February Temperate and Warm Regions Planting and Garden Checklist

If you live where the soil does not freeze in winter these vegetable and fruit gardening tips are for you. While the soil does not freeze, freezing temperatures and frost can still happen in February.

Temperate and warm regions include USDA Zones 9 and 10 in the United States which include much of the southern part of California and Florida and parts of the Gulf and South Atlantic Coasts and parts of the Pacific Southwest and Desert states.

Vegetables to Plant in USDA Zones 9 and 10 in February

• Zone 10: Plant in the garden cool- and warm-season vegetables and herbs. Plant asparagus, beets, beans, cabbage, carrots, casaba, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, kale, lettuce, melons, okra, onions, onion sets, parsley, parsnip, peas, potatoes, pumpkin, radishes, roselle, salsify, summer spinach, squash, tomatoes.
• Zone 9: Set out in the garden cool-season vegetables and herbs. Plant perennial vegetables such as globe artichokes, asparagus, horseradish, and rhubarb.
• Vegetable to plant as soon as the soil is dry enough to work: kale, peas, early potatoes, spinach, mustard, asparagus crowns, rhubarb roots, onions sets, radishes, lettuce.

Planting Tips for USDA Zones 9 and 10 for February

• If you have limited time and space to devote to vegetables, choose six varieties that are rich in vitamins and minerals. Good choices include tomatoes, snap beans, and beets, carrots, radishes and greens such as chard and lettuce and New Zealand spinach.
• Prepare beds for spring planting if the ground is friable–meaning workable. Spade a rich compost into areas to be planted at least a week in advance of planting. For tomatoes, select a location where they have not been grown for a year or more.
• Plan and plant a succession of crops to provide fresh vegetables over a long period of time.
• Rhubarb roots should be planted now in fairly rich soil and spaced 3 feet (90 cm) apart. Choose and open, sunny location. Rhubarb likes plenty of water all through the growing season and is a heavy feeder.
• Continue to water regularly.

Also of interest:

How to Make a New Garden Planting Bed

How to Prepare an Established Planting Bed for a New Season

Fruit Tree and Berry Care Tips for USDA Zone 9 and 10 in February

• Now is the time to transplant dormant deciduous fruit trees. Young trees that are dormant will get a good start if planted now.
• Give newly planted trees plenty of water.
• At planting time feed newly planted trees with a starter fertilizer. In two months, fertilize with balanced plant food and continue feeding every two months for at least 6 months.
• Plant perennial berries and small fruits now, including blackberries, dewberries, loganberries, raspberries, strawberries, currants, gooseberries, and grapes.
• Continue bare-root dormant planting for fruit trees and berries and grapes this month.
• Continue winter pruning of established dormant fruit trees; remove storm-damaged limbs and deadwood.
• Fertilize established trees, citrus, and vines.
• Cherry and crabapples will bloom this month.
• Clean up the garden, remove winter mulches, and start a compost pile.

Also of interest: How to Grow Apples,  How to Grow Pears,  How to Grow Peaches

Cold Frame, Hotbed, and Plastic Tunnel Tips for USDA Zones 9 and 10 in February 

• Start warm-season vegetables in the cold frame or plastic tunnel. Here is a list of vegetables for the cold frame: cabbage, Brussels sprouts, celery, cauliflower, eggplant, peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes.
• Here is a list of early starters for the hotbed: lima beans, lettuce, turnips, radishes, beets, carrots, muskmelon, lettuce, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, eggplants, watermelon, squash, balm, basil, borage, caraway, lavender, clary, fennel, dill, sweet marjoram, rosemary, thyme, New Zealand spinach.

Also of interest: Plastic Tunnels for Growing Vegetables