For many parts of the U.S., February is still very much the winter – but no matter where you are, you should be seeing signs that spring is around the corner. The last frosts of the season are within sight and the earth is starting to soften, which means that you can start planting some of the tougher, slower-growing vegetable seeds in your mix. In fact, even if it’s too cold outside to plant directly into the ground, many vegetables will benefit from February planting indoors so that they are ready to be transplanted outside as soon as the weather warms up. You can break out your pruning shears and do this in a greenhouse or simply in a warm, sunny part of your house.
The reason to start early is simply to give your produce a wider growing season so that you can either harvest multiple rounds of vegetables or get a consistent bounty throughout the year. Some of the vegetables on this list require more time to reach maturity, so planting now ensures they will still bear their produce before the weather gets too hot. Other plants can simply handle the cold temperatures more easily, allowing you to enjoy the fruits of your labor earlier in the season than if you waited until March or April.
