February, Finally Feeling Possible

February is the month the garden starts to feel possible again, even if the weather rarely agrees. There’s real work to do now, most of it under cover or with one eye on the forecast.

Sow now (indoors)

Tomatoes, if you want an early crop and have a bright, warm spot to raise them on. Onions and leeks from seed. Sweet peas, if you missed January. Broad beans can still go in.

Sow now (outdoors, weather permitting)

Parsnips can go direct once the soil’s workable, though many gardeners wait until March for better germination. Broad beans direct-sown under cloches in milder areas.

Plant out

Bare-root fruit trees, roses, and hedging — your last real window before they break dormancy. Shallots and onion sets toward the end of the month if the ground isn’t waterlogged.

Harvest

The last of the leeks, parsnips, and winter greens. Purple sprouting broccoli is often at its best right now.

Prune

Apple and pear trees while still dormant. Wisteria’s second prune of the year. Cut back autumn-fruiting raspberry canes to the ground.

General jobs

Chit your seed potatoes properly now if you haven’t — a light, cool, frost-free spot, eyes facing up. Start hardening off any overwintered plants on mild days. Check stored bulbs and tubers for rot.

This weekend

If the soil isn’t a claggy mess when you squeeze it, get your onion sets or shallots in. If it is, leave it — working wet soil does more harm than good.

Timing shifts by region — hold off 2–3 weeks longer if you’re in the North, Scotland, or Northern Ireland.