Sow These Seeds in February for a Blooming Summer Garden
As winter comes to an end, it’s a great time to sow seeds for early crops and summer blooms
Claudia De Yong
25 January 2020
Houzz UK contributor and award-winning landscape and garden designer. Claudia de Yong Designs offers a consultancy and design service for the private and corporate client. We are also able to source anything for the garden from plants to pots, paving and architectural features . Please visit my new online shop for garden products.
Houzz UK contributor and award-winning landscape and garden designer. Claudia de... More
February sees the sap beginning to rise and the buds starting to swell. While it can be a cold, wet month with severe frosts and even snow, it’s an ideal time to sow early crops and annuals under cover, or even, in some cases, outdoors.
Add some aroma
In southern parts of the UK, sweet peas can be sown outside in sheltered areas in February. To speed up germination, soak the seeds overnight in tepid water and sow 1cm deep. Once they’re sown, cover them with a cloche.
In colder areas of the country, sow the seeds in a glasshouse, cold frame or cool place indoors.
If you sowed your sweet peas back in the autumn, now’s the time to pinch out the growing tips of the small plants. This will promote flowering and encourage side shoots.
If you don’t pinch out, the leading shoot will grow blind without producing any flower buds. It’s the side shoots that will give you masses of flowers throughout the summer months.
In southern parts of the UK, sweet peas can be sown outside in sheltered areas in February. To speed up germination, soak the seeds overnight in tepid water and sow 1cm deep. Once they’re sown, cover them with a cloche.
In colder areas of the country, sow the seeds in a glasshouse, cold frame or cool place indoors.
If you sowed your sweet peas back in the autumn, now’s the time to pinch out the growing tips of the small plants. This will promote flowering and encourage side shoots.
If you don’t pinch out, the leading shoot will grow blind without producing any flower buds. It’s the side shoots that will give you masses of flowers throughout the summer months.
Toss in a salad
Early types of lettuce, radish and salad onions such as ‘White Lisbon’ can be sown undercover in February, and the latter outside if protected.
Make shallow drills in soil that has been raked to a fine tilth. Water the drills, then sow the seeds as thinly as possible and cover them carefully with dry soil. Firm down gently and thin out when the seedlings are large enough to handle.
Try planting early, cut-and-come-again types of lettuce. You won’t have to wait for the heart to develop and will have wonderful salad leaves very quickly.
Need some help with your outdoor space? Find landscape contractors and gardeners near you.
Early types of lettuce, radish and salad onions such as ‘White Lisbon’ can be sown undercover in February, and the latter outside if protected.
Make shallow drills in soil that has been raked to a fine tilth. Water the drills, then sow the seeds as thinly as possible and cover them carefully with dry soil. Firm down gently and thin out when the seedlings are large enough to handle.
Try planting early, cut-and-come-again types of lettuce. You won’t have to wait for the heart to develop and will have wonderful salad leaves very quickly.
Need some help with your outdoor space? Find landscape contractors and gardeners near you.
Nurture great flavour
You might think it’s too early, but February is the perfect time to plant garlic (pictured) and shallots.
Prepare the ground using plenty of organic matter and plant using a trowel. Don’t push the bulbs into the soil, as the new roots will push the bulb out again.
Plant shallots 15cm to 17cm apart in rows of equal distance. ‘Longor’ is a good variety for early February.
Plant garlic cloves about 5cm deep.
Birds might pull one or two of the bulbs out and leave them lying on the ground. Replant them as soon as possible – the birds will quickly lose interest if they can’t see the bulb.
You might think it’s too early, but February is the perfect time to plant garlic (pictured) and shallots.
Prepare the ground using plenty of organic matter and plant using a trowel. Don’t push the bulbs into the soil, as the new roots will push the bulb out again.
Plant shallots 15cm to 17cm apart in rows of equal distance. ‘Longor’ is a good variety for early February.
Plant garlic cloves about 5cm deep.
Birds might pull one or two of the bulbs out and leave them lying on the ground. Replant them as soon as possible – the birds will quickly lose interest if they can’t see the bulb.
Grow your greens
One of the ideal ways to grow peas is in plastic guttering. Simply drill holes in the bottom of a length for drainage and fill with a peat-free seed compost.
Sow the seeds 2.5cm to 5cm apart and 2.5cm deep. Water well and place in a greenhouse or on a windowsill.
When you see a few leaves on the plant, you can lift them out carefully or shunt the whole lot from the guttering into a prepared trench outside and cover with a cloche. A good early variety to try is ‘Douce Provence’.
One of the ideal ways to grow peas is in plastic guttering. Simply drill holes in the bottom of a length for drainage and fill with a peat-free seed compost.
Sow the seeds 2.5cm to 5cm apart and 2.5cm deep. Water well and place in a greenhouse or on a windowsill.
When you see a few leaves on the plant, you can lift them out carefully or shunt the whole lot from the guttering into a prepared trench outside and cover with a cloche. A good early variety to try is ‘Douce Provence’.
Sow annuals
Bee-friendly hardy annuals, such as borage (pictured) and Calendula, are good plants to sow now under cover. They will also encourage beneficial insects, such as hoverflies, into polytunnels and greenhouses, which will help with controlling pests.
Half-hardy annuals, such as Nicotiana can also be sown in a polytunnel or greenhouse, as they benefit from a longer growing season.
Other annuals to try include Cosmos, scabious and cornflowers. Fill trays with seed-sowing compost to within a quarter of an inch from the top. Water the soil well and distribute the seeds thinly over the surface, covering them lightly with more compost.
Bee-friendly hardy annuals, such as borage (pictured) and Calendula, are good plants to sow now under cover. They will also encourage beneficial insects, such as hoverflies, into polytunnels and greenhouses, which will help with controlling pests.
Half-hardy annuals, such as Nicotiana can also be sown in a polytunnel or greenhouse, as they benefit from a longer growing season.
Other annuals to try include Cosmos, scabious and cornflowers. Fill trays with seed-sowing compost to within a quarter of an inch from the top. Water the soil well and distribute the seeds thinly over the surface, covering them lightly with more compost.
Go veggie
Some hardy crops can be sown outside, as long as the soil has been pre-warmed by a cloche and you protect the crops on colder nights with fleece.
These include kale (pictured), broad bean varieties such as ‘Aquadulce Claudia’; carrots ‘F1 Bangor’ or ‘Early Nantes 5’; beetroot, and parsnips such as ‘Avonresister’. Turnips are also easy to sow and suited to our climatic conditions – try ‘Tokyo Cross’ or ‘Purple Top Milan’.
You can also sow the vegetable seeds into modules in an unheated greenhouse or polytunnel for planting out later.
If you like celery, you could try sowing a bolt-resistant variety such as ‘Lathom Self Blanching’, but make sure it’s under a cloche and protected from any possible frosts.
Tell us…
Which seeds or bulbs are you planning to sow in February? Share your ideas in the Comments section.
Some hardy crops can be sown outside, as long as the soil has been pre-warmed by a cloche and you protect the crops on colder nights with fleece.
These include kale (pictured), broad bean varieties such as ‘Aquadulce Claudia’; carrots ‘F1 Bangor’ or ‘Early Nantes 5’; beetroot, and parsnips such as ‘Avonresister’. Turnips are also easy to sow and suited to our climatic conditions – try ‘Tokyo Cross’ or ‘Purple Top Milan’.
You can also sow the vegetable seeds into modules in an unheated greenhouse or polytunnel for planting out later.
If you like celery, you could try sowing a bolt-resistant variety such as ‘Lathom Self Blanching’, but make sure it’s under a cloche and protected from any possible frosts.
Tell us…
Which seeds or bulbs are you planning to sow in February? Share your ideas in the Comments section.
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Thank you Claudia De Yong I was tricked!! I plan to pot tomorrow but so you think I should keep these indoors or buy a wee greenhouse? I have compost and bought pots..nightmare when your an amateur! X ps Scotland btw but central so not too cold though I'm worried about snow forecast for 27th February 🤔😔
I think you should treat both as indoor plants for now if snow is forecast- u can acclimatise them slowly outdoors but they will probably not have been outside for any length of time until they were despatched ! If you have a sheltered area u can put them there and see how they fare - very hard when u see plants on the internet and are not sure about what conditions they like - so many are grown for instant impact and sales
Thanks again for your advice Claudia De Yong. I won't be buying online plants again. So difficult when you want them and the shops are closed! I suppose there's been alot of impulse buying online within last year with more expensive purchases! Just don't want them to die! Nice and dry here today so I will get them potted. 🤞👍