Texas February Garden Checklist: Plant, Prune, and Prep Soil

Despite the chill, February is prime for planting seeds and transplants across categories, and improving soil for spring.

Plant Perennials and Annuals for Immediate Color

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Turk’s cap (Malvaviscus drummondii), blackfoot daisy (Melampodium leucanthum), zexmenia (Wedelia texana), poppies, snapdragons, stock, alyssum, delphiniums, dusty miller, English daisies.

Prune Roses on Valentine’s Day

Remove dead canes, crossing branches, inward growers; shape for form. Ensures lush growth and profuse blooms.

Shear and Shape Plants

Prune immature fruit trees if needed; shear evergreen shrubs. Cut back ornamental grasses, esperanza (Tecoma stans), firebush (Hamelia patens), salvia (Salvia gregii) to ~12 in. Trim herbs (rosemary, oregano, savory, thyme). Avoid pruning spring-flowering trees/shrubs—removes flower buds.

Sow Seeds Directly

Chives, cilantro, dill, parsley, sweet peas, nasturtium, cosmos, beets, carrots, endive, kale, lettuce, parsnips, mustard greens, peas, radishes, spinach, turnips, rutabagas. Start tomatoes and peppers indoors.

Fertilize Flower and Vegetable Beds

Early month: work compost/organic fertilizer into beds. Try compost tea, liquid fertilizer, worm castings, cottonseed meal, or homemade compost. Rake mulch aside, incorporate, replace mulch. Ask local nursery for recommendations.

Establish Fruit Trees and Plants

Blackberries, dewberries, grapes, figs, pears, persimmons, strawberries, pomegranates—choose varieties suited to your area. Local nursery/extension can advise.

Add Cool-Season Herbs and Vegetables

Broccoli, asparagus, Asian greens, artichokes, cabbage, chard, collards, seed potatoes, onion sets, spinach, mustard greens, lettuce. Herbs: calendula, chives, cilantro, dill, lavender, rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage, fennel, sorrel, oregano. Full sun = better yield.

Test Your Soil

Sample different garden areas for pH, N, P, K. Extension offices test for a fee. Results guide amendments for optimal blooms and growth.