What to Plant in February in Zone 9
Here is what you can sow in February if you garden in USDA zone 9. Dates use typical zone 9 frosts, so your own microclimate may shift them by a week or two.
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| Crop | Window | Sow between |
|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicingBig Beef | spring | Feb 27 – Apr 29 |
| Tomato, cherrySun Gold | spring | Feb 27 – Apr 29 |
| Tomato, pasteAmish Paste | spring | Feb 27 – Apr 29 |
| Cucumber, slicingMarketmore 76 | spring | Feb 27 – May 29 |
| Cucumber, picklingExcelsior | spring | Feb 27 – May 29 |
| Squash, summerZucchini Dunja | spring | Feb 27 – Jun 12 |
| Sweet CornInspiration | spring | Feb 27 – May 29 |
| Bush BeanProvider | spring | Feb 20 – Apr 12 |
| Pole BeanKentucky Wonder | spring | Feb 27 – Apr 29 |
| Snap PeaSugar Snap | spring | Dec 30 – Feb 10 |
| PotatoKennebec | spring | Jan 13 – Feb 15 |
| CilantroCalypso | spring | Jan 13 – Feb 27 |
| ParsleyItalian Flat-Leaf | spring | Jan 13 – Feb 27 |
| Lettuce, leafSalad Bowl | spring | Jan 13 – Feb 27 |
| Lettuce, romaineChalupa | spring | Jan 13 – Feb 15 |
| Lettuce, headButtercrunch | spring | Jan 13 – Feb 15 |
| SpinachBloomsdale | spring | Dec 30 – Feb 10 |
| ArugulaAstro | spring | Jan 13 – Feb 27 |
| KaleDazzling Blue | spring | Jan 13 – Feb 10 |
| Swiss ChardBright Lights | spring | Jan 27 – Mar 13 |
| CollardsGeorgia Southern | spring | Jan 13 – Feb 15 |
| Mustard GreensFlorida Broadleaf | spring | Jan 13 – Feb 15 |
| KohlrabiWinner | spring | Jan 13 – Feb 15 |
| CarrotNapoli | spring | Jan 13 – Feb 15 |
| BeetDetroit Dark Red | spring | Jan 13 – Feb 15 |
| RadishCherry Belle | spring | Jan 13 – Feb 27 |
| TurnipPurple Top | spring | Jan 13 – Feb 15 |
| Onion, bunchingEvergreen | spring | Jan 13 – Feb 27 |
| Lima Bean (Bush)Henderson | spring | Feb 27 – Apr 21 |
| Edamame (Soybean)Envy | spring | Feb 27 – Apr 26 |
| Fava Bean (Broad Bean)Broad Windsor | spring | Jan 9 – Feb 10 |
| English Shelling PeaLittle Marvel | spring | Dec 30 – Feb 10 |
| Garbanzo Bean (Chickpea)Sierra | spring | Feb 6 – Mar 13 |
| Bean, dryPinto | spring | Feb 27 – Apr 21 |
| Corn, dent (grinding)Reid's Yellow Dent | spring | Feb 27 – Apr 6 |
| Bok ChoyJoi Choi F1 | spring | Jan 9 – Feb 6 |
| Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli)Crispy Blue | spring | Jan 3 – Feb 2 |
| MizunaMizuna Early | spring | Dec 27 – Feb 6 |
| EndiveFrisée Fine Maraîchère | spring | Jan 13 – Feb 10 |
| EscaroleBatavian Full Heart | spring | Jan 13 – Feb 10 |
| SorrelProfusion | spring | Dec 30 – Feb 10 |
| Amaranth LeafRed Garnet | spring | Feb 20 – Mar 13 |
| New Zealand SpinachCommon | spring | Feb 20 – Mar 6 |
| WatercressCommon | spring | Jan 13 – Feb 10 |
| CeleryTango | spring | Jan 23 – Feb 20 |
| Fennel, FlorenceOrion | spring | Jan 9 – Feb 13 |
| TomatilloToma Verde | spring | Feb 27 – Apr 29 |
| Ground CherryAunt Molly's | spring | Feb 27 – Apr 29 |
| Strawberry, day-neutralAlbion | spring | Feb 6 – Mar 13 |
| DillFernleaf | spring | Feb 13 – Apr 3 |
| OreganoGreek | spring | Feb 13 – Apr 3 |
| ThymeEnglish | spring | Feb 13 – Apr 3 |
| RosemaryTuscan Blue | spring | Feb 20 – Apr 3 |
| SageBroadleaf | spring | Feb 20 – Apr 3 |
| MintSpearmint | spring | Feb 20 – Apr 17 |
| ChivesCommon | spring | Feb 6 – Apr 3 |
| ChervilCurled | spring | Jan 30 – Mar 6 |
| BlueberryBluecrop (northern highbush) | spring | Feb 6 – Mar 22 |
| Raspberry, redHeritage (everbearing) | spring | Jan 30 – Mar 6 |
| BlackberryTriple Crown (thornless) | spring | Feb 6 – Mar 13 |
| Strawberry, June-bearingHoneoye | spring | Feb 6 – Mar 13 |
| GooseberryHinnonmaki Red | spring | Jan 30 – Mar 6 |
| Haskap (Honeyberry)Borealis | spring | Jan 21 – Feb 27 |
| ElderberryAdams | spring | Feb 6 – Mar 22 |
| AsparagusJersey Knight | spring | Jan 30 – Mar 6 |
| RhubarbVictoria | spring | Jan 21 – Mar 6 |
| HorseradishBig Top | spring | Feb 6 – Mar 22 |
| Sunchoke (Jerusalem Artichoke)Stampede | spring | Jan 30 – Mar 13 |
| Artichoke, globeImperial Star | spring | Jan 23 – Feb 27 |
| LavenderMunstead (English) | spring | Feb 20 – Apr 3 |
| BorageCommon | spring | Feb 20 – May 1 |
| Catmint (Catnip)Nepeta cataria | spring | Feb 20 – Apr 21 |
| Scarlet Runner BeanScarlet Emperor | spring | Feb 27 – Apr 21 |
| PopcornRobust Pop | spring | Feb 27 – Apr 21 |
| Tomato | spring | Feb 27 – Apr 29 |
| Cucumber | spring | Feb 27 – May 29 |
| Bean | spring | Feb 20 – Apr 12 |
| Lettuce | spring | Jan 13 – Feb 27 |
| NasturtiumJewel Mix | spring | Feb 20 – Apr 3 |
| Calendula (Pot Marigold)Resina | spring | Jan 30 – Mar 6 |
| Chamomile, GermanCommon | spring | Feb 6 – Mar 20 |
| Mache (Corn Salad)Vit | spring | Jan 6 – Feb 13 |
| Cress, gardenCurled | spring | Jan 13 – Mar 6 |
| Currant, redRed Lake | spring | Jan 30 – Mar 6 |
Zone 9 in February
Zone 9 in February: the last frost lands and two gardens overlap for weeks
Watch the sky, not the calendar
The average last frost for zone 9 falls in the back half of this month, but averages hide the years that run two weeks early or two weeks late. Before setting out a single tomato or pepper, check the ten day forecast for two things: no lows below 40 degrees and no wind advisories, since a stiff cold front can undo a week of hardening off in one night.
Gardeners who wait for a clear signal do better than those who plant by a fixed date. If your last three years of frost dates cluster within a week of each other, trust that pattern over the county average, and keep a sheet or two of row cover ready for the one year that breaks the streak.
Warm season crops flood in behind the cool ones
This is the month zone 9 gardens run two seasons at once. Tomato, cucumber, sweet corn, and the bean family go in for the first time, while lettuce, spinach, kale, and a long list of winter greens are on borrowed time and need harvesting before bolting heat arrives in 6 to 8 weeks. Pick lettuce heads as soon as they feel solid rather than waiting for a picture perfect size.
Succession sowing pays off here: put in a short row of radish or arugula every 10 days through the rest of the month rather than one large planting, so the harvest spreads out before the whole bed turns bitter and goes to seed together once the sudden heat arrives.
February in zone 9: common questions
What can I plant in February in zone 9?+
In February, USDA zone 9 gardeners can sow Tomato, slicing, Tomato, cherry, Tomato, paste, Cucumber, slicing, Cucumber, pickling, Squash, summer, and more. Dates use typical zone 9 frosts, so your own microclimate may shift them by a week or two.
What USDA hardiness zone am I in?+
Zone 9 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 9 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.