Wondering which vegetable seeds to plant in January? While the exact timing depends on your local climate, there are a few tried and true crops that need to be planted early.
Seeds to seed in January
January is a great time for gardeners to start thinking about what seeds to plant for the upcoming gardening season. While it may seem like the ground is frozen and there’s still snow on the ground, the truth is that there are a variety of seeds that can be planted in January for a successful harvest come summer.
Something that really helps with seed germination is bottom heat. This can be achieved with a heating pad that is specifically made for this use and is available at your local garden center. You can create your own heated propagator chamber to get those stubborn seeds germinated fast! The addition of grow lights is a must for northern gardeners where the days are short and the light is low at best throughout December, January, and February.
Here’s a look at five types of vegetable seeds that you can plant in January: onions, leeks, peanuts, hot peppers and celery.
1. Onions
Onions are a staple in many kitchens and are a great cool season vegetable to plant in January because they are a cool-season crop that can be started indoors and then grown on for a few months if needed before planting outside in the garden. Onions grow best in well-drained soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. They require full sun and are relatively low maintenance once they are planted. It is usually wise to plan on covering your onions with an insect screen to keep the onion maggots off.
To get started, you’ll want to purchase onion seeds. There are many good varieties to choose from like Sweet Spanish onions, Ailsa Craig and Kelsii Giants. There are many more but these are a few of my favorites. Some Onions are available as Onion sets. These are small, immature onions that are planted in the ground to grow into full-sized onion bulbs. The sets can be started indoors in trays around the end of February to get them off to an early start.
Seeds, on the other hand, are planted indoors in pots and take a bit longer to mature. Once your onion seeds have sprouted and have a few leaves that reach about 3-4 inches tall, use a pair of scissors to trim the plants down to about half of their height. This will stimulate strong roots and leaves. Grow them on for a few more weeks and then you can transplant them into your garden usually sometime in early April. Onions are one of the early crops like cool weather and do well even when they get a bit of frost.
2. Leeks
Leeks are another vegetable that is well suited for planting in January. They are a member of the onion family so have similar requirements. They have a mild, sweet flavor that is often used in soups and stews. Leeks are also low maintenance and can be planted in well-drained soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0.
To get started, you’ll want to purchase leek seeds. There are many good varieties to grow. I like to grow the giant types that are going to get big. Plant the seeds in pots or trays indoors and keep them in a bright sunny location with a supplemental grow light to help with light quality.
Start the seeds on a heating pad until you have a high percentage of germination. Keep growing them on for a few more weeks until they start to look strong then put the trays outside for about one hour each day when temperatures are above freezing. This will help the plants harden off and get used to the outside conditions.
After a week or so of this process, they should be good to plant out so then you can transplant them into your garden usually sometime in early April. Leeks like cool weather and do well even when they get a bit of frost once they have adjusted. Leeks are less susceptible to onion maggots but can still benefit with a covering of insect screens. Leaks are one of my favorite cool-season crops.
3. Peanuts
Peanuts are a warm-season crop, but they can be started indoors in January to give them an early start. They grow best in well-drained soil with a pH between 5.5 and 7.0. Peanuts require full sun once planted out and are a great crop for gardeners in milder regions. For more northern gardens, don’t plant them outside until your night temperatures warm up to about 10 deg C or 50 deg F. In zone 5 climates this is usually around the end of May or later.
To get started, you’ll want to purchase peanut seeds. Read the labels to get the types that may be best for you. I usually choose the shortest season types just to be sure I get a crop in my shorter season. Some examples are Tennessee Red, Garoy and Valencia.
Sow seeds in 3 inch pots indoors in regular potting soil and keep them in a bright sunny location with a supplemental grow light nearby. Start the pots on a heating pad to speed germination. Once the seedlings have a few leaves start feeding them once per week.
Continue to grow these plants on until the outside temperatures are warm and you can transplant them into your garden. Peanuts require warm temperatures, so they are well suited to growing in pots. Growing in containers requires more regular waterings but the plants can be moved around to a warmer sunny spot if needed. I like to plant 3 young plants into a 12 to 16 inch container.
Growing peanuts can be fun even though they take most of our season to grow. Kids find it interesting when they are dumped out to reveal the peanuts growing underground. Then boil them up for a nice snack in late summer. Enjoy these interesting plants.
4. Celery
Celery is another vegetable that is well suited for planting in January. It is a cool-season crop that grows best in well-drained rich soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Celery requires bright light and is relatively low maintenance once it is planted.
To get started, you’ll want to purchase celery seeds. Do some research on varieties that may be better in your climate. It is sometimes wise to plant more than one variety so you can see which one grows best in your soil.
Start by planting the seeds in trays indoors and keep them in a bright location with supplemental grow lighting near by. Transplant the seedlings when they reach 3 inches in height into 3 inch pots. Keep them in bright light and start fertilizing them once per week with a water-soluble product with a 1-2-1 ratio.
Once the seedlings have grown and the outside temperatures have warmed up, you can transplant them into your garden. Usually about mid-May is good timing. Celery requires rich soil and consistent moisture, so be sure to water and fertilize it regularly.
5. Hot Peppers ( Chilli, Ghost, Carolina Reaper, etc.)
Hot peppers need to be planted early. Many growers start their seedlings as early as mid-January. These specialty peppers are heat lovers and must be kept warm throughout their existence from seed to harvest.
Seed these plants into trays between mid-January and mid-February. Place the planting trays on a heated seedling mat at about 78 deg F. under a grow lamp close to a sunny window. This will stimulate rapid germination.
Once the seedlings are all up you can remove the trays from the heat. Keep the plants warm and bright while growing them on. Transplant into bigger individual 4-inch pots once the plants get about 2-3 inches tall.
Fertilize once per week at this point with a water-soluble fertilizer like a 15-30-15 ratio. As with all these plants we are discussing here you will have to grow them on indoors until your night temperatures outside are above 8 deg C. In some climates you can get them out at end of April but here in our zone 5 we will have to aim towards the end of May.
More veggies to start seeds in January
In addition to onions, leeks, and peanuts, two other vegetable seeds that can be planted in January are fava beans and eggplants.
Fava beans are a cool-season crop that grows best in well-drained soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. They require full sun and can be planted directly in the garden, although it is recommended to soak the seeds overnight before planting to speed up germination. And be aware that Fava beans require a long growing season so need to be started early indoors in colder climates.
Eggplants are warm-season crops that can be started indoors in January and transplanted outside well after the last frost. They grow best in well-drained soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5 and require full sun. It is important to keep the soil warm and moist for good germination so best to start early inside. Eggplants can also benefit from bottom heat and grow lights for optimal growth. In our zone 5 climate, we should hold off planting eggplant outside until June 1st. Popular eggplant varieties include Black Beauty, Ichiban, and Listada de Gandia.
Conclusion
Gardening in January can be a great way to get a head start on the gardening season. Onions, leeks, peanuts, celery, hot peppers and other long-season plants like eggplant, and watermelon as well as flowers like seed geraniums and pansies are all great options for seeds to plant in January.
These plants are relatively easy to start indoors to give them a head start before being transplanted into the garden. Just remember to plan on keeping these plants inside for a few months in a bright window with a grow light as you need to provide good quality light.
Fertilize once per week and transplant into larger pots if they are outgrowing their starter trays. Use a small fan to keep the air moving as plants respond well to this and it reduces disease issues. Consider building a small cold-frame greenhouse to give them a good start when moving outside. It won’t be long and we will be talking about the cool season vegetables and getting them ready as well.
Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, planting vegetables and flower seeds in January can be rewarding and fun to try while you are waiting for spring to arrive.