In the Vegetable Garden – February 2019

by Patty Leander
photos by Patty and Bruce Leander

As a vegetable gardener anticipating the end of winter, my focus is on the forecast this month, all month. That’s because February can be our coldest month, but some years it can possibly bring our last freeze—we just won’t know if it’s our last freeze until we get further along in the season!
Our planning as gardeners would be so much easier if only we had a crystal ball. Instead we count on historical data that tells us that the average date of the last freeze in Central Texas falls on or around March 4th. After the threat of freezing weather has passed, we can start planting squash, cucumbers, beans and other warm season vegetables, so we follow the local weather closely as that date approaches. Some years we plant earlier and some years we plant later.
For now, we can still plant cole crops, root crops, peas and all types of greens, but remember that these vegetables will be taking up valuable garden space for the next 2-3 months, so utilize your space carefully. Consider planting in containers, along the edge of a bed, or tuck them into the landscape among shrubs or flowers.
Potatoes also get planted this month, and if the forecast looks promising (mild days with nights above 40°) as we move towards late February, some gardeners may gamble by planting a few tomatoes with protection from wind and freezing weather.

Here is the vegetable gardener’s checklist for February:

• Fertilize leafy greens, brassicas, onions and flowers with a liquid fertilizer every 2-3 weeks.
• Water plants during dry periods, especially those growing in containers.
• Allow some brassica plants to flower to attract bees and other pollinators to the garden.
• Monitor plants for caterpillars, harlequin bugs, aphids and other pests.
• A soil test is a good idea if you haven’t done one in the last 3 or 4 years; you can beat the spring rush by sending in a sample now. The A&M soil lab offers a routine soil test for $12 and for an additional $20 you can add the test for organic matter. Our native soils are generally low (1-2%) in organic matter, and the long hot summers can quickly burn up what we add. A level of 5% is a good amount to strive for. Download a soil test form with instructions from the Texas AgriLife Extension Soil Testing Lab http://soiltesting.tamu.edu/files/soilwebform.pdf
• Keep crop rotation in mind as you design your spring garden. Vegetables in the same family are often susceptible to the same diseases and insects; moving them to a different location can help break recurrent cycles of pest and disease.
• If you are growing your own tomato transplants pot them up to a bigger container this month to avoid lanky growth and encourage a bigger and stronger root system.
• Clean tomato cages and cut sections of row cover to fit the cages. When planting time arrives use clothespins or binder clips to attach row cover to cages.
• Take advantage of post-rainy periods to pull weeds. Use a trowel or hand weeder to remove the stubborn roots of dandelion and prickly thistles. Henbit and chickweed come out easily by hand and make a great addition to the compost pile. Mulch to prevent new weeds from sprouting, and most importantly, remove weed flowers to prevent seed dispersal.
• I know I say this over and over but collect as many leaves as you can—you can never have enough, especially when summer comes around.
• Enjoy your homegrown harvest!