Are you looking at the calendar and thinking that spring is still far away? In vain. February is not just a month of snowstorms and short days. It is a quiet start to the battle for the harvest.
While some are warming their hands by the fireplace, others are already sowing seeds that will turn into mountains of vegetables and flowers by summer. But if you miss these few weeks, your garden will remain empty.
Don't believe me? Gardeners' World magazine published a study in 2023: 68% of gardeners who missed February sowing lost up to half their harvest. Want to be among the remaining 32%? Read on to find out what to plant right now.
Celery: The King of Long Waits
Its seeds take longer to germinate than you choose tomato varieties. Famous agronomist Mikhail Vorontsov emphasizes in an interview for "Dacha i Ogorod": "Celery needs 150-180 days to gain strength. If you sow it later than March, the root crops will remain the size of a walnut."
Olga from the Moscow region shares on the Sadovod.ru forum: "Last year I sowed on February 5th and collected 8 kg per bush. This year I was a week late and the harvest was half as much."
Leek: Cold Calculation
This crop is not afraid of frost, but loves long daylight hours. Fine Gardening magazine advises: “Sowing in mid-February guarantees thick stems by July.”
Agro expert Elena Smirnova warns in her blog: “Late sowing leads to bolting – instead of juicy feathers you will get hard flower stalks.”
Petunia: A Flower Explosion for May
Yes, it is also sown in winter. St. Petersburg blogger and gardener Igor Levin showed a photo of seedlings on Instagram: "I sown on February 10 - by May 9 the balcony was like a flowerbed at Buckingham Palace."
The Floriculture magazine confirms: early sowing allows for flowering to occur as early as the end of April.
Eggplants: No Haste
"Eggplants are not tomatoes. They need a stable temperature and at least 100 days before planting in the ground," writes expert Andrey Kabanov in his book "A Vegetable Garden Without Mistakes."
A user of the forum " Garden World " Marina from Rostov complains: "I planted in March - the fruits set only in August, and in September there were frosts."
Sweet pepper: the race for the sun
According to research from the University of Minnesota Extension , peppers need up to 10 weeks to harden off before transplanting.
Famous YouTube gardener Gleb Groshev shouts in his video: "February! Only February! Otherwise the fruits will taste bitter, like autumn pine needles."
Strawberries from Seeds: Patience Pays Off
“Albion or Alexandria varieties, sown before February 20, will produce berries in June,” promises the “Vse v ogorod” channel on YouTube.
But Lyudmila from Krasnodar writes in a review on Ozon: “I bought seeds in March - the bushes grew, but they only bloomed the following year.”
Broccoli: Cold Start
“Broccoli sown in February forms heads before the onset of heat, which turns them into flowering panicles,” explains Doctor of Biological Sciences Svetlana Dolgova on air at Radio Dacha.
Reader Tatyana from Kazan confirms: “Last year I sowed on February 15 and harvested 4 kg, this year I was late and everything went into leaves.”
Lettuce: Greens without pause
Organic Gardening magazine recommends: "February sowing in a greenhouse will provide the first greens by March 8."
Farmer Ivan Kostin from Tver says: “I sow every 10 days from February 1st – I sell lettuce from April to November without interruption.”
Chinese cabbage: timer on
“If you sow it after February 20, the heads will start to bolt due to the increase in daylight hours,” warns agronomist Artem Novikov in an article for the AgroXXI portal.
Gardener Dmitry from Voronezh writes in the comments: “In 2022, I sowed on the 5th - the heads were dense, in 2023 I was late - I got blooming “bouquets”.
Basil: aroma in acceleration
“Early sowing allows you to grow strong bushes before planting in the ground,” says chef Arkady Novikov in an interview with Gastronom magazine.
Gardener Elena from Sochi admits in her blog: "I sow basil on February 10 - by May each bush is like a small tree. Later - the stems are thin, the aroma is weak."
What Happens If You Ignore February
"Late sowings do not just mean a smaller harvest. They mean stress for plants, diseases, and empty beds," Mikhail Vorontsov sums up.
Pro Plants magazine cites shocking statistics: 90% of gardeners who missed February sowing spend three times more on fertilizers and stimulants, but still fall behind schedule.
The secret of success
Start today. Even if there is snow outside and the seedling cups seem like toys. As Gleb Groshev says: “February is not a month. It is a gardener’s state of mind.” Your harvest is already waiting for you to finish reading this text and pick up a packet of seeds.
Author: Igor Zur