The Edible Garden in February

For edible gardeners who grow spring vegetables and fruit growers who need to prune before new growth starts, February is the month to kick off the season. The lengthening days and typically warming temperatures urge us to get things moving. Here is a suggested to-do list.

 Planning

It makes sense to start with a plan:

• Decide what you want to grow, review best times to grow it, and where you want to place it in the garden. Crop rotation on a 3-year cycle is best for soil and helps minimize soil pest and disease issues.
• The USDA has recently reviewed the impact of climate change and modified its Plant Hardiness Zones. This has changed the ratings of many areas, including Albemarle County, VA, changing our local published Hardiness Zone from 7a to 7b. The result is a 10 to 20 day increase to the growing season for many crops. This change hasn’t impacted the VCE publication Virginia’s Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide map yet, but interested local gardeners who follow temperature forecasts can begin to reference the zone 7b planting/harvesting schedules to modify planting dates and maybe try some new crops.
• Start a journal that records what you grow, where you grow it, when you plant and harvest it. Also track any insect or disease issues that arise to guide decisions next year.

Growing from Seed

Starting plants from seed is less expensive, offers more choices and gives gardeners the ability to control conditions and timing of transplanting. It also gets our hands in the soil earlier than outdoor planting or purchasing transplants from garden centers.

• If you plan to start plants from seed, it’s time to acquire seed for spring crops. There are plenty of on-line catalogs and local garden retailers to choose from. Put some thought into varieties to grow, working to balance the appeal of heirlooms with the disease and pest resistance benefits of new hybrids.
• If you plan to use seeds from last year, check their viability, as recommended in the Garden Shed article Good Seeds, Bad Seeds.
• Folks who are new to indoor seed starting can find good advice on everything from equipment to soil to timing from the Garden Shed article Starting Seeds and be sure to read Starting Seeds Indoors in this month’s Garden Shed.

Crops grown from seed that can be started in mid to late-February for transplanting in mid to late-March include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale/collards and head lettuce. When these are moved outside, they can be replaced indoors with warm weather vegetables like tomatoes and peppers for transplanting in late-April/mid-May.

Optimum time from germination to transplanting varies somewhat by crop, with 6 weeks being a general guide. Waiting too long leads to leggy plants that may not be as hardy when moved outside.

Light is important. Natural light requires a south facing window or solarium. Artificial light can work with either a grow light or a two-bulb fluorescent fixture that has one cool and one warm bulb.  The internet is loaded with options for non-DIYers.

Most plants prefer a temperature of 65-75°F. If the growing area is cooler than this, a heating mat is a good idea for both germination and seedling growth.

Containers can be anything from purchased or homemade flats to vegetable cans to yogurt containers. Be sure that they have drainage holes. Space seeds in flats according to the package directions, and thin overly dense seedlings soon after germination.

Be sure to use a fresh potting mix.  We recommend using non-peat based potting soils to reduce negative environmental impacts. There are numerous non-peat potting mixes available and they can be strengthened by adding compost.

If you reuse pots or trays from last year, minimize disease risks by cleaning and disinfecting them with a 10% bleach solution.

Plant seeds at a depth of 2-3 times their diameter (not length). Moisten thoroughly after planting. Keep moist, not soaked. If the seed dries out, it won’t germinate.  Too wet invites fungus and damping off.

To help maintain soil moisture while waiting for germination, cover pots or flats with clear plastic wrap or other clear cover. Keep soil below the top of the flat or container so that any cover is an inch above the soil. Remove cover immediately after germination.

Getting a Jump on Weed Control

If you are starting a new outdoor bed or want to minimize weed issues early in the growing season, consider solarization or occultation. These methods involve using clear or black tarps respectively to smother weeds prior to planting, as a replacement for tilling, manual removal or herbicide use.

The ideal first step is to cut all growing vegetation in the garden bed as close to the ground as possible. Moisten the ground well. Then cover beds with plastic sheeting or tarps, well secured around the edges with bricks, stones, boards or soil. Clear tarps heat the soil a bit more while black tarps keep light out. Heat and moisture will cause weed seeds to germinate. The continuing heat then kills the vegetation. Leave the tarps in place for 4-6weeks, then remove them. Leave the dead vegetation as mulch or remove it and smooth the surface to be ready to plant.

A thorough description of these processes is offered in the article Using the Sun to Kill Weeds and Prepare Garden Plots from the University of Minnesota Extension.

Fruit Grower Tasks 

 Small fruit growers should generally prune canes, bushes, or vines late in the winter, just before new growth starts. Pruning can be done to remove dead, weak, diseased, and damaged plant parts, thin centers for light penetration and air circulation, and to train grape vines and cane hedges. Detailed guidance on pruning, selection and care of blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and grapes is available in the VCE publication Small Fruit in the Home Garden.

Fruit trees are also best pruned just prior to starting spring growth; pruning helps to build a strong frame while encouraging light penetration and air movement. Specific help with selection, and care, including pruning, of various fruit trees is given in the VCE publication Tree Fruit in the Home Garden.

A broader-based article on good pruning practice is available in the Garden Shed article A Pruning Primer: Tools, Techniques and Timing.

Soil Testing

If the garden is due for a soil test (we recommend about every three years), now is a good time to do it. Healthy soils that provide the right amount of macro and micronutrients yield larger harvests from healthier plants with less effort from the gardener. The process is summarized in the VCE publication Soil Sampling for the Home Gardener. Sampling kits are available at the local extension office. In Charlottesville/Albemarle the office is located at 460 Stagecoach Rd, Charlottesville. Phone is 434-872-4580. Test kits are usually available in bins located outside the building entrance off Stagecoach Rd.

Finally, don’t neglect your gardening tools and equipment. Now is the time to clean, disinfect, sharpen etc, based on the item, to be sure you are ready to get the garden going in the spring.

Spring is Coming

It is time to launch the 2023 gardening year. The garden can be a place to escape the noise of the world while reconnecting with nature. It is that way for me, and I hope it is a place of enjoyment and learning for you, too. See you next month at The Garden Shed.