Indoor Tasks…

• Finalize Seed Orders: Do a final sweep of your seed stash. If you’re missing common or unconventional varieties, order them now before they sell out mid-month. Popular varieties often sell out by mid-February.

• The Big Sowing Push: It’s time to get those slow-growers started. If you want a massive harvest of onions, peppers or eggplants, they need to go under the lights now.

  • Slow growers

    • Peppers & Eggplants: These are notorious for slow germination. Start them now so they are robust by May.

    • Onions & Leeks: If you didn't start them in January, this is your "Last Call." They need several months to develop a strong root base before transplanting.

    • Celery: A long-season crop that can take 2–3 weeks just to sprout.

    • Herbs: Start parsley, thyme, oregano, and rosemary. These take much longer to grow from seed than basil or cilantro.

  • Early Spring Brassicas: Depending on your planting zone - you can starting sowing broccoli, kale, cauliflower, and cabbage indoors. These can be transplanted out as soon as the soil is workable, so getting them started now ensures an early spring harvest.

  • Annual Flowers: Start snapdragons, petunias, pansies, and geraniums. These varieties often take 10–12 weeks to reach blooming size. Having these ready for early spring transplanting ensures early blooms.

  • Perennial Flowers: Start echinacea, rudbeckia, and columbine. Many perennials need a long "nursery" phase before they are strong enough for the garden.

• Check Soil Moisture: Here are a few tips on how to stay on top of soil moisture to ensure your seedlings stay healthy and hydrated.

  • The Finger Test: The most reliable way to check moisture (in my opinion). Gently press your fingertip onto the surface of the soil in a few different cells.

    • Ideal: The soil should feel like a wrung-out sponge—damp to the touch but not muddy.

    • Too Dry: If the soil feels crunchy or has pulled away from the edges of the plastic cell, it is critically dry and needs immediate bottom watering.

    • Too Wet: If water pools around your finger when you press down, the soil is oversaturated, which can lead to root rot.

  • The Weight Test: This is a pro-gardener secret for checking large amounts of seedlings quickly.

    • Dry Tray: Pick up one of your 1020 trays when the soil is dry. It will feel surprisingly light, almost like it's filled with air.

    • Wet Tray: After bottom watering, lift it again. It should feel significantly heavier.

    • The Routine: Get used to the "heft" of your trays daily. If a tray feels light when you nudge it, it’s time to add water to the reservoir.

  • Visual Cues: Color and Condensation

    • Soil Color: Moist seed starting mix is typically dark brown or black. As it dries out, it turns a light tan or grayish color. If you see tan spots in your tray, those specific cells are drying out faster than others.

    • Condensation: If you are using humidity domes, look for light misting on the inside. No condensation usually means the environment is too dry; heavy dripping means it's too wet and you should vent the dome.

  • Tip: As you scale up your "seed station" this month, remember that onions and leeks prefer to stay slightly more moist than peppers and eggplants, which like a brief "dry period" between waterings once they have established their true leaves.

• Stock up on essential potting up supplies with consideration of the total quantity of plants and different varieties you intend to start from seed, such as:

  • Nursery Pots: As seedlings grow, they need much larger homes. A variety pack of nursery pots—ranging from 2-inch squares for early shifts to 6 inch rounds for robust peppers—is the most efficient way to manage limited shelf space. Look for reusable, UV-resistant plastic that can withstand being moved from indoor lights to hardening-off areas.

  • Indoor/Outdoor Potting Mix (store in a cool and dry location until ready to use): Seed starting mix is sterile and fine-textured for germination, but it lacks nutrients. For "potting up" (transplanting a growing seedling), you need a coarser potting soil amended with compost or fertilizer to fuel foliage growth.

  • Liquid Fertilizers & Growth Booster: Seedlings often face "transplant shock" when moved. A gentle, organic liquid fertilizer—specifically those designed for "starters" or "pre-planting"—provides immediate nutrients without burning tender roots. Look for formulas with mycorrhizae to help establish strong root systems quickly.

  • Plant Labels & Watering Trays: When you’re maximizing yield in tight quarters, labeling isn't optional. Bulk plastic plant labels and large plant trays are key for keeping varieties organized and moisture levels consistent while you're busy with the rest of your February checklist.

    • Tip: Bottom watering is a game-changer for high-yield, small-space gardening. By using large plant trays (often called 1020 trays), you can hydrate hundreds of seedlings at once, ensuring deep root growth and avoiding the mess of top watering. To bottom water effectively without making a mess, use a two-tray system. Place your seed cells or smaller pots into a solid 1020 tray (one without drainage holes). This acts as your reservoir. Why this is beneficial: The solid tray holds a uniform layer of water, ensuring every cell gets the same amount of moisture. You can pack cells tightly within the tray, maximizing every inch under your grow lights.

• "Waking Up" the Tubers (Late February): Toward the end of the month, you can "wake up" your tubers to get a head start on the season.

  • Pre-Sprouting: Place Dahlias or Begonias in shallow trays with a bit of damp potting mix under grow lights indoors. This can result in flowers 3–4 weeks earlier than those planted directly in the ground.

• Check your supply of garden tools and accessories. Repair or replace where necessary during winter sales. A few items to check include:

  • Hand-tools such as Pruners, Snippers, and Hori Hori (Garden) Knife.

  • Irrigation tools such as Hoses, Spray Nozzles, Drip Lines, Drip Line Accessories.

  • Accessories such as Garden Twine / Twists, Gloves, Trellises, Garden Stakes, and Weed Plastic / Cloth.

• Continue mapping out your garden or growing space for the 2026 season.

  • Finalize “Sun Map”: As you are placing plants on your 2026 plan, re-evaluate your light. February sun is lower than June sun, but it’s the perfect time to observe where shadows from fences, buildings, or evergreen trees fall.

    • Track the Light: Identify your "Hot Zones" (8+ hours of sun) for peppers and tomatoes and your "Cool Zones" (4-6 hours) for leafy greens and herbs.

    • Vertical Planning: Map out where your tallest structures (trellises or A-frames) will go. Ensure they are on the north side of your beds so they don't shade out shorter plants.

  • Implement Succession Mapping: High-yield gardening relies on never leaving a square inch empty. Instead of just mapping what you plant in April, also map what you want to plant out in June and August.

    • If you are planting peas in March, decide now what will replace them in June (like beans or cucumbers).

    • Intercropping: Look for "gaps" in your plan. Can you tuck radishes, carrots or lettuce around your slow-growing peppers? Map these "under-plantings" now so you can ensure you have enough seed.

    • The "Succession Mapping" Strategy: Use this three-phase approach to map your beds…

      • Phase 1 (Early Spring): Map out your cool-weather starts. Onions, pansies, and brassicas go here.

      • Phase 2 (Late Spring/Early Summer): Identify which Phase 1 plants will be harvested by June. Map their replacements, like peppers, cucumbers, or bush beans.

      • Phase 3 (Late Summer): Plan for a fall harvest by mapping where carrots or kale will go once the summer heat peaks.

  • Vertical & Structure Layout: Don't just plan on the ground—plan in the air. Use vertical structures to double your growing area.

• Add “reminder” notifications to your e-Calendar for each weekly sowing milestone (e.g., 12 weeks BFLF, 10 weeks BFLF). This way, you will be reminded of when you need to start seeds in case you forget or get side tracked.

  • Tip: Alternatively, you can add your weekly sowing milestones to a wall calendar and tape or affix it next to your seed starting area.

• If you live in a warm climate, there are several seeds you can start sowing in February. Check out my list of “What You Can Direct Sow in February” for the specific varieties.

• If you’d like to download my Free Seed Starting Calendar Template, sign-up below and join the “TigreBlume In The Garden” community to get your copy! Additionally, check out my blog post for more tips on how to use this template: https://www.tigreblumeinthegarden.com/blog-posts/seed-starting-simplified.

Outdoor Tasks…

• Structure Check: Before the soil softens, walk your garden. Check your raised beds for any winter damage.

• Soil Feeding: If your beds aren't frozen, top-dress them with compost. Let the late winter rains wash those nutrients down so the soil is "charged" and ready for spring.

• Dormant Pruning: Give your berry bushes and fruit trees some love. Removing dead wood now encourages vigorous growth and better fruit production once the sun stays out longer.

If you typically source tubers or bulbs from online sellers for spring/summer planting, now is the time to place your orders.

• Final Selections: Review online inventories and catalogs to decide what you want to plant in your space this spring or summer. Order now before your favorites sell out and to ensure you receive in time for planting/preparation. Popular varieties often sell out by end of February.