What to sow and plant in the vegetable garden in February?

Updated 4 November 2026 · By the Orto editorial team

In February, in the north and centre, tomatoes are sown indoors at about 18 °C. In the south it is the month for anyone who had no heat and light in January; in Campania, garlic is planted until late February and peas go back into the ground from February to March.

Cold frame in a February garden with lettuce and pea seedlings

By region

Job	North	Centre	South and islands
Tomato, pepper, aubergine	Yes, indoors, from February to March, at about 18 °C with plenty of light.	Yes: it is Umbria's standard, February–March.	If you did not start in January, this is the month, with heat and light. Without heat, start now.
Garlic	In Valle d'Aosta the written months are October–November, or March. February sits outside that, unless it is a late-winter variety on soil that can be worked.	Outside the RHS autumn window. A late-winter variety, on soil that drains, is the edge case.	In Campania, until late February. In Sicily, carry on from December; the guide states no end date, so follow the packet.
Peas	Outdoors only once the soil is about 10 °C. Below that, do not sow. Autumn sowings in pots stay under cover.	The same 10 °C threshold. Below it, wait.	In Campania the window is February–March.
Potatoes	Do not plant: on the valley floor the deadline is 20 April. Chit them, and buy certified tubers in March.	The window opens on 1 March. Not in February.	In Campania the early crop continues until early March, only if frost is finished by early April. In Sicily the windows are October–November and August–September.
Onion	Seedbed in March, transplant in May. In February, indoors, the RHS is inside its mid-winter window; in the open ground, wait.	If autumn was missed, sow a seedbed in March. Outdoors, Umbria lists November and December.	Late winter and spring, depending on the cultivar. If nights are still cold, that cold sends the plant to flower, so wait.
Strawberries and French beans	Strawberries: in February, move pots under cover or cover the rows. In the open ground, on frozen or sodden soil, wait. No French beans outdoors.	French beans only in a greenhouse or a tunnel. Strawberries as in the north, if the soil can be worked.	French beans in the open ground only once frost has passed and the soil is warm; otherwise a tunnel. Strawberries once the ground is neither frozen nor sodden.

Indicative windows for a home garden. Frost, drainage and soil temperature matter more than the month in the table.

February–March for tomatoes in the north is from Valle d'Aosta, in the centre from Umbria's calendar, and the 18 °C is from the RHS. Garlic in Campania closes at the end of February; the Valle d'Aosta fallback is March, from the bulb issue of the Informatore. Peas in February–March are from Campania, and the 10 °C is from the RHS. Potatoes follow the Valle d'Aosta Informatore, Colfiorito, and the Campania and Sicily guides. Indoor onions follow the RHS, and the March seedbed follows Valle d'Aosta. French beans under a tunnel are from ARPA Umbria's bean sheet. Strawberries covered in February are from the RHS. If the packet gives another window, the packet wins. January is in the January calendar, March in the March calendar, and the wider picture in the planting calendar.

Tomato seed indoors

This is the month the north and centre start, at about 18 °C with plenty of light. A windowsill gets cold at night and the seedlings grow thin. Peppers and aubergines share that start. They do not go outside: in the north, tomato planting is May–June, and in the centre and south from April, above 16 °C. The months are in when to plant tomatoes. Light, warmth and pots are in starting seeds indoors and the homemade seedbed.

Basil, by contrast, starts in March at about 20 °C. In February, only in the south, and only if you can hold that temperature and plenty of light. The page is when to plant basil.

Garlic, peas and onions

In Campania, February is the last written month for garlic. In Valle d'Aosta, catching a missed autumn is March, not February, unless it is a late-winter variety on soil that can be worked. The rest is in the garlic guide.

In Campania, peas go back into the ground from February to March. Elsewhere, sow only if the soil is about 10 °C; below that, the seed does not start. Autumn sowings in pots stay under cover until early spring. Outdoor broad beans, the RHS says, start in March. Depth and spacing are in peas and broad beans.

Onions in the open ground wait. Indoors, the RHS is already inside its window, from mid-winter to early spring; the Valle d'Aosta seedbed, and the centre's fallback if autumn was missed, is March. The dates are in when to plant onions.

Potatoes, French beans and strawberries

In February, potatoes do not go into the ground in the north or in Umbria. Chit the earlies, as the RHS describes, and buy the tubers in March. In Campania the early crop is still open, until early March, only if frost is finished by early April. In Sicily, February is not one of the two windows. The detail is in when to plant potatoes.

French beans do not go in the open ground until frost has passed and the soil is warm. From December to March the Umbria sheet keeps them in a greenhouse or a tunnel. See when to plant French beans. On strawberries, the February job is covering: the RHS moves pots under cover or covers the rows, to bring the crop forward. Planting into frozen or sodden soil waits. Crown and spacing are in when to plant strawberries.

Jobs for the month

Keep the seedbed moist, never waterlogged, and give it plenty of light. February seedlings that grow thin reach May weak. Outside, don't dig if the ground is frozen or sticks to the spade. On beds for spring, well-rotted compost and a cover on bare soil, as in mulching. In a pot, frost bites as it does in the ground: see the container garden. From March, watering changes: the guide is watering.

In the app

Every plant in the catalogue has its own sowing calendar, and weather alerts for your area help you judge whether to sow now or hold off.

Frequently asked questions

Is February the month to sow tomatoes indoors?

Yes, in the north and centre: the window is February–March, at about 18 °C with plenty of light. In the south, if you had no heat and light in January, start now. They do not go outside.

How late can garlic be planted in the south?

In Campania, until late February. In Valle d'Aosta the written fallback is March, not February. In Sicily the guide gives the start, from the second ten days of December, and no end date: follow the packet.

Are peas sown in February?

In Campania, yes: the window is February–March. Elsewhere, only once the soil reaches about 10 °C. Below that they do not germinate, so in February you measure the figure, you do not guess it.

Are potatoes planted in February in the north?

No. On the valley floor the deadline is 20 April, and certified tubers are bought in March. In Umbria the window opens on 1 March. In Campania the early crop continues until early March, only if frost is finished by early April.

What do I do with strawberries in February?

Bring the crop forward: the RHS moves pots under cover in February, or covers the rows. Planting in the open ground on frozen or sodden soil waits. Cold-stored runners arrive from spring to early summer.