Fruit trees, grape vines, and blueberries can and should be pruned this month. Pruning on these plants allows for sunlight to more fully penetrate the canopy so the plants can produce more fruit. When any of these are allow to go unpruned for too many years, they slowly stop producing fruit. Pruning, while it may seem like it hurts the plants, actually rejuvenates them so they produce more and better fruit.

February is also a good time to start planting in the vegetable garden. Plants such as arugula, carrots, garden peas, lettuce, onions, radish, and turnips can be planted directly into the soil where they will germinate and begin growing on warm days and sit dormant on cooler days. For those who are super anxious to get started growing tomatoes and peppers, the end of the month is a good time to start those indoors so they will be ready for transplanting in mid-April.

Starting seeds indoors requires a little patience and some equipment, but it can be worth it to grow something you can’t find in the garden center.