4 Things to Do for Your Garden in February: High Altitude Edition
We know gardening can be TOUGH here at high altitude. We’ve got short growing seasons (only about 100 frost-free days), huge temperature swings, and poor soil. But there is some good news–with a little planning, we absolutely CAN grow things like peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes. Check out 4 things you can do for your garden in February, below!
Start Some Seeds Indoors
Now let's not get ahead of ourselves—we're not starting ALL our seeds. But here are some:
PEPPERS
Seed packets tell you to start them 8-10 weeks before your last frost, BUT that just wasn't long enough here in Flagstaff. I started mine last year in March and hardly got any peppers. They can also take up to 3 weeks to germinate (especially hot varieties)! Keep in mind you’ll have to up-pot them to bigger pots while you have them indoors under grow lights, so plan for space accordingly.
LUFFA
Can we actually grow it here? Start seeds early and give your plants time to mature. You’ll be growing them indoors for quite some time before you plant them out in mid-June. Buying seeds that have been grown in a high altitude location sets them up for even more success!
EGGPLANT
Yep, eggplants take a while to germinate & grow, just like peppers. Make sure you start seeds sometime in February to get enough of a head start.
Plant *Some* Herb Seeds
Some herbs can be quite difficult to grow from seed, taking a while to germinate. If you want to give it a go, here are some seeds you can start now:
Lavender: 1-3 months to germinate
Lemongrass: 2-4 weeks to germinate
Oregano: 1-3 weeks to germinate
Rosemary: 2-4 weeks to germinate
Sage: 1-3 weeks to germinate
Tarragon: 1-3 weeks to germinate
Thyme: 2-4 weeks to germinate
Key points in waiting for seeds to germinate: make sure you’re keeping the soil evenly moist at all times and use a heat mat. If the seeds dry out at all, you risk losing them. An easy solution is to use a humidity dome! You can make a simple dome out of plastic, but you can use anything on top of your pots to keep in moisture.
Prune Your Fruit Trees
Late Winter is the perfect time to prune your fruit trees, when they're dormant.
When pruning, look for:
Crossing limbs
Diseased limbs
Sucker growth
REMEMBER: Don't prune more than 30% at once! Pruning more than that can put your tree in shock, making it difficult to recover.
Give Your House Plants Some Love
If you're like me, you neglect your house plants when seed starting and Summer gardening hit. Now is a great time to give them some attention before more Spring light comes around!
Re-pot them if they are root bound & add in some fertilizer like worm castings or compost. They’ll be much happier for it!
Need help starting seeds?
Sign up for our Seed Starting Workshop, March 5th at Dirty Boot Farm here in Flagstaff, AZ!
