Gardening tips in February: How to get started in the vegetable garden
February marks the transition from winter to spring and offers numerous opportunities to prepare your vegetable garden for the upcoming season. Use this month to complete important tasks and lay the foundation for a successful harvest.

Fruit tree pruning: Ensure healthy yields now
February is the ideal time forWinter pruningYour fruit trees. Proper pruning promotes tree vitality and ensures a bountiful harvest in the summer. Remove diseased or dead branches and thin out the crown to ensure optimal ventilation.
Preparing cold frames: Creating warmth for the first sowings
Even if the temperatures are still low, you can nowcold framesBy adding fresh compost or manure, you create natural soil warmth, which accelerates the germination process. This creates ideal conditions for sowing cold-resistant crops such asspinach,radish orlamb's lettuce.
Pre-cultivation on the windowsill: Pre-cultivate heat-loving plants
For heat-loving vegetables such astomatoes,paprikaorEggplantsnow begins thePre-cultureIndoors. Sow the seeds in seed trays and place them in a bright, warm location. This will ensure strong young plants grow, ready to move outdoors after the last frosts.

Soil care: Preparing the garden for the new season
Use frost-free days to loosen the soil in your beds andcompostA good soil structure is crucial for the growth of your plants and lays the foundation for a successful gardening season.
Planting time for early-growing fruit trees
Before the first leaves and flowers sprout, now is the best time to plant early-growing fruit trees such asalmond,peachor the still little knownMayberry bush(Lonicera kamtschatica). The Siberian blueberry bush, also called the Siberian blueberry, is uncomplicated and frost-resistant. It thrives in both sun and partial shade and grows in various soil types. Its early-ripening fruits taste similar to blueberries and herald the berry season as early as May.
Step cut for wine and kiwi
A targetedLayered cutatgrapevinesandKiwi plantsPromotes the quality and size of the fruit. In grapevines, the one-year-old shoots should be cut back to just a few buds, as the fruit grows on one-year-old wood. For kiwis, it is recommended to cut back the previous year's shoots to just 2–3 buds to ensure healthy growth.
Frequently asked questions about the vegetable garden in February (FAQ)
What can you sow in the garden in February?
In February you can plant cold-resistant vegetables such asspinach,lamb's lettuce,radishorEarly carrotsdirectly intoCold frame or greenhouseAlso the first herbs likeParsleyorchivescan be grown indoors.
What gardening tasks are useful in February?
In February it is worth:
- Fruit tree pruning for apples, pears, etc.
- Preparing cold frames with compost or manure
- Pre-culture of heat-loving vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers or eggplants on the
- windowsill
- Soil care through loosening and fertilizing
Can you start tomatoes in February?
Yes, especially early tomato varieties such as'Ormato'or'Resin Fire'canfrom mid-February in the houseA bright location with a constant temperature of 20–24 °C is ideal for vigorous young plant development.
Is it still possible to prune fruit trees in February?
Yes, as long as there is no severe frost, theWinter pruningFebruary is ideal for pome fruits such as apples and pears. Important: Only prune on frost-free days and avoid temperatures below -5°C.
When should you start pre-cultivation on the windowsill?
Alreadyfrom FebruaryYou can start with the pre-cultivation of heat-loving plants. These include, for example,tomatoes,paprika,Eggplantsand partly alsoZinniasorSummer phlox.

