What to plant in February — zone 5b
Zone 5b averages its last spring frost around May 5 and its first fall frost around October 5. Everything below is timed from those two dates, so it stays useful whether you're planting for summer or for a fall harvest.
Dormant care
- Sharpen and oil toolsaround Feb 3
Clean, sharpen and oil blades while there's time — dull tools bruise plants and slow you down.
- Prune dormant fruit treesaround Feb 17
Prune apples, pears and peaches while fully dormant — open the center, remove crossing wood.
Start indoors
- Sow microgreens indoorsaround Feb 10
A tray on the windowsill gives you a cut of fresh greens every 10-14 days through the cold months.
- Start onions and leeks indoorsaround Feb 24
Alliums need 10-12 weeks under lights before they go out — the earliest sowing of the year.
- Onionaround Feb 24
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). Match day-length to your latitude — long-day north of 37°, short-day south.
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