What to plant in February? What can you plant this time of year? How about beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, chard, collards, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, onions, parsley, peas, potatoes, radish, spinach, turnips and asparagus. You can find asparagus crowns at North Haven Gardens.
Keep an eye on the weather. If you think we’re going to get cold and stay cold you need to protect these plants. You can insulate them by covering them with 3 to 6 inches of straw over the entire plant. Frost blankets (also called floating row cover) are used with a frame over the row and laying the blanket on the frame. Frame material can be PVC pipe, wood or steel. I have heard of some folks placing lights and heat lamps under the blanket in extreme conditions. If at all possible do not lay the blanket on the plants. The cold will transfer from the blanket to the plant. Wells Brothers carries the Easy Gardener Frost Blanket. They measure 6×20 feet and sell for $14.99. Click here for help with other methods for fighting extreme cold.
Outside of a few stragglers, all of our garden seeds are now in. We have some new selections this year; first is the Ogen Melon aka the Israel Melon. This is an open pollinated, cooler climate, early producing cantaloupe. We are also pleased to welcome back the Straight Eight cucumber. The last one is not a seed but an inoculate for peas and beans. This 3.2 ounce package sells for $3.75, will treat a 40 foot row and it’s called Fix-N-Grow.