Allotment & Gardening in February: Preparing for Spring

UKSN
2 days ago
3 min read

February marks the transition from deep winter to the first real hints of spring. While frost, wind, and rain are still very much part of daily life, the days are slowly getting longer, and the growing season is edging closer. This is the month for preparation, planning, and the first careful steps into a new year on the allotment.

A little effort now can make a huge difference once spring arrives.

Allotment & Gardening in February: Preparing for Spring Feature Image

Allotment Tasks to Tackle in February

February is all about getting ahead before the rush begins.

Now is the ideal time to finish winter pruning, especially fruit trees such as apples and pears, along with soft fruit bushes like raspberries, gooseberries, and currants. Removing dead or crowded branches improves airflow and encourages strong, healthy growth later in the year.

If you haven’t already, start chitting early potatoes by placing seed potatoes in trays or egg boxes in a cool, bright, frost-free place. This allows short, sturdy shoots to develop, giving them a strong head start before planting in March or early April.

With planting still limited, take advantage of the quieter period to prepare your soil. Spread well-rotted manure or garden compost over empty beds to improve structure and fertility. Winter rain and frost will help break it down and pull nutrients into the soil ready for spring crops.

This is also a great month to check seed stocks, order what you need, clean pots and trays, and sketch out a rough plan of where crops will go this year to help with rotation and spacing.

What to Grow and Harvest

Although outdoor sowing is still limited, February is when the growing year truly begins indoors.

Seeds that benefit from an early start include onions, leeks, tomatoes, peppers, and chillies. These should be sown in modules or trays and kept somewhere warm and bright, such as a sunny windowsill or heated propagator.

If you have a greenhouse or cold frame, you can also start sowing hardy crops like lettuce, spinach, spring onions, and early cabbage varieties.

Outdoors, if the soil is workable and not frozen or waterlogged, you can plant bare-root fruit trees and bushes while they are still dormant. In milder areas, broad beans and early peas can also be sown directly into the ground.

Harvests are still modest, but winter crops may be providing leeks, parsnips, kale, Brussels sprouts, and sprouting broccoli, all of which often improve in flavour after frost.

February Growing Challenge: Start Your First Seeds of the Year

Your February challenge is simple but important: start your first indoor sowings of the year.

Choose at least two crops, such as onions and tomatoes, sow them into clean containers, label them clearly, and place them somewhere warm and bright. Keep a simple note of sowing dates and progress. Watching these first seedlings grow is a great way to mark the real beginning of the new growing season.

Final Thought

February can feel like a waiting month, but it is one of the most important times of the year on the allotment. Pruning, soil preparation, planning, and early sowing all quietly build the foundation for the busy months ahead.

Use this time well, and when spring finally arrives, you will be ready to make the most of it.