In the UK, January is a great time to start vegetables and flowers that need a long growing season. It’s also a good time to get bare roots plants (such as strawberries, roses, and fruit trees) into the ground, while they are still dormant. This is not an exhaustive list, but it should give you some inspiration.
Vegetables you can sow in January
Garlic
Garlic needs a period of cold to start dividing into a bulb, so January is your last chance to plant it for a harvest that year. Make sure you source garlic for planting (from a garden centre or online supplier) as garlic from a supermarket may have been treated to stop it sprouting, or could carry disease. You’ll want to prepare your garlic bed with lots of fresh compost, manure or other fertiliser, as the bulbs are hungry. Cover your fresh plantings with chicken wire or netting to stop animals digging up the cloves. You’ll be able to harvest your garlic in July.
Store your garlic in the fridge until you are able to plant it.
Peppers, chillis and aubergines
These plants need a really long growing season to get going in time, as they are not native to our UK climate. The seeds can also take a few weeks to germinate, so it’s best to get started in early January. They need heat, so start them indoors with plenty of help. A propagator with grow lights (like this one) will give you the best result as they offer extra light as well as heat. These can be planted outside in late May, after last frost.
Onions
You can grow onions in two ways: either directly from seed, or from sets (small onions which you plant outside in autumn or early spring). Onions need a little heat – plant them indoors in a spot with plenty of light. They can go outside from March onwards, once established. Some gardeners start their onion seeds off in December; experiment to see what works best for you.
Flowers you can sow in January
Larkspur and carnations
Larkspur is another name for delphiniums. They can be started in the autumn too, but if you miss that window, sow them indoors in early January (preferably with help from grow lights). They can take a few weeks to germinate, so be patient. The same applies to carnations; you can sow these now in the same way. They will come up faster but grow slower.
Sweet peas
Sweet peas can be sown in autumn, late winter, or early spring. Soak the seeds in water for an hour or two before sowing, and once sown, put them on a sunny windowsill or under growlights. They should come up in a week or so. Once they are a couple of inches tall, pinch off the tops to encourage bushier plants. Then they can go out to a cold frame or unheated greenhouse to harden off.
Ranunculus and anenomes
Ranunculus and anenomes are grown from corms, which look a bit like dried baby squid! They have very similar growing habits and can be grown in the same way, either in the autumn or early spring.
You’ll need to soak the corms for several hours before sowing, then lay them out in a shallow tray of compost. Pop the tray somewhere cool in your house for about a week, at which point you should see small white roots (and then green shoots) start to develop. Then you can put your individual corms into pots. They grow fast and are hungry, so make sure your pots are at around 10cm deep. The plants can then be grown on either on a window sill in your house, or under cover outdoors in a polytunnel or green house. They can go outside from April onwards (though you may need to protect them with fleece or a mini poly tunnel if you get snow!).
Bare roots plants to get into the ground in January
Bare roots plants and trees can save you a lot of money, as they are much lighter to ship and do not require a pot or soil. Garden suppliers begin to stock them in the autumn and you can plant them until spring; if you’re lucky, there will still be some around in January.
Strawberries and raspberry canes
I only ever buy strawberry and raspberry plants with bare roots – they are half the price of established plants, and they establish themselves quickly and easily once in the ground. When they arrive, soak them in water until you can get them into the ground (but try not to delay more than a few days).
Fruit trees
Apple, pear and plum trees are often available as bare root varieties, and provided that the ground isn’t frozen solid(!), January is a good time to get them in. Make sure to prep the ground with plenty of fresh compost, and to water the tree in well.
Roses
Bare roots roses are a great way to save money. Once they arrive, soak them in water and then get them into the ground or a pot as quick as possible. Use fresh compost to avoid the spread of disease (roses can be susceptible to things like black spot).
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