
A. Adding Organic Matter
Organic matter improves soil structure, fertility, and moisture retention, making it essential for healthy plant growth.
- Composting: Add well-rotted compost or manure to your garden beds. Work it into the top few inches of soil to improve its structure and provide essential nutrients.
- Leaf Mold: Leaf mold is an excellent soil conditioner, particularly for light, sandy soils. Spread it over your beds and lightly dig it in.
B. Mulching
Mulching helps suppress weeds, retain moisture, and protect plants from temperature fluctuations.
- Organic Mulch: Apply a layer of organic mulch, such as bark chips, straw, or compost, around the base of plants. This will help insulate the soil and encourage beneficial microorganisms.
- Weed Control: Mulch also helps suppress weeds, reducing the need for manual weeding as the growing season progresses.
2. Pruning and Tidying
February is a good time to prune many shrubs and trees, as well as tidy up your garden in preparation for the new growth.
A. Pruning Shrubs and Trees
Pruning helps shape plants, remove dead or diseased wood, and encourage healthy growth.
- Roses: Prune roses in February, cutting back to outward-facing buds and removing any dead or damaged stems. This encourages strong, healthy growth and abundant flowering.
- Fruit Trees: Prune fruit trees like apples and pears while they are still dormant. Remove any crossing branches and thin out the canopy to improve air circulation.
B. Clearing Debris
Clearing debris from your garden helps prevent pests and diseases from overwintering and ensures a clean slate for the new growing season.
- Leaf Litter: Remove any remaining leaf litter from garden beds and borders. While some leaves can be left to provide habitat for wildlife, excess leaf litter can harbor pests and diseases.
- Old Plant Material: Clear away any old plant material, such as dead stems or annuals that didn’t survive the winter. Compost what you can and dispose of anything that looks diseased.
3. Planning for the Growing Season
February is also the perfect time to plan your garden for the year ahead. This includes deciding what to plant, where to plant it, and how to maximize your garden’s potential.
A. Garden Layout
Consider how you want your garden to look and function throughout the year. Think about color schemes, plant height, and how different plants will complement each other.
- Succession Planting: Plan for succession planting by deciding which crops or flowers will follow on from your early sowings. This ensures you always have something growing and producing.
- Companion Planting: Consider companion planting to maximize space and benefit your plants. For example, plant marigolds with tomatoes to deter pests, or grow beans near corn to provide natural support.
B. Seed and Plant Orders
If you haven’t already done so, February is the time to order any seeds, bulbs, or plants you’ll need for the upcoming season.
- Catalog Browsing: Take advantage of the quieter winter months to browse seed catalogs and plan your purchases. Order early to ensure you get the varieties you want.
- Succession Planning: Consider ordering seeds for succession planting, so you can continue sowing throughout the spring and summer.
Conclusion
February is a pivotal month for gardeners, offering the opportunity to get a head start on the growing season. By sowing seeds early, planting summer-flowering bulbs, and preparing your garden for the warmer months, you can ensure a productive and beautiful garden that lasts throughout the year. With careful planning and attention to detail, your February gardening efforts will pay off with an abundance of flowers and vegetables, making the most of every growing season.
