What's growing in February

Well it's February but feels a lot like April. The temperature has been climbing into the mid eighties which is really unusual and a real contrast to last year. The cool season crops aren't too thrilled about it but the tomatoes and peppers like it. Let's see how things are doing in the garden.



Here are the sweet onions I planted not too long ago. The tops are getting larger and they look real healthy.

Next the lettuce bed. I think I get a little out of control when planting the lettuce. I planted the seeds too close together and planned on thinning them by transplanting the thinnings. There are definitely way more there than we can eat so I need to give a bunch away. Now that the weather is getting pretty warm some of the lettuce is beginning to get slightly bitter. I need to put shade cloth over any more that I grow. The bottom of the bed in the picture has basil and cilantro growing.

 Next I transplanted some of the Celebrity tomatoes I started from seed where the carrots and cabbage was growing. The tomato bed in the background got infested with fire ants and I had to tear it apart to get rid of them. As I dug their nest up I sprayed them with rotenone/pyrethrin insecticide.

The cages I am using are Texas Tomato Cages. They are pretty expensive but really sturdy and should last many years.

The next bed is where the zucchini was. I did actually get two zucchini so it wasn't a complete loss. Now I am growing 3 types of pak choi and the top in the picture has two types of butterhead lettuce. One is green the other is a red type. Buttercrunch is a type I usually grow and it seems to be more heat tolerant so I figured I would try a couple other varieties. Bitter lettuce from the heat doesn't make a good salad.

Here is a shot of the Beefmaster tomato. I pruned the dead leaves and some small branches off it which should make it harder for caterpillars to hide and fungus to grow.

Next is the spinach bed which is doing real good.  I need to pick it again as the leaves are getting thick.

This next bed had the last crop of broccoli in it. Now it is growing the next green bean crop. To get the bed ready I just added about an inch of compost along with some greensand, azomite rock dust, and Dr. Earth organic vegetable  fertilizer.

The next crop of broccoli ready to pick. I love broccoli and Packman Broccoli is one of my favorite varieties. The heads almost always are huge and tasty. Below is a pic of a size 9 shoe next to a head to give an idea of the size of the heads.

The next crop of broccoli is already transplanted from the seed flats I started them in. This bed had what were supposed to be Roma tomatoes but some were something else. I don't mulch them right away or sometimes I'll get a cutworm that will chew off one or two.

Here is a shot of the pepper bed along with a pic of an eggplant that is fruiting. These plants are real happy with the warm weather.

Here the cucumbers I planted by direct seeding died from what appeared to be damping off. I am going to start some in little pots this time to keep that from happening again. The carrots however are doing fine.

Here is a pic of the trellis I made from 1" pvc. I put galvanized fence on the top and wired it to the frame. Now I will be able to tie the trellis to the frame when I need a trellis for something.

I have zucchini growing where the purple beans were. Hopefully I will get more than two this time.

I planted some lima beans where the lettuce and spinach was growing last month. A few are starting to germinate.

Hopefully the weather won't get too warm too quick so I can get some more broccoli and greens growing. I am sure though that we have no more danger of frost this year so my warm season stuff should grow well.