What to plant in February: zone 6b
Zone 6b averages its last spring frost around April 25 and its first fall frost around October 15. 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
- Prune dormant fruit treesaround Feb 7
Prune apples, pears and peaches while fully dormant. Open the center, remove crossing wood.
- Check season-extension geararound Feb 28
Patch row cover, cold frames and hoops now so a late freeze can't catch you unprepared.
Start indoors
- Start onions and leeks indoorsaround Feb 14
Alliums need 10-12 weeks under lights before they go out. The earliest sowing of the year.
- Onionaround Feb 14
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Match day-length to your latitude. Long-day north of 37°, short-day south.
- Leekaround Feb 14
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). 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 14
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). 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 14
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). 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 14
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Needs a long, steady season: start indoors early and keep soil evenly moist the entire time or the knob stays small.
- Habanero Pepperaround Feb 14
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Needs more heat and a longer season than bell peppers; start indoors early and don't rush it outside until nights stay above 55F.
- Pepperaround Feb 28
8 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Pinch first flowers on transplants so the plant invests in roots before setting fruit.
- Parsleyaround Feb 28
8 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Soak seeds 24 hrs before sowing. Cut outer stems and it comes back for years in mild zones.
- Chivesaround Feb 28
8 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Divide the clump every 3 years: one plant becomes six with no effort.
- Oreganoaround Feb 28
8 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Harvest just before flowering for the strongest flavor. Dries beautifully.
- Thymearound Feb 28
8 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Needs sharp drainage. Plant in gravelly soil or a raised bed edge. Never wet feet.
- Sagearound Feb 28
8 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Prune hard in spring to prevent woody stems and keep the plant productive for 5+ years.
- Eggplantaround Feb 28
8 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Eggplant sulks in cold soil. Transplant 3 weeks after last frost, not on it. Harvest while skin is glossy: dull skin means bitter, seedy flesh.
- Scallion (Green Onion)around Feb 28
8 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Sow thickly in a band and harvest by pulling every other plant: the rest fill in the gap.
- Jalapeño Pepperaround Feb 28
8 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Corking (light brown cracks near the stem) means the pepper is fully ripe and at peak heat, not damaged.
- Poblano Pepperaround Feb 28
8 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Picked green it's a poblano; left to ripen red on the plant and dried, it becomes an ancho chile.
- Cayenne Pepperaround Feb 28
8 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Thin-walled pods dry easily on the plant or strung indoors; harvest for drying once fully red.
- Shishito Pepperaround Feb 28
8 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Pick while still green and wrinkled for the classic blistered appetizer; about 1 in 10 fruits carries real heat.
- Lemon Balmaround Feb 28
8 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Cut back hard before it flowers and sets seed, or it self-sows into every corner of the garden.
- Lovagearound Feb 28
8 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Grows 4-6 ft tall once established; give it the back of the bed and divide the crown every few years to keep it productive.
- Catniparound Feb 28
8 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Fence it off if cats roam the neighborhood: they'll flatten the plant and any seedlings around it rolling in the scent.
- Anise Hyssoparound Feb 28
8 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Deadhead spent spikes to extend bloom all summer; bees and hummingbirds favor it over almost anything else nearby.
Direct sow
- Daikon Radisharound Feb 28
Soil is ready -8 weeks before last frost.
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