What to plant in February: zone 9a
Zone 9a averages its last spring frost around February 28 and its first fall frost around December 5. Everything below is timed from those two dates, so it stays useful whether you're planting for summer or for a fall harvest.
Direct sow
- Carrotaround Feb 7
Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.
- Kalearound Feb 7
Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.
- Beetaround Feb 7
Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.
- Onionaround Feb 7
Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.
- Broccoliaround Feb 7
Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.
- Chivesaround Feb 7
Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.
- Kohlrabiaround Feb 7
Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.
- Bok Choyaround Feb 7
Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.
- Scallion (Green Onion)around Feb 7
Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.
- Parsniparound Feb 7
Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.
- Salsifyaround Feb 7
Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.
- Lentilaround Feb 7
Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.
- Sorrelaround Feb 7
Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.
- Flax (Seed)around Feb 7
Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.
- Potatoaround Feb 14
Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.
- Cilantroaround Feb 14
Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.
- Parsleyaround Feb 14
Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.
- Swiss Chardaround Feb 14
Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.
- Collardsaround Feb 14
Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.
- Burdock (Gobo)around Feb 14
Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.
- Watercressaround Feb 14
Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.
- Bulb Fennel (Florence Fennel)around Feb 14
Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.
- Chamomile (German)around Feb 14
Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.
- Carawayaround Feb 14
Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.
- Chickpea (Garbanzo)around Feb 21
Soil is ready -1 weeks before last frost.
- Quinoaaround Feb 21
Soil is ready -1 weeks before last frost.
- Dillaround Feb 28
Soil is ready 0 weeks after last frost.
Start indoors
- Cucumberaround Feb 7
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (02-28). Trellis vertically to double yield in the same footprint and cut mildew.
- Zucchiniaround Feb 7
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (02-28). One plant feeds a family. Pick at 6-8 in for the sweetest fruit.
- Winter squasharound Feb 7
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (02-28). Cure 10 days in a warm dry spot after harvest. The skin toughens and storage doubles.
- Watermelonaround Feb 7
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (02-28). Ripe = tendril nearest the fruit is brown and the ground spot has turned buttery yellow.
- Cantaloupe / Melonaround Feb 7
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (02-28). Ripe fruit slips off the vine with a gentle tug. The smell alone tells you.
- Pumpkinaround Feb 7
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (02-28). Count back 100 days from your first frost to time a Halloween harvest. Cure cut pumpkins in the sun for 10 days and leave 3 in of stem so they store for months.
- Honeydew Melonaround Feb 7
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (02-28). Unlike cantaloupe, honeydew doesn't slip from the vine when ripe; judge by a faint sweet smell and a slight give at the blossom end.
- Butternut Squasharound Feb 7
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (02-28). One of the best keepers: cure in the sun 10 days, then store at 55F and it holds for 3-6 months.
- Acorn Squasharound Feb 7
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (02-28). Ripe rind resists a fingernail poke and the ground spot has turned orange; harvest before frost damages the skin.
- Spaghetti Squasharound Feb 7
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (02-28). Rind should be uniformly pale yellow, not white or green, before harvest; underripe fruit shreds mushy instead of stringy.
- Hubbard Squasharound Feb 7
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (02-28). Needs the most space of any winter squash; give it a full corner of the garden or let it run into the lawn edge.
- Kabocha Squasharound Feb 7
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (02-28). Cure 1-2 weeks after harvest; the starchy flesh actually sweetens in storage over the following month.
- Delicata Squasharound Feb 7
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (02-28). The skin is thin enough to eat, so skip the long cure other winter squash need; use it within a month or two of harvest.
- Patty Pan Squasharound Feb 7
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (02-28). Pick at 2-3 in across, like a baby zucchini: past golf-ball size the skin toughens fast.
Transplant out
- Kalearound Feb 7
Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Broccoliaround Feb 7
Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Chivesaround Feb 7
Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Strawberryaround Feb 7
Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Kohlrabiaround Feb 7
Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Bok Choyaround Feb 7
Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Scallion (Green Onion)around Feb 7
Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Lettucearound Feb 14
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Onionaround Feb 14
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Parsleyaround Feb 14
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Mintaround Feb 14
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Cabbagearound Feb 14
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Caulifloweraround Feb 14
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Swiss Chardaround Feb 14
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Collardsaround Feb 14
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Leekaround Feb 14
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Napa Cabbagearound Feb 14
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Romanescoaround Feb 14
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Endivearound Feb 14
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Escarolearound Feb 14
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Radicchioaround Feb 14
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Sorrelaround Feb 14
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Bulb Fennel (Florence Fennel)around Feb 14
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Chamomile (German)around Feb 14
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
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