What to plant in February in England depends on what cover you have: from mid-month the RHS suggests sowing tomatoes, chillies, cucumbers and aubergines for greenhouse growing, and peas in guttering under cover, while early seed potatoes are set out to chit. Outdoors, the RHS limits sowing to light, sandy soil in mild areas, and says to wait for the soil to warm in March or April everywhere else.
The RHS and Gardeners' World advice below is kept separate from what Sowstory plans. In a Sowstory plan, no crop starts in the bed in February; this is the month to get seeds started indoors and the bed ready for March.
At a glance: what to plant in February
| Task | Crops | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sow indoors or under cover | Greenhouse tomatoes, chillies, cucumbers and aubergines from mid-month; peas in guttering; leeks and kale | RHS, Gardeners' World |
| Sow outdoors | Light soil in mild areas only: broad beans, carrots, parsnips, early beetroot, salad onions, lettuce, radish, spinach, summer cabbage | RHS |
| Plant | Garlic and shallots on light soil only; chit early seed potatoes | RHS |
| Harvest | Leeks, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, standard kale, the first sprouting broccoli | Sowstory harvest windows |
For every month in one place, see the vegetable sowing calendar for England.
Sow indoors
February is the first month with real choice indoors, as long as you can give seeds the warmth they need.
- Tomatoes. The RHS sows greenhouse tomatoes from late February to mid-March; seed needs about 18°C to germinate. Tomatoes for growing outdoors come later: the RHS sows them from late March to early April, and Sowstory's outdoor cordon window is March to April indoors. See how to grow tomatoes.
- Chillies and aubergines. Gardeners' World says they need at least 21°C, which usually means a heated propagator. Sowstory's outdoor chilli window opens now and runs from February to April indoors at about 21°C.
- Cucumbers for the greenhouse. The RHS lists them from mid-February. Outdoor ridge cucumbers are much later: Sowstory sows them indoors in late April.
- Peas in guttering. The RHS suggests sowing peas in clean lengths of guttering in the greenhouse. It also notes that mice take newly sown pea seed outdoors, which makes indoor sowing safer. See how to grow peas.
- Leeks and kale. Gardeners' World sows leeks indoors at 10–15°C, taking 14–21 days to germinate, and kale indoors because it will not germinate outside in winter. Sowstory's nursery windows for both start in March.
- Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Sowstory's sowing windows for these run from February to May and from January to June; both go into the bed in May or June.
Sow or plant outdoors
Only on light soil in mild areas (RHS advice)
The RHS lists broad beans, carrots, parsnips, early beetroot, salad onions, lettuce, radish, spinach and summer cabbage for February, but only on light, sandy soil in mild areas. For radishes, its crop guide suggests sowing from February in soil pre-warmed under cloches. Gardeners' World says broad beans should go outdoors only in mild conditions or pre-warmed soil.
Sowstory does not plan any of these for February. Its outdoor sowings start in March, and its dwarf broad bean ('The Sutton') is sown direct in March or April only, with no protected February route. A February sowing under cover is RHS advice you can add yourself.
Garlic and shallots
The RHS lists garlic and shallots on light soil only, not yet on heavy soil. Sowstory plans garlic in autumn (October to December), because the RHS says cloves need one to two months at 0–10°C to form good bulbs. For the timing trade-offs, see when to plant garlic.
Chitting seed potatoes
Set early seed potatoes eyes up in egg boxes or trays somewhere cool, bright and frost-free. The RHS says chitting can start from late January in milder areas or by early March in colder ones, and shoots reach about 5 cm in four to six weeks. Chitting matters most for earlies; maincrops do not need it. See how to grow potatoes.
In a Sowstory plan this month
No crop profile starts in the bed in February in a Sowstory plan. The bed opens in March, when 15 profiles can start, including early carrots, radish, lettuce, spinach, peas, broad beans, parsnips, onion sets and first early potatoes.
The bed may still be busy with winter crops. Sowstory's harvest windows for leeks, parsnips and Brussels sprouts run to February, standard kale to March, and sprouting broccoli planted last summer starts cropping in February.
So use February to finish your plan: how many rows of each crop fit, where the tall crops go and what follows the early ones. The vegetable spacing chart gives the gaps if you are working it out by hand.
Or let Sowstory do it: it lays out your bed to scale, tells you how many plants or rows fit and gives you a month-by-month timing plan starting with March's sowings. It is coming soon to the App Store, and your first bed plan is free.
Sowstory's months are the same across England; they are not adjusted to your postcode, and the app does not give a frost date for your address.
Jobs this month
From the RHS February list:
- Chit early seed potatoes.
- Prepare asparagus beds for planting in spring.
- Test the soil pH where brassicas will grow, and consider lime if it is below pH 5.5.
- Plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers.
- Plant garlic and shallots on light soil only.
What not to sow yet
- Outdoor sowings on heavy or cold soil. The RHS says to wait for the soil to warm in March or April.
- Garlic and shallots on heavy soil, which the RHS says should wait.
- Basil. Gardeners' World sows it at about 20°C; Sowstory's window starts in March, indoors.
- Tender crops outdoors. Tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, beans and basil go into the bed only once frost risk has passed, which the RHS puts between the first half of May on the south coast and early June in north-east England. See our guide to the last frost in your area.
Last month's list is in what to plant in January; next month, see what to plant in March.