What to Sow in February? Pre-grow Flowers, Herbs and Vegetables at Your Window!
Some garden crops are sown as early as January, but the real rush on windowsills begins in February and March. Start planning this year's beds and containers so you know what you want to grow and in what quantity. Go through your old seed supplies thoroughly. Seeds that have been sitting in your drawer for years will usually no longer serve you well. Fresh and quality seeds are the first step to an abundant harvest. You can read about how long seeds remain viable and how to test their germination ability in the article.
The Right Substrate Is the Foundation of Success
For sowing, don't use soil from the garden - it may contain fungal disease spores that cause seedling damping-off. Choose either a special substrate for sowing and propagation, or use peat pellets called jiffy, which are placed in a tray or seed starter after swelling, you put the seed in them, and the seedling is then planted in the bed directly with this biodegradable wrapper. Some gardeners have also come to favour sowing in pure perlite or vermiculite; in this case, it's necessary to start supplying nutrients with liquid fertilizers immediately after germination.
What Tools Are Useful for Sowing?
The simplest option is sowing in a classic seed tray. For more demanding gardeners, various types of seed starters in many sizes are available. An interesting variant is a seed starter with biodegradable peat pots or with holes for placing jiffys. It's also worth trying seed starters with pre-prepared growing medium, such as rockwool cubes. Seeds need increased humidity during germination, but the air in apartments tends to be rather dry during the heating season. The solution is offered by indoor mini greenhouses and propagators with ventilation.
Which Vegetables and Herbs to Sow in February?
Some vegetable varieties grow very slowly at the beginning, which is why pre-cultivation is essential. In February, sow indoors by a window or in a heated greenhouse early lettuce, kohlrabi, broccoli, eggplant, cauliflower, cucumbers (for later greenhouse cultivation), tomatoes or peppers, and herbs such as basil, marjoram and many others. At the last minute, you can also try celery, but the most suitable sowing time for it was already at the end of January. In cold frames and unheated greenhouses, you can start sowing radishes from late February onwards, as they germinate even at relatively low temperatures. From the end of the month, it's also the right time for sprouting potatoes for early harvest. Place them in boxes in a bright location with temperatures between 10 and 15 °C.
Save Money with Early Annual Sowing
You may be used to buying colorful annuals at the beginning of summer as mature seedlings from garden centers. However, you can try growing them from seeds yourself, which opens up a wide selection of various varieties that you won't even find in stores. If your growing efforts are crowned with success, you'll also significantly save money on plants. In many cases, for the price of a packet with dozens (or even hundreds) of seeds, you won't even buy a single seedling of the same plant. Early sowing is required for begonias, petunias, lobelias, snapdragons, carnations, verbenas, or salvia. Some species of popular and undemanding annuals such as marigolds (African marigolds) can also be sown as early as February. Although they grow quickly and wouldn't mind much later sowing, you'll ensure earlier flowering this way.
Increase Your Chances of Success
We cover early indoor sowing in more detail in our article about seedlings. Generally, however, you must monitor temperature (requirements vary for different plants from 15 to 20 °C), air humidity (approx. 50%), watering (the substrate must not be waterlogged, but also not dry), and absolutely ensure young plants have enough light. Larger seeds will benefit from germination if you soak them in water for a few hours to days before sowing, but change the water regularly. Although plants need increased humidity, you also need to ensure adequate ventilation so they don't get steamed. If you're growing seedlings in a seed tray, transplant them into individual pots as soon as they get a bit stronger. Most pre-grown plants are planted outdoors from mid-May after the last frost.