What to sow in February

February is the point when the new growing year starts to move. You can sow broad beans under cover, chit early potatoes and prepare seedbeds whenever the ground is neither frozen nor waterlogged. Outdoor sowing is still a local decision: on light soil in a mild part of the UK, a short list of hardy crops can start now; elsewhere, waiting for the soil to warm in March or April is the better course.

This month's priorities

1. Start broad beans under cover if the ground is cold or wet.
2. Chit first- and second-early potatoes somewhere bright and frost-free.
3. Prepare one seedbed, but stay off saturated soil.

Sow under cover

• Broad beans: sow individual seeds in small pots or modules from February, ready to plant out in spring. Under-cover sowing is especially useful where the soil is damp or mice are a problem.
• Greenhouse crops: from mid-February, the RHS includes tomatoes, chillies, cucumbers and aubergines among the crops that can be sown for greenhouse growing. Use peat-free seed compost. This timing is for plants destined for a greenhouse, not a signal to plant them outside.
• Peas: the RHS February list suggests sowing peas under glass in clean guttering with drainage holes. If that setup is more trouble than it saves, waiting is reasonable.

Sow outside only if your conditions suit

In a mild part of the UK with light, sandy soil, the RHS lists broad beans, carrots, parsnips, early beetroot, salad onions, lettuces, radish, spinach and summer cabbages for outdoor sowing in February. If your soil is colder, heavier or wet, wait until it starts to warm in March or April.

For an early outdoor broad-bean sowing, choose a hardy variety and protect young plants during cold spells. February outdoor sowing is best suited to mild or sheltered places with well-drained soil; the main outdoor sowing period comes later.

Plant out

• Garlic and shallots: the RHS February list recommends planting them now only in light soil; heavy soil needs longer to warm.
• Dormant fruit: new fruit trees, bushes, canes and vines can be planted if the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
• Jerusalem artichokes: their tubers can go in this month when the ground is workable.

Chit early potatoes

Stand first- and second-early seed potatoes in egg boxes or seed trays with the eyes uppermost, then keep them somewhere bright and frost-free. Chitting takes about four to six weeks; the RHS timing runs from late January in milder areas to early March in colder ones. It is optional, and there is little advantage in chitting maincrop varieties.

This is preparation, not the usual planting month. The RHS guide puts first-early planting around late March, second earlies in early to mid-April and maincrops from mid-April to early May, with later timing in colder regions. See the potato guide before you set out the rows.

Soil and maintenance

• Prepare seedbeds only when workable. Do not cultivate frozen or waterlogged ground.
• Finish a no-dig bed. A new no-dig bed can be planted as soon as it is made if the mulch is well rotted and deep enough. Keep traffic off saturated beds and use planks where access is unavoidable.
• Plan the rotation. Decide where each crop family will go before the busy sowing weeks arrive. The plot planner can map the next four years.
• Check brassica nets. Keep netting taut, repair holes and check it regularly so birds and other animals are not trapped or injured.

Weather

A forecast air temperature above freezing does not rule out frost at soil level: the ground can cool faster than the air. Check the local forecast and the condition of your own plot before sowing or planting outside.

If you have one hour this week

• Put early seed potatoes into labelled egg boxes to chit.
• Sow a tray of broad beans under cover.
• Check brassica nets, then mark out the first seedbed without walking on wet soil.

FAQs

What can I sow outside in February in the UK?

On light soil in a mild area, the RHS lists broad beans, carrots, parsnips, early beetroot, salad onions, lettuces, radish, spinach and summer cabbages. On cold, heavy or wet ground, wait until March or April.

Is February too early to sow tomatoes?

The RHS lists mid-February onwards for tomatoes intended for greenhouse growing. It does not give that timing for outdoor plants, so match the sowing date to where the plants will finish.

Should I plant potatoes in February?

Usually, use February to chit early seed potatoes. The RHS places normal outdoor planting from late March for first earlies, with second earlies and maincrops following in April or early May, adjusted for local conditions.

Your next step

Open the sowing calendar and filter it for your region band. Then choose one under-cover sowing and one plot job rather than trying to start the whole season at once.