What to plant in your garden now Full list of crops and flowers to sow this January
JANUARY is a notoriously quiet time for the garden with few plants in bloom. While there is little growing in gardens across the UK, now is the perfect time to sow fresh crops ahead of the warmer seasons.
What to plant in the garden in January
The beginning of a new year offers a clean slate for the garden.
With winter greens still able to be sown, there is a whole range of hearty vegetables that can be planted into raised beds and pots.
Keeping freshly sown plants in a greenhouse is advisable until the warmer weather arrives in early March.
What to sow now for spring planting
January is the best time to sow edible crops ready for plantain out in March.
Fill your greenhouse with cooking staples to get them established before transplanting.
Greenhouses Direct recommends sowing:
- Onion seeds
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Chitting potatoes
If you can’t keep crops in a greenhouse, make space in a sunny conservatory for the time being.
For a fruitful garden in time for Spring, turn your attention to staple vegetables like onions, greens, and starchy potatoes.
What to sow now for a spring harvest
Three main crops can be sown now for a spring harvest.
Sow leafy green lettuce throughout the month to establish a fruitful crop by March.
Salad onions can also be established in a greenhouse ready for your spring salads.
Get carrot seeds planted as soon as you can for a steady harvest from early spring.
Sowing onions from seed
Onion seeds can be sown directly outside later this month, though the above-average temperatures mean this can be done now.
The Royal Horticultural Society recommends sowing seeds into the soil as it begins to dry out - get them dug in after a dry spell for best results.
- Sow seeds half an inch deep in rows spread eight inches apart
- Thin out seedlings to two inches apart and later to four
Crops to sow for summer pickings
There is no better way to set summer in your sights than by securing your warm-weather crops.
Greenhouses Direct says now is the time to sow broad beans, cabbages, and cauliflowers for summer pickings.
Keep seedlings in your greenhouse until the weather is warmer for best results.
Herbs can be grown in pots all year round for a steady flow of fresh, fragrant leaves.
Flowers to Plant in January
There are plenty of flowers that can be planted out this month to fill your garden with colors and textures later in the year.
Snapdragons are vibrant, old-fashioned cottage garden plants that can be sown now.
Get the seeds going in your greenhouse and transplant them into your garden beds in early spring.
Snapdragons are beloved by bees and will grow to a range of different heights with a variety of bright colors on offer.
These classic plants will flower from June to October once they have been planted out.
Other flowers that can be planted now include:
- Begonias
- Geraniums
- Dianthus
- Lobelias
- Sweet Peas
Top tips for winter gardening
Winter gardening can be a slow process, but getting small tasks right is key.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, the team at Greenhouses Direct shared their top tips for careful gardening during the winter months.
Greenhouses Direct said: “Patience is key - there will be a variety of things you can sow in autumn and winter, but the vast majority will be slow-growing seedlings for planting out in the spring.
Plants started early in a greenhouse will be grateful for added protection and will provide much stronger, happier plants when the time comes for planting out.”
Getting ahead of the game was another key tip from Greenhouses Direct, who added some hardy vegetable varieties that can also be sown in the autumn for an early spring harvest.
Take care when choosing suitable varieties for the winter weather and work to keep frost from ruining plants in your greenhouse and garden.