Start early, harvest better: these plants you can sow indoors in February
Sowing & growing
Contents
- Why sow indoors in February?
- Six vegetables and herbs to start early
- A flying start in spring: flowers to sow indoors
- Important tips: light, space & care
- Conclusion: your garden starts now
Why sow indoors in February?
The gardening season begins earlier than many people think, namely right now. In February you can already start plants indoors that need a long time to develop or that flower earlier when planted early. That way you get:
- strong young plants for the garden
- a much earlier harvest
- and a longer flowering season thanks to early-flowering flower varieties
But be careful: not every plant is suited to starting indoors, and you need space, light and a little patience.
Six vegetables and herbs to start early
1. Chilli
Chillies grow slowly and sometimes take 2 to 3 weeks to germinate. If you want to harvest in summer, you need to get going now.
Variety tip: Frying pepper 'Pimientos de Padrón', Chilli 'Chocolate Habanero', Tree chilli 'Rocoto Canario'
👉 Discover now: All chilli varieties
2. Sweet pepper
Sweet peppers like it warm and need time to develop. If sown in February, the plants will be strong enough for planting out in May.
Variety tip: Sweet pepper 'Roter Augsburger', Tomato pepper 'Topepo Rosso'
👉 Discover now: All sweet pepper varieties
3. Aubergine
Particularly fond of warmth and slow to grow. The earlier you sow them, the sooner you can harvest in summer.
Variety tip: Aubergine 'Black Beauty', Striped aubergine 'Rotonda bianca sfumata di rosa'
👉 Discover now: All aubergine varieties
4. Physalis (Cape gooseberry)
An often underrated fruit with a very long ripening time. Sown early, it bears delicious fruit in high summer.
Variety tip: Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana) .
5. Celery
Celery needs a lot of patience: from seed to sturdy plant it takes weeks. Only with early sowing is a summer harvest realistic.
Variety tip: Celeriac 'Roem van Zwijndrecht', Celeriac 'Riese von Prag' and Celery 'Green Utah'
6. Basil
Basil brings a spring mood into the house. It germinates quickly and grows fast, but loves light and warmth.
Variety tip: Genovese basil 'Mittelgroß', Thai basil and Holy basil / Tulsi.
👉 Discover now: All basil varieties
A flying start in spring: flowers to sow indoors
These annual flowers grow quickly, but they flower earlier if you start them indoors now. That way the flowering begins as early as May, to the delight of wild bees and other pollinators.
1. Snapdragon
Robust, easy to care for and a true spring classic.
Variety tip: White-pink snapdragon 'Appleblossom' , Orange snapdragon 'Orange Wonder' and Ruby red snapdragon 'Ruby'
👉 Discover now: All snapdragon varieties
2. White lace flower
Delicate and wild at the same time, a beautiful wildflower, ideal for natural gardens.
Variety tip: White lace flower (Orlaya grandiflora)
3. Larkspur
Annual larkspur, particularly early-flowering when started indoors.
Variety tip: Salmon pink larkspur 'Salmon Beauty' and White larkspur 'White King'
👉 Discover now: All larkspur varieties
4. Love-in-a-mist
Oriental, delicate and uncomplicated, perfect for early-flowering beds.
Variety tip: White Love-in-a-Mist 'Miss Jekyll White' (Nigella damascena) seeds, Pink Love-in-a-Mist 'Persian Rose' (Nigella damascena) seeds
👉 Discover now: All love-in-a-mist varieties
Important tips: light, space & care
1. Light: the most important factor for success
In February, daylight is often too weak. Plants need 12 to 14 hours of light a day. Without additional lighting they grow long and spindly. A plant lamp is a sensible investment.
2. Space: not to be underestimated
Starting plants indoors takes more space than you think. After germination, the plants need larger pots and enough distance from one another. Plan carefully where you will put them.
3. Moisture & warmth
- Keep evenly moist, but avoid waterlogging
- Germination temperature is usually 20 to 25 °C → use a heated mat if necessary
4. Labels & patience
Label everything carefully, and give the plants time to develop. No need to repot every day!
5. Hardening off
Before planting out, the plants should be slowly accustomed to wind and sun, which takes about 7 to 10 days.
You can find more in our blog post about starting plants indoors.
Conclusion: your garden starts now
Sowing indoors in February is a great way to get strong plants, harvest earlier and offer wild bees food sooner. Whether spicy chillies, sweet physalis or delicate love-in-a-mist, the best time to sow is now!
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