February 2020 Gardening

Despite the reputation for the previous two months, February is usually the coldest month.  In this area, we receive more snow days in February than January, so this is the harshest weather we're going to receive all year.  If we can make it through this month, we'll truly be in growing weather on the other side.

Indoors, however, it is another story.  We need to begin sowing seed in the propagator that will be ready in 6 - 8 weeks for the spring crop.  Cool weather spring crops run from March to May.  By June, the summer has truly arrived and we will need the garden beds for summer vegetables.

So that means that when March arrives, we need to be ready with seedlings of  Lettuce, Broccoli greens, Bok choi, and the other spring crops.  These need to have at least 4 weeks of growth on them by March.  That means February seeding.

Start by consulting the month by month February Gardening Tasks page to find the checklist of things to do this month.

Harvesting

Cabbage.  This cabbage has been slowly growing since last October, cautiously taking its time.  If we followed the plan, we should have 12 cabbages in some stage of immaturity, as well as 12 garlic planted in a row down the center.

In February, we need to start harvesting them, and we'll do that in two phases.  While full heads may not have formed yet, the outer leaves can be harvested one at a time.

• Phase 1 will be the "cut and come again" style of harvesting where we take a leaf or two from several plants - enough to make up a meal. 

These outer leaves are best used for frying, as in a bacon, cabbage, and garlic stir fry. or sliced thinly and added to Asian bowls like beef and cabbage.

We'll do that for at least two weeks or as long as the loose leaves last, pruning away the older leaves and leaving just the younger head.

Garlic.  Also assess the garlic at the same time, adding the garlic greens or the whole garlic depending on the state of development.

• Phase 2. By the middle of February, however, it will be time to start harvesting the whole heads, one at a time.  Harvest one whole head each week to use fresh in salads or cooked in stir fry.  Similarly, harvest one bulb of garlic.  With 12 heads, that will give us enough for three months of harvest and will take us to the middle of May.

When the heads are removed, replant the vacant space with lettuce and 3 radishes, which will be picked when all the cabbages have finally been taken.

Kale and Red Sorrel.   We have been harvesting individual leaves all winter as an accent for salad.  Now it is time to begin removing them entirely and replanting with Broccoli Greens.

 

Feeding the Beds

Cabbage:  Once you start the phase 1 harvest of the outer leaves, apply a side dressing of organic fertilizer and water well once.

Hardening and Setting Out

Lettuce :   The lettuce you sowed in January will be ready to be re-potted and move outside this month through a hardening process.  Make this transition very slowly and under row tunnels.

When you remove a cabbage, plant a lettuce and a group of direct-sown radishes in its place.  Use seed tape or high vis coated seeds for radishes and plant 6 in the group.

Sowing in the Propagator

For now, we are only focusing on the Spring garden plants; the cool greens.

This is the list copied from the 2020 Garden Planner.

Spring Garden 
Lower Bed
Bok Choi  - seeds in inventory 12 plants
with Yellow onion (sets)  12 plants in inventory

Swiss Chard  seeds in inventory  12 plants
with green onions (seed tape) 6 feet seeds in inventory

Upper Bed
Lettuce  12 plants seeds in inventory  Started Last month?
with Radishes (seed tape) 6 feet seeds in inventory
and Red onion (sets) 12 plants in inventory

* Broccoli Greens  6 plants
with  Beets 18 plants seeds in inventory

 

Bok Choi, 12 plants
Swiss chard, 6 plants
Lettuce, 12 plants
Broccoli greens, 6 plants
Beets, 12 plants (seed tape)

(Total is 36 plants in the propagator)

From the supplier:
Green (bunching) onion, 15 feet seed tape
Radishes, 15 ft seed tape
Red onions, 18 bulbs
Beets (seed tape)

In February, the propagator is busy preparing the seedlings for the spring garden.  These are all cool weather crops that will break away when the harsh temperatures are past by early March.  But to bring them in by the end of May, we need to be ready to go in March, which means sowing in February.

Tasks

•  Start the new seedlings in the propagator.  You will need the seed starting tray in the aerogrow as well as 36 grow plugs.
•  Prepare the seed tape for root vegetables 
•  Order any remaining seeds that are still on the list
• Turn over the compost boxes, transferring the contents from one to another.
• Purchase finished compost, if necessary, to fortify garden beds.

Landscaping

• This is the month for pruning branches around the yard.  
• Trim anything low hanging, crossed branches
• Thin out the canopy of shade trees so they don't kill the grass beneath
• Trim the brush and trees along the back fence.
• Mow into the woods to clear the needles from the pathways.