The cold days are still here, so is it too early to start gardening? Residents of southern regions begin sowing seedlings at the beginning of February. Gardeners in colder regions can start only in the last week of the month, as summer arrives later for them. At the end of winter, there is little sunlight during the short days, so it is necessary to provide better lighting for seedlings in February. To do this, phytolamps and fluorescent lights are used. So, which seedlings to plant in February?
Greenhouses made of polycarbonate, glass or film
Seedlings should be sown 50-60 days before the plants are moved to the greenhouse if they are being grown with picking, or 45-50 days if there will be no picking.
- Tomatoes – Tall, large-fruited varieties for salads, indeterminate hybrids that produce a large number of medium-sized tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes.
- Eggplants – Early and mid-season varieties and hybrids, resistant to diseases and insufficient lighting.
- Sweet peppers – Medium and late varieties with large, thick-walled fruits. When sowing peppers in February, be sure to provide electric lighting to avoid weak and brittle plants.
Open Ground
- Leek – Sown in February, it will produce thick, vitamin-rich shoots by autumn. They will ripen well and store excellently.
- Celery – First, sow in containers, then thin out or transplant. The seedlings will appear within a week. They should be kept in a cool place (+13 … +15°C) to prevent them from stretching and falling over.
- Strawberries and wild strawberries – They have tiny seeds, so do not bury them but simply press them gently. Then cover with a thin layer of toilet paper. It will allow water to pass through but prevent the seeds from floating when watering. The seedlings will appear after 3 weeks. By May, they will be ready for transplanting into open ground.
- Potatoes – You can experiment with potato seeds as well. Although in late summer, you may only harvest a few small tubers from each bush, the following year they will yield a full crop.
Annual Flowers
- Lobelia – It grows slowly, so from sowing in February to flowering, it takes more than 2 months. Sprinkle the seeds on the surface and mist them with a spray bottle. Transplant in bunches of 3-5 seedlings.
- Snapdragons (Antirrhinum) – A capricious plant, it takes 2 weeks to germinate and grows slowly. It is also susceptible to “damping-off” disease. After the first pair of leaves appears, transplant them from the common container into individual cups to protect the seedlings from fungal diseases.
- Petunias – Sow in a container, then transplant one seedling per cup. If you pinch the main stem on time, the seedlings will form buds while still at home.
- Eustoma (Lisianthus) – If sown in February, it will bloom in July-August. Place the seeds on the surface using a toothpick. Transplant into cups when 2 pairs of true leaves form. Keep in mind that only about 60% of the seeds will germinate.
Biennials and Perennials
Biennial and perennial plants form buds only in the second year, but some will bloom in the first summer if sown very early.
- Anemone (Pasque flower) – Sow on the surface without covering with soil. February seedlings will open buds in the fall, and they will bloom more abundantly in the second or third year.
- Pansies (Viola Wittrockiana) – When sown in winter, they bloom at the end of May and will decorate your garden throughout the summer. Transplant into cups one month after sowing.
- Primroses – Sow in a mixture of peat, sand, and loam. Scatter the seeds on the surface and cover with large grains of sand.
- Lavender – It quickly develops strong roots, making transplanting tricky. So, sow one seed per cup.
In February, not many plants should be sown, but this task cannot be postponed to the next month. A delay will result in vegetables not ripening in time, and decorative plants standing without flowers for most of the summer. So, be sure to plant the seedlings mentioned in the article in February, and no later.