January is an exciting time for many gardeners. With spring right around the corner many are already making plans and getting things ready for their spring and summer gardens. Although specific chores might vary depending on what zone you live in, here is a general idea of things you may want to start thinking about doing in your garden this month.
January
- Build a seed starting area in your home either near a bright and sunny windowsill or invest in grow lights and shelving.
- Layout and design your beds or any new garden projects you’ll be working on.
- Study companion plants and begin organizing your thoughts on which plants will be planted where.
- Look online for garden inspiration and determine what type of garden you'll have. Will you be growing vegetables, herbs, fruit, or a combination of all three?
- Will you be growing hydroponically? Maybe giving aquaponics a whirl? Raised beds and traditional row-gardening works great too. Learn as much as you can about the different ways you can grow food and try what you think will work best for you.
- Don't forget to pick up some containers! Perfect for small spaces, renters, or city dwellers. Growing lettuce and leafy greens on a patio or near an entrance to your home will make harvesting a salad each day easy and effortless.
Start your pepper plants indoors sometime this month to get a jump start on the upcoming season! They’ll be safe to transplant outdoors anywhere between 6-8 weeks after you start them, depending on the frost dates in your specific area. Keep them in a warm and sunny location and they’ll be healthy and strong by the time you’re ready to move them outdoors.
Start a variety of your favorite tomatoes this month indoors. They’ll be ready for transplanting outdoors anywhere from 6-8 weeks later, once the threat of frost has passed and the soil has begun to warm up.
When transplanting them into a larger container or outdoors, remember to bury the plant DEEP. Plant the stem in the ground covering the first few sets of leaves. A deeply buried stem will create a stronger plant.
Start your onion seeds indoors this month. Let them grow approximately 5 inches tall and then trim to 3 inches. Repeat this process until they are ready to be transplanted outdoors once the soil is workable. This will create stronger, healthier onion sets.
