What Seeds to Plant Where: January

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My started seeds from last year’s garden.

The first year I had a garden, I just planted whatever, whenever. As a result, my plants died and produce never came. I was disappointed to say the least. My dreams of cabinets filled with vegetables and fruits I canned to get through the winter wilted away with my sugar snap peas. I was stuck with eating processed junk for another season.

Despite my failure, I rose up to the garden challenge again the following year. I researched my mistakes and learned that vegetables and fruits thrive in different temperatures. For example, peas grow better in cool conditions, so starting the seeds in the middle of summer will quickly kill them off. As stupid as it sounds, I didn’t know that peas wouldn’t grow in 95-degree heat and didn’t think temperature mattered that much.

With my newfound information, I carefully planned and plotted out last year’s summer garden. It yielded much better results.

Lesson learned: Don’t plant seeds willy-nilly.

So when can you plant seeds? Well, do you know what growing zone you live in? Do you even know what a growing zone is?

Growing zones help you find out the following information:

• Plants suited to flourish in your climate
• The approximate month of the final winter frost
• Lowest average temperature

You can look up which growing zone you’re in on Burpee’s website. Knowing your zone helps you plan when you can start seeds indoors and when to transplant them outside in the spring. It’ll also help you find out when you can start seeds outdoors.

Lesson learned: Knowing your growing zone tells you the optimal time to plant seeds.

If you put the plants or seeds out too early, you risk losing them to a frost. Conversely, putting them out too late means you might not harvest anything.

Now that you know which growing zone you live in, I’ll help you get going by telling you what seeds to plant now in your zone. You’d think there aren’t many plants you can start in January, but you’d be surprised.

Zone 3, 4 and 5
Start these seeds indoors:

• Tomatoes
• Bell peppers
• Hot peppers

Zone 6
Start these seeds indoors:

• Tomatoes
• Bell peppers
• Hot peppers
• Cabbage
• Leeks

Zone 7
Start these seeds indoors:

• Broccoli
• Leeks
• Tomatoes
• Bell peppers
• Hot peppers

Zone 8
Start these seeds indoors:

• Broccoli
• Eggplants
• Tomatoes
• Bell peppers
• Hot peppers

Start these seeds outdoors at the end of January:

• Green onions
• Chives
• Shallots
• Peas
• Carrots
• Beets
• Radishes

Zone 9
Start these seeds indoors:

• Broccoli
• Eggplants
• Tomatoes
• Bell peppers
• Hot peppers

Start these seeds outdoors toward the end of the month:

• Green onions
• Chives
• Shallots
• Peas
• Beets
• Turnips
• Carrots
• Radishes
• Chard

Zone 10
Lucky you. You live in one of the longest growing seasons in then nation. You can plant all of the following seeds outdoors now:

• Peas
• Beans
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Cucumber
• Shallots
• Green onions
• Watermelons
• Tomatoes
• Bell peppers
• Squash
• Lettuce
• Cantaloupe

Look for next month’s installment of What Seeds to Plant Where as we inch closer to spring.

What seeds are you growing for your garden? Share with other Zing readers!