What to plant in February in Southeast Texas

Even though our main focus in February is harvesting our cool season plants, this month also brings us to the end of the cool season where we anticipate the warmer days ahead. You’ll see a shift right around Valentine's Day when the veggies we’ve been growing are coming to a close and we try to maximize their growth before the temps rise. 

Most of the things we planted in December & January will be ready to harvest this month: lots of herbs, swiss chard, kale, snap peas, radish etc.

RADISH

CILANTRO

February provides the perfect temperatures and conditions for delicious greens in your garden. Buttercrunch, Romaine, Spring Mix plus more can be planted this month. Southeast Texas temps will rise as we get later into February and into March so we recommend starting your lettuce and greens by seed early in February so you can enjoy your harvest before the warmer temps set in.

LETTUCE

February is the month to plant your tomato plants in order to have a great harvest before the heat of summer sets in - we recommend planting early! Plant your tomatoes early to mid February. Sure, there may be a frost or cold spell, but if that happens, simply cover your young plants for the night until temps rise. Worst case, you can always replant with plenty of time to harvest before you miss your window. Tomatoes prefer temperatures below 90F and also enjoy cooler evenings. When evening temperatures don’t dip below 70 or 75F, tomatoes will continue to produce leaves, but drastically slow down their flower and fruit production. 

TOMATO SEEDLINGS

Although temperatures are sure to rise this month in Southeast Texas, there’s still time to plant some greens that will last for many months into spring and summertime. Mustards, Kale & Swiss Chard have proven time and time again that they can hold up even in our hottest summers if they’re planted early in the spring season. While it’s possible to grow these plants by seed we will also recommend transplanting a healthy starter plant to ensure a quick first harvest. With proper maintenance, you will be able to enjoy these plants for months, if not years, in your garden in Southeast Texas.

Swiss chard

Finally, this is the month to plant potatoes in Southeast Texas but getting your timing right can be critical. Be sure to plant your potatoes as soon as possible this month. Potatoes can take up a lot of time & space in the garden that you might otherwise want to commit to crops that can be harvested more often. One small potato can turn into 5, 6 or even 7 potatoes, taking up a fair amount of space, so we recommend planting your potatoes outside of your raised bed for this reason.

POTATO PLANTS