In the Vegetable Garden – February 2020

by Patty Leander
photos by Patty and Bruce Leander

A mild January doesn’t necessarily mean the coldest weather is behind us. February is a month that can bring 80-degree days or an inch of snow—or both just a few days apart! We have a 50/50 chance of a freeze this month so keep up with the weather forecast and be prepared to cover prized vegetables or young seedlings that could be damaged by freezing temperatures.

February is potato time in Central Texas. Seed potatoes can be purchased at many local nurseries. Avoid the temptation to use potatoes from the grocery store – they have often been treated with a sprout inhibitor and you don’t always know what variety they are. They could also carry disease organisms that could be transferred to the soil. Seed potatoes purchased from a reputable source are certified to be disease free. The traditional time for planting potatoes is on or around Valentine’s Day or President’s Day. Potatoes are like people—they are most comfortable and perform their best at room temperature. So in order to keep potatoes happy, we need to plant them so that they can grow in our mild spring temperatures and mature before hot summer days arrive. Plant early or mid-season varieties that will be ready for harvest in less than 100 days and avoid the late-season types that take too long to mature (most russets are late-season varieties that would rather grow in Idaho than Texas). Highly recommended varieties for our area are Red La Soda, Red Pontiac, Kennebec, and Yukon Gold. Some of the fingerling potatoes, like Austrian Crescent or Russian Banana, are delicious and also worth trying.

To prepare potatoes for planting cut into pieces about the size of an egg, making sure each piece has one or two “eyes”. Allow the cut pieces to cure in a warm location for 2-4 days before planting. Some gardeners dust their seed potatoes with sulfur to help prevent soil borne disease. Remember that potatoes belong to the nightshade family, so try not to plant them where you have grown tomatoes, eggplant or peppers in the past. One pound of potatoes will yield about 10 pounds of harvestable spuds.

Here is the vegetable gardener’s checklist for February:

• For big onions, water consistently and sidedress with a high nitrogen granular fertilizer 3-4 weeks after planting using 1 cup of fertilizer for 20 feet of plants. Fertilize again when bulbs begin to swell. Sidedress means to sprinkle the fertilizer along the outer edge of the row, about 6-8 inches from the plants. Lightly rake the fertilizer into the soil and always water afterwards.
• Make successive plantings of carrots, beets and other root crops. Planting a short row every week will mean small, manageable harvests over a longer period. Gardeners who plan to pickle or preserve will want to plant a full bed or several rows of their preferred crop to ensure the quantity needed for the recipe.
• If you don’t delay, peas can be planted early this month. Choose from sugar snap, snow pea or English peas and look for varieties that produce 50-60 days from seeding so they can mature before the onset of hot weather. English peas require shelling; a pound of pea pods will yield about a cup of peas so plant according to your needs.
• On mild days set tomato seedlings outdoors in a sheltered spot, gradually exposing them to the sun while protecting them from damaging winds.

Magic Mineral Broth

“Clean Soups: Simple Nourishing Recipes for Health and Vitality” by soup-maker and culinary consultant Rebecca Katz is all about healthy, flavorful soups with the power to nourish, uplift and heal. Her signature Magic Mineral Broth is a “veritable veggie-palooza”; she recommends it for sipping as well as a base for many of her soup recipes. If you don’t have the recommended 12-quart stockpot for this recipe make it in two pots or simply halve the recipe.

6 unpeeled carrots, cut into thirds
2 unpeeled yellow onions, cut into chunks
1 leek, white and green parts, cut into thirds
1 bunch celery, including the heart, cut into thirds
4 unpeeled red potatoes, quartered
2 unpeeled Japanese or regular sweet potatoes, quartered
1 unpeeled garnet sweet potato, quartered
5 unpeeled cloves garlic, halved
1/2 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 (8-inch) strip of kombu (I purchased this dried seaweed at Central Market)
12 black peppercorns
4 whole allspice or juniper berries
2 bay leaves
8 quarts cold, filtered water
1 teaspoon sea salt

Rinse and prep all of the vegetables. Place in a 12-quart stockpot and fill with water to 2 inches below the rim. Cover and bring to a boil. Remove the lid, decrease the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for at least 2 hours, until the full richness of the vegetables can be tasted. Add more water if the vegetables begin to peek out. Cool slightly. Strain the broth through a sieve into a large container, salt to taste and use as desired. Store up to 5 days in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.