February 2026, Tunnel Prep, Seed Tray Transitions, Seeding Round 2
- Teresa Derrick-Mills
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
This is the second in our blog series about planning ahead on the farm to bring you colorful delicious vegetables ready for you to buy in May
If you missed January, you can see it here: https://www.chocolatesandtomatoes.com/post/getting-ready-for-summer-2026-harvest-january-2026-activities
Tunnel Prep
When you come to visit Chocolates and Tomatoes Farm, you can see our high tunnel on the hill toward the back of the property. This is where we grow most of our tomatoes. The soil inside the tunnel undergoes a transformation each year so we can continue to grow healthy tomatoes there.
In the Fall, we clear away the dying tomato plants (and we appreciate the volunteer help we have gotten arranged by the Farm-to-School crew).
After the clear out, we bring in soil amendments and plant cover crop just like we do out in the fields. In 2025, we planted peas. When you do a pea cover crop, you just get the pea shoots and tendrils (no peas). In the tunnel, you get a nice smell of fresh peas.
In the Spring, we cut it down an till it under. It needs a little while to rest that way before it is ready for planting so February is a good month for doing that.
Seed Tray Transitions
If you peel away the fabric (from the high tunnel picture above) you see that the seeds from January have become vibrant seedlings!
They have gotten too big to live in the basement, but it is still pretty cold outside. A few weeks in the high tunnel gives them the chance to get used to a little cooler environment, natural sunlight and a shorter light cycle.
Easing the transition from one stage to the next helps prevent plant loss.
Seeding Round 2
And, now that the basement seed tables are empty again, it is time to start a new round -- cucumbers, tomatoes, and Garleek (a delightful onion and leek hybrid that we and many farm customers fell in love with last year).
From seed to harvest is about (varies by variety, temperature, light, etc.):
60 days for cucumbers
100 days for Garleek
130 days for tomatoes
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