What to Plant in February in Zone 6
Here is what you can sow in February if you garden in USDA zone 6. Dates use typical zone 6 frosts, so your own microclimate may shift them by a week or two.
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| Crop | Window | Sow between |
|---|---|---|
| Snap PeaSugar Snap | spring | Feb 27 – Apr 10 |
| SpinachBloomsdale | spring | Feb 27 – Apr 10 |
| CabbageTiara | spring | Feb 27 – Mar 27 |
| BroccoliBelstar | spring | Feb 27 – Mar 27 |
| CauliflowerSnow Crown | spring | Feb 27 – Mar 26 |
| Onion, bulbTexas Legend | spring | Feb 10 – Mar 26 |
| English Shelling PeaLittle Marvel | spring | Feb 27 – Apr 10 |
| TatsoiTatsoi | spring | Feb 24 – Mar 31 |
| MizunaMizuna Early | spring | Feb 24 – Apr 6 |
| SorrelProfusion | spring | Feb 27 – Apr 10 |
| ParsnipHollow Crown | spring | Jan 26 – Mar 9 |
| LeekLincoln | spring | Jan 26 – Mar 9 |
| ShallotAmbition | spring | Feb 23 – Mar 30 |
| SalsifyMammoth Sandwich Island | spring | Feb 23 – Mar 30 |
| CeleriacPrinz | spring | Jan 12 – Feb 23 |
| Onion | spring | Feb 10 – Mar 26 |
Zone 6 in February
February in Zone 6: Thirteen New Crops and a False-Spring Warning
The brassica transplants that need this month, not March
Cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower transplants only need 5 to 6 weeks of growth before they can handle Zone 6's outdoor conditions, and pushing that stretch out past 6 weeks just breeds the stressed, root-bound transplant most likely to button instead of head. With a last frost that typically lands around April 20, a February start puts them at transplant size with plenty of room to spare rather than a rushed one in late March. Sow in cell trays kept at a steady 65 to 70 degrees, since brassica seed germinates unevenly below that range and a cold windowsill can stretch a 5-day germination into 2 weeks.
Peas and greens can go direct into the ground, carefully
Snap pea and English shelling pea seed will germinate in soil as cool as 45 degrees, which makes them the first direct-sow crop of the year here, well ahead of anything that needs real warmth. Spinach, tatsoi, and mizuna follow the same logic, tolerating a light frost once up, so a covered bed under a floating row cover can go in this month even while nights are still dropping into the 20s.
Celeriac needs more patience than this month allows
Celeriac started back in January is not on a February deadline the way this list once suggested: it needs 10 to 12 weeks under lights before it is ready to leave the tray, which puts the real transplant date near the end of March, not this month. Waiting is actually the safer move, since a run of a week or more with the tray sitting below 55 degrees reads to the plant as its winter and it answers the following spring by bolting instead of filling out a root. Keep the tray on the growing bench through February regardless of how mild a stretch of daytime highs looks outside, since a Zone 6 February warm spell breaks about as often as it holds and a few sunny afternoons do not undo a cold week of nights.
February in zone 6: common questions
What can I plant in February in zone 6?+
In February, USDA zone 6 gardeners can sow Snap Pea, Spinach, Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Onion, bulb, and more. Dates use typical zone 6 frosts, so your own microclimate may shift them by a week or two.
What USDA hardiness zone am I in?+
Zone 6 is one band of the map, but planting time is set by your local frost dates, not the zone number. Enter your ZIP code in the free planner and it uses your actual frost dates, which can differ by weeks within a single zone.
Are these February planting dates exact?+
They are typical zone 6 windows. Two gardens in the same zone can be a week or two apart because of elevation and local climate, so treat these as a starting point and tune them to your ZIP code with the free planner.