We have thawed out.  Yesterday was such a beautiful day.  My husband, Andrew, and I went on a long cross country walk.  We are trying to enjoy the pleasant, mild days now before any more cold fronts approach.  Our average freeze dates extend to March 5th; therefore, we could definitely see more winter weather. 

However, if you believe that Punxsutawney Phil has special weather forecasting abilities, then we are all in for an early spring.  If that is the case, then last week’s 60 hour freeze and snow will probably be our last.  Apparently though, the groundhog also predicted the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to win the Super Bowl.  So what do you do?

According to the Vegetable Planting Guide for Brazos County put out by the AgriLife Extension, it is now time to plant the following vegetables:
Asparagus*,
Beets,
Broccoli*,
Cabbage*,
Carrots,
Garlic,
Kale*,
Kohlrabi,
Lettuce,
Spinach,
Turnips,
Swiss chard,
Irish Potatoes*,
English peas, and
Bulb onions*.
(In a week, you can plant cauliflower*.) 

That is a long vegetables you are able to plant in February!  The vegetables with asterisks need to be either sets or transplants.  For example, I have never had luck planting onions from seeds.  Purchasing the sets, tiny baby onions, always works for me.  Some of the cold-loving vegetables like cabbage and broccoli need to be transplanted instead of sowed with seeds in order to allow them to produce before the Texas sun scorches them.   

If you want to brush up on your gardening knowledge or if you are starting from scratch, download the Texas Home Vegetable Gardening Guide.  It is also put out by AgriLife Extension, which is a part of the Texas A&M System.  If you live closer to Houston, then check out Harris County Extension.  They have a plethora of information for vegetable gardening and much more.

Do not fear.  If you don’t live in this region, simply google “vegetable planting guide for ____”. Follow the leads.  Or, try your county extension agent.  They work with 4-H, which is a national youth program; therefore, I would imagine there will be one in your area regardless how urban or rural the area is in which you live. 

Another option is to look for a Master Gardener program in your area.  Many times they do a community garden, which is great for people who live in the city.  They also run Junior Master Gardener programs to teach youth about horticulture.  Master Gardener programs are throughout the United States and even in Canada.  The American Horticultural Society created an easy way for you to check out the nearest program in your area.  Check it out. 

I hope that this article has been full of useful information and links.  Now is the time to plan your garden, what you are going to plant, when you are going to plant, and how you are going to plant.  Some might choose to wait and only have a late spring garden with squash and tomatoes.  If you want vegetables like cabbage and broccoli, now is the time (at least in my area).

Tags: agriculture, AgriLife Extension, Brazos County, early spring garden, Harris County, horticulture, Junior Master Gardener, Master Gardener, planting guide, Punxsutawney Phil, Texas A&M System

This entry was posted on Monday, February 7th, 2011 at 9:25 am and is filed under Gardening, Homesteading, Texas. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.