10 Gardening Activities for February in the Midwest

1. Start Seeds Indoors

You may have started some of your seeds indoors late last month, but most cool-season vegetables, herbs, and annuals can be started in February or March. Common cool-season crops to start now include beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflowers, celery, kale, leeks, lettuce, mustard, and parsley. You can also start seeds for flowers such as calendula, impatiens, sweet peas, and viola. If you don’t have them already, get a seed-starting kit and a grow light. Get one with an adjustable light; this allows you to lower the light when starts are small and raise it as they mature.

2. Order Spring-Planted Bulbs

Though you may not plant spring-planted bulbs until March or April, this is a good month to shop for bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers so you can get the varieties you want most. Many of these plants will flower in late-spring or summer (ranunculus, gladiolus, lilies, canna, calla lilies, dahlias) while others have gorgeous foliage (caladium, elephant ear). With proper care, elephant ear can grow up to 5 to 6 feet tall in one summer. Be sure to plant caladium and elephant ear after your soil stays consistently above 65 degrees. Shop for bulbs at online retailers such as Longfield Gardens, Brent and Becky's Bulbs, or American Meadows; and caladiums at Proven Winners.

3. Prune Woody Plants

Pruning woody plants in winter while they are dormant is the best way ensure wounds heal before sap rises (as the weather warms). With deciduous trees and shrubs it’s also easier to see the structure of the plants as you prune. To learn more about winter pruning, visit P. Allen Smith's article that provides a great overview as well as a list of plants that are best pruned in winter.

4. Do a Houseplant Checkup

Warm, dry, indoor air from heaters and fireplaces can dry out plants. To keep plants healthy, consider a regular misting with plain water or a nutrient mist. It can also be helpful to move plants into a bathroom for several days where they can enjoy the extra humidity. Plants also tend to receive less sunlight in winter, so moving them to a location that receives more winter sun or supplementing with artificial UV lights can help. Check for signs of stress such as yellowing or dropped leaves and pest issues (spider mites, scale, mealy bugs, whitefly, fungus gnats). To get help with houseplant challenges, learn how to read a plant and cure common pest issues.

5. Have Fun with Hellebores

In some parts of the Midwest, hellebores will begin their bloom season now. If you have a collection, consider making floral arrangements for indoors or photographing these jewels of the garden. See how gardener and photographer Georgianna Lane uses hellebores in arrangements and photographs them. To add to your hellebore collection, visit a local nursery where you can see varieties in bloom before you plant. There are also a number of online retailers to check out for hellebores such as Proven Winners and Burpee.

6. Check Up on Stored Plants

If you dug up plants such as dahlias or bananas for the winter, check on them this month. You want to make sure they’ve remained dry through the winter. You also want to keep them in a cool (but not freezing), dark location. If any of your bulbs, tubers, or other plants show signs of rot, remove and dispose of them. See how Floret Flowers stores their dahlia tubers in baskets.

7. Build or Buy Cold Frames

Cold frames are a great way to extend the gardening season. In the Midwest where snow can linger well into spring, using one means you can start planting several months sooner or even grow year-round. Vegetable gardening expert Niki Jabbour has a great video on how to use a cold frame. You can find them through Gardeners Supply Company, or you can try your hand at building one.

8. Consider a Winter Project

This is a good time of year to get started building structures for your garden because you’ve likely picked out what you’re going to grow this season. For example, growing more vines means you’ll need more trellises, arbors, or a pergola for them to grow on. Adding to your vegetable garden may mean you need more raised beds. Starting now gives you plenty of time to build these structures and get them into your garden before the planting season begins. Look for plans online or find a kit such as these: pergola kit, arbor kit, raised-bed kits.

9. Plant Begonias Indoors

Buy and plant begonia tubers indoors now. Getting your begonias started indoors allows ample time for them to grow into plant starts by spring. This is also a less expensive way to grow lots of begonias (buying fully grown begonias at a retailer can add up). You can buy begonia tubers online at retailers such as K. van Bourgondien, Eden Brothers, or Longfield Gardens. Learn more about growing begonias.

10. Add Compost and Fertilizer

Once the ground thaws, add a layer of compost or fertilizer to your garden beds. Open up the soil using a broad fork. Using a broad fork aerates the soil without destroying the soil structure. There are also a number of gardeners that follow the no-till gardening method. The compost and fertilizer will be ready when it’s time to plant in a month or two.