February in Texas is a transition period, bridging the gap between winter and the rapid onset of spring growth. This month requires a strategic and proactive approach to planting, as early action significantly impacts the spring and summer harvest. Successfully navigating this window depends on understanding which plants tolerate the cool soil and which require a sheltered head-start. Planting decisions must balance cold tolerance with the push for early maturity.
Navigating Texas Regional Climate Differences
Texas’s vast geography prevents a single, universal planting calendar, making regional climate differences the primary factor in February gardening decisions. The state is broadly divided into three actionable planting zones, determined by their average final expected frost date.
South Texas
Gardeners in South Texas, including the Gulf Coast and areas like Houston, experience the earliest last frost, often around late February or the first week of March. This allows for earlier outdoor planting of spring crops.
Central Texas
Central Texas, encompassing cities like Austin and San Antonio, typically faces its last frost around early to mid-March. February planting here requires vigilance and a readiness to protect young plants from sudden, sharp temperature drops.
North Texas
North Texas and the Panhandle, including areas like Dallas, have the shortest growing season and the latest average last frost, sometimes extending into late March or early April. For northern gardeners, February remains focused on indoor preparation, whereas southern gardeners may already be direct-sowing frost-tolerant vegetables. Monitoring the ten-day forecast for your specific location is more important than relying solely on generalized zone maps.
Cool-Season Vegetables and Herbs for Direct Sowing
February is the prime window for direct-sowing hardy, cool-season vegetables and herbs that thrive in cold soil. Root crops like carrots, radishes, and beets should be sown directly into the garden bed, as they do not transplant well and prefer to establish their root undisturbed. These crops mature quickly, allowing for a harvest before the intense summer heat causes them to bolt.
Leafy greens are also excellent choices for direct seeding this month. These include:
- Spinach
- Kale
- Collard greens
- Swiss chard
These greens are highly frost-tolerant and will produce a harvest in the cool, lengthening days of late winter and early spring. For a quicker crop, plant onion sets or slips, which quickly develop into full-sized onions.
Irish potatoes are planted using seed potatoes rather than actual seeds. These should be buried as soon as the soil is workable, typically in the first half of the month, to develop before the heat arrives. Peas (English, snap, or snow) should also be planted early to ensure they mature before temperatures rise above their preferred range.
Essential Seeds to Start Indoors in February
Starting seeds indoors during February is necessary for warm-season crops that require a long growing period but are intolerant of frost. Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant are the primary candidates for this indoor head start. These plants must be transplanted into the garden only after all danger of frost has passed, usually in late March or April.
Sowing these seeds six to eight weeks before the last anticipated frost date ensures the seedlings are robust enough for transplanting, with a well-developed root system. Without this preparation, the plants would not have enough time to mature and produce a harvest before the intense heat of a Texas summer begins. Seedlings must be placed under strong, full-spectrum grow lights immediately after germination to prevent them from becoming weak.
Controlled conditions are also helpful for starting certain cool-season plants, especially in North Texas. These include broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower. Starting these brassicas indoors allows them to establish quickly, ensuring they are ready to be set out as transplants in early spring. Basil, which is sensitive to cold, should also be started indoors now to have a sizeable plant ready for the warm season.
Landscape and Ornamental Planting
February’s cool, moist soil offers ideal conditions for establishing non-edible plants before the stress of summer heat arrives. This is the time for dormant planting, including bare-root roses, trees, and shrubs. Planting these woody ornamentals now allows their root systems to settle and grow in the cool ground without needing to support leaf production, improving their survival rate.
Cool-season annuals can also be planted now to provide immediate color in the landscape. Hardy options that tolerate light frost and will continue to bloom until late spring heat include:
- Pansies
- Snapdragons
- Stock
- Ornamental cabbage
Planting these as established transplants is preferred over sowing seeds for quicker results and immediate visual impact.
Pruning is another important February activity, particularly for roses and deciduous trees. Roses that bloom repeatedly should be pruned back by about fifty percent this month to encourage vigorous new growth and abundant spring flowering. Pruning dormant deciduous trees and shrubs before their buds begin to swell directs the plant’s energy toward desired growth.