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Month by month · Oregon · Washington · Idaho

February in the garden

Days are lengthening. West-side gardeners can start the first seeds indoors; everyone else is still waiting on frozen ground.

What to plant in February

How much can go in across the five climate regions. Your region's row is highlighted once you pick a town.

RegionPlant outsideStart indoorsFebruary 1 – 28
CoastNothing14 plants
West-side valleysNothing12 plants
East-side valleysNothing15 plants
Inland NorthwestNothing10 plants
High desertNothingNothing
All 15 plants and their February dates, by region
PlantCoastWest-side valleysEast-side valleysInland NorthwestHigh desert
Start indoors Feb 11–25Start indoors Jan 18 – Feb 1Start indoors Feb 6–20Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4—
Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4Start indoors Feb 1–15Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4——
Start indoors Feb 11–25Start indoors Jan 25 – Feb 8Start indoors Feb 11–25Start indoors Feb 25 – Mar 11—
Start indoors Feb 11–25Start indoors Jan 25 – Feb 8Start indoors Feb 11–25Start indoors Feb 25 – Mar 11—
Start indoors Feb 4–18Start indoors Jan 18 – Feb 1Start indoors Feb 4–18Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4—
Start indoors Feb 11–25Start indoors Jan 25 – Feb 8Start indoors Feb 11–25Start indoors Feb 25 – Mar 11—
Start indoors Feb 4–18Start indoors Jan 18 – Feb 1Start indoors Feb 4–18Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4—
Start indoors Jan 21 – Feb 4—Start indoors Jan 21 – Feb 4Start indoors Feb 4–18—
Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4Start indoors Jan 25 – Feb 8Start indoors Feb 13–27Start indoors Feb 25 – Mar 11—
Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4Start indoors Feb 1–15Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4——
Start indoors Feb 4–18Start indoors Jan 18 – Feb 1Start indoors Feb 4–18Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4—
Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4Start indoors Feb 1–15Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4——
——Start indoors Feb 20 – Mar 6——
Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4Start indoors Feb 1–15Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4——
Start indoors Jan 21 – Feb 4—Start indoors Jan 21 – Feb 4Start indoors Feb 4–18—

Dates are for one typical town in each region: Astoria, Portland, Pendleton, Spokane and Bend and Redmond. Plant now shows your own town's dates.

February jobs

Plant and sow

  • Plant bare-root fruit trees, berries and rhubarb whenever the soil isn't waterlogged. West-side valleys
  • Plant onion sets and shallots late in the month in raised beds that drain well. West-side valleys

Start indoors

  • Start onions and leeks indoors if you didn't in January.
  • Start broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and lettuce indoors late in the month. West-side valleys

Harvest

  • Keep picking hardy greens and leeks. West-side valleys
  • Purple sprouting broccoli planted last summer starts sending up shoots. West-side valleys

Garden care

  • Clean and sharpen tools, and wash old pots and seed trays in soapy water.
  • Stay off wet soil. If a squeezed handful drips or stays in a tight ball, it's too wet to dig.
  • Set up a seed-starting shelf with a shop light hung a few inches above the trays.
  • Turn under or cut down winter cover crops a few weeks before you plan to plant those beds. West-side valleys

Pests and problems

  • Put out slug traps around early greens and emerging bulbs on mild nights. West-side valleys

Fruit, berries and flowers

  • Finish pruning fruit trees before buds break.
  • Prune summer-flowering shrubs and roses late in the month. West-side valleys
  • Spread compost around rhubarb and asparagus beds.

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