Happy New Year to all! May this year be filled with abundant harvests, blooms, and seeds.
The garden should be yielding quite well this time of the year. Lettuce, kales, beets, peas, and carrots can be harvested, as well as herbs such as cilantro and dill. Some gardeners will have peppers and tomatoes slowly ripening as well. Lemons, oranges, and grapefruit are perfect for picking this time of year.
January is a busy month for gardeners as we ready ourselves for spring planting.
Bare root trees are starting to make an appearance at nurseries and garden centers. Seed catalogs are filling mailboxes and there is much to be done in the garden.
This is the time to get tomatoes seeds started if you want a successful harvest. It is also good to get peppers and eggplants started indoors now. See our 2020 list of tomatoes.
If you are growing roses, January is the time for pruning in the low desert. It is also time to start thinking about topping off the garden with composts and worm castings or maybe planning a compost tea for February.
Many gardeners will be stocking up on new seed varieties as they plan their spring planting. Seed exchanges and seed libraries are also good sources for sharing and obtaining new seeds.
Trees:
All bare-root trees can be planted this month as well as potted figs, apples, peaches, mulberry, and pomegranate.
The veggie patch:
Many Seeds can be started indoors this month so that they are ready for planting out in March. There are a few that can still be direct sown and others that will fare better if transplanted now.
- Artichoke: Plant out transplants.
- Arugula: Can still be direct sown. Succession sowing every two weeks will keep you in constant supply.
- Brassicas: Sow brassica’s like bok choy, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower indoors and plant out the beginning of March.
- Ground Cherries: Ground Cherries and Cape Gooseberries should be started indoors now for transplanting in early March.
- Lettuce: There is still time to get more lettuce planted. Either direct sow, or start seeds indoors to replace older plants in the next couple of months.
- Malabar Spinach: Start Malabar spinach seeds indoors. Soak seeds in water first to help germination. Malabar spinach takes will take about 10 days to germinate.
- Onions: Transplant onion sets out now.
- Peas: Direct sow peas. Succession sow every two weeks.
- Spinach: Start spinach seeds indoors and transplant out in March.
- Swiss Chard: Same as for spinach.
- Tomatoes: It is time to get tomato seedlings started indoors.
- Tomatillos: Tomatillos should also be started now. For best results, 2 plants will be needed to aid cross-pollination.
- Peppers: Get hot and sweet pepper seedlings started indoors too. hot peppers take up to 21 days to germinate, read our pepper growing article for tips.
- Eggplant: start in doors. Skinny varieties are more heat tolerant.
Roots :
There is still time to plant some winter root crops.
- Beets: Continue to direct-sown beet seeds
- Carrots: Continue to direct sow carrot seeds. Succession sow every two weeks.
- Radish: Continue to succession sow radish between carrots or with lettuce.
- Potatoes: For best results use a quality potato stock from seed suppliers. Check with Irish Eyes Seeds or Grow Organic. Find out if they will send you seed potatoes now.
Herbs and Flowers:
- Bulbs: Plant out ranunculus, iris, and day lily bulbs. Spring flowering bulbs like daffodils and hyacinths may not flower if planted this late.
- Calendula: Start calendula seeds indoors and plant out the beginning of March.
- Chives: Direct sow or transplant.
- Cilantro: Direct sow or transplant.
- Dill: Start seeds indoors or transplant seedlings out.
- Lemon Balm: Start indoors now.
- Nasturtium: Soak seeds before starting indoors.
- Oregano: Start oregano seeds indoors
- Parsley: Parsley seeds can also be started indoors.
- Thyme: Start indoors
