Zone 6a planting calendar

What to plant in February: zone 6a

Zone 6a averages its last spring frost around April 30 and its first fall frost around October 10. Everything below is timed from those two dates, so it stays useful whether you're planting for summer or for a fall harvest.

These are zone-average dates. Check an area-level frost estimate from thirty years of nearby weather history and this calendar retimes itself.
Last frost: April 30
First frost: October 10
Winter lows: -10 to -5 °F
Zone 6a Almanac. What growers here actually recorded: sowing weeks, days to first pick, and yields.

Start indoors

  • Sow microgreens indoorsaround Feb 5

    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 19

    Alliums need 10-12 weeks under lights before they go out. The earliest sowing of the year.

  • Onionaround Feb 19

    10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). Match day-length to your latitude. Long-day north of 37°, short-day south.

  • Leekaround Feb 19

    10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). Plant seedlings deep in a 6 in trench and hill soil up the stem twice during the season. That buried length is the tender white shaft you're growing for.

  • Celeryaround Feb 19

    10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). Celery is a water crop: it turns stringy and bitter the moment it dries out. Keep soil consistently moist and feed steadily. Homegrown stalks are thinner and far more flavorful than store celery.

  • Lavenderaround Feb 19

    10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). Lean, gritty, well-drained soil and no coddling. Plant on a slight mound, skip the fertilizer, and prune a third of the plant after bloom to stop it going woody.

  • Celeriacaround Feb 19

    10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). Needs a long, steady season: start indoors early and keep soil evenly moist the entire time or the knob stays small.

  • Habanero Pepperaround Feb 19

    10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). Needs more heat and a longer season than bell peppers; start indoors early and don't rush it outside until nights stay above 55F.

Direct sow

  • Rutabagaaround Feb 5

    Soil is ready -12 weeks before last frost.

Dormant care

  • Prune dormant fruit treesaround Feb 12

    Prune apples, pears and peaches while fully dormant. Open the center, remove crossing wood.

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