While you may be raring to go in the garden come New Year, this is still a fairly quiet time for growing. But some vegetables and flowers can be sown under glass, ready to fill out your garden as warmer days come back around in spring.
What to grow in January
Sowing seeds this early in the year takes patience and - often - a heated propagator. Light levels and the temperature are low and seedlings that come up at this point must be resilient to survive. Wondering what to plant in your greenhouse in January? Here’s our pick of the most reliable plants to sow in the first days of the year.
Growing vegetables in January
Onions
For large onions that are ready to harvest in late summer, sow exhibition varieties like ‘Ailsa Craig’ under glass now. This traditional favourite is easy to grow and ideal for adding to autumnal dishes in the kitchen. The only downside to larger onions is that they don’t store well, so put them to use before the end of the year. If you’d prefer smaller onions, wait to sow your seeds until March or April.
How to grow
Fill a tray with compost and sow seeds thinly on the top, covering them up with 5mm of seed compost. Keep them in a heated propagator or on a warm windowsill.
Care tips
When your onion seedlings are large enough to transplant, move them into 3-inch pots. In spring, plant them outside into finely raked soil, around 15cm apart.
When to harvest
Lift your onions from the ground from July onwards. Let them dry in the sunshine and hang them in a cool, airy place to store.
Chillies
If you have a heated propagator, add warmth to cold days by sowing chillies in January (if you don’t, sow them from March). There are hundreds of varieties to choose from, varying in colour, heat and size. Chillies are easy to grow from seed and perfect for pots; keep them in your greenhouse or move them to a sunny balcony or patio once the plants are established.
How to grow
Fill individual pots with seed compost and sow 2-3 seeds in each. Cover them up with a little more compost or a sprinkling of vermiculite. Keep your chillies at 20-25°C and they should germinate within 10 days.
Care tips
Once your chillies’ true leaves appear, move the plants into larger individual pots. Keep potting them on as they grow. Feed them with a high potash fertiliser once a week, when they begin flowering.
When to harvest
As your chillies appear and change colour, you can begin picking them as needed. Chillies can be used fresh or left to dry ready for storing.
Spinach
If you pick the right variety, you can sow spinach at any time of the year. And if you sow seeds each month, you’ll enjoy a never-ending, successional crop. Grow it through winter as a ‘cut and come again’ micro-green and enjoy multiple pickings, or let it mature to harvest larger leaves. Spinach thrives dotted between rows of other crops and is well-suited to life in a balcony pot or terrace container. High in antioxidants and nutrients, it can be savoured in a fresh salad, steamed or wilted into soups, or added to curries and stews.
How to grow
Fill a container with light compost and water it before you start sowing, so the seeds don’t wash away. Sprinkle spinach seeds thinly over the top and cover them with a light layer of compost.
Care tips
Keep the soil moist and thin out seedlings as your spinach sprouts.
When to harvest
Spinach will be ready to pick as micro-greens within a month. For more mature leaves, let them grow for 6-10 weeks before harvesting.
Flowers to grow in January
Sweet peas
If you haven’t already done so, now’s the time to sow sweet peas. January sowings will reward you with a longer season of fragrant flowers. These cottage garden classics come in a range of tones, from white and pastel shades to deep purple, red and shocking pink.
How to grow
Soak your sweet pea seeds in water for a day before sowing. Fill long pots or root trainers with compost. Water them well and then add two seeds to each, covering them with an inch of compost. Keep them in a heated propagator or on a sunny windowsill and don’t water them again until they germinate. If you’re leaving them in the greenhouse,