Which plants should you prefer in January? Start the new year with vegetables for the kitchen garden!

Why is early cultivation in winter advantageous and which vegetable plants can you still grow in January? Learn more about it here to achieve a richer harvest!

Whether you are planting a balcony garden or growing crops outdoors, some crops are suitable for earlier sowing. This allows certain garden plants to develop in peace and produce better fruit production. In addition, the first few months of the year allow you to plan what you want to grow in your vegetable garden later. To help you do this better, you can use the following information and tips to start planting suitable seeds this season.

What should you consider before planting vegetables like peppers or tomatoes in January?

For gardeners, the beginning of the year can be a busy time during this periodGrow seedlingswant. Accordingly, many crops can be grown for new production in greenhouses or at home, although a few factors must be taken into account. Such vegetables either have dense seeds or take longer to develop from the time of germination to flowering or fruiting. To achieve better results, you can use the following tips:

• As a rule, seedlings are sown in February, but you can also choose the first week of January as the sowing date.
• The prerequisites for earlier cultivation are plenty of natural or artificial light, otherwise the seedlings will be elongated. This subsequently makes them unsuitable for sowing outdoors.
• By the second week of January you can sow some hybrid varieties of peppers, cabbage, tomatoes and eggplants, as well as herbs. New potatoes can also be prepared for harvest at this time.
• Winter sowing helps you make the most of the short growing season to significantly increase annual yields.
• Regardless of where you sow and grow the seeds, you should understand the germination process so that the seedlings develop. For effective germination you need, above all, properly stored seeds that are not too old, as well as viable seeds.
• Regular watering is very important during this period so that the seed coat breaks down and the metabolic processes can proceed normally.
• The seeds also initially rely on sufficient oxygen to generate energy in order to germinate and then grow healthily. Room ventilation is therefore a crucial factor for future plant growth.
• Finally, find out which room and soil conditions are most favorable for the relevant plant species. Do not dig the seeds too deep in the growing medium, although the soil should also be well-drained.

Which edible vegetables are suitable for sowing in winter?

You can choose from different vegetable seeds that ripen later than others,if you plant in Januarywould like to prefer. In addition, a minimum temperature is required in the room so that the germination process occurs without problems. The guidelines described above will help you create the right conditions to properly sow a wide range of edible natural products. For example, you can easily sow celery, parsley, celery, basil, fennel or other herbs and spices in pots or planters. Here are some of the most common varieties where germination in the winter period can be beneficial.

Prefer crops such as chili, peppers, tomatoes or eggplant in January

• The eggplant is a heat-loving crop that belongs to the pepper and tomato families. They require higher summer temperatures to mature, which is why growing seedlings early indoors has many benefits. Depending on weather conditions, you can also sow these later directly in the garden soil, but growing them at home is much more efficient. It is therefore best to first germinate the seeds in a greenhouse or in growing media at temperatures above 20 degrees.
• Tomatoes are from the same plant family, and you can plant tomato seedsprefer in January, to look forward to an earlier harvest. However, for this purpose, you should choose varieties with a short growing season. You can grow the seedlings more easily indoors, with seeds germinating at temperatures between 15 and 26 degrees.
• When it comes to peppers, you can get the best yield by choosing hybrid varieties with a longer growing season. This means pepper plants will have more time to produce fruit in the summer, although those with a short growing season will also thrive. This also applies if you prefer chili in January and germinate the seeds in warm and bright indoor conditions.
• You can germinate almost any type of pepper at room temperatures between 18 and 30 degrees and more light

Sow or grow onion plants in the winter

• If you want to grow full-fledged onions from seeds, sowing them in the weeks of January can be equally beneficial. You can easily sow larger onion varieties indoors so that you can use them to their full potential later in the season. Also grow spring bulbs in planters or greenhouses so you can look forward to healthy plants in the spring. In addition, onion seeds take longer to germinate, with their seedlings also developing slowly. So by not delaying sowing, you will ensure that they grow into large heads by the end of summer.
• In winter, you can quickly get fresh green onion leaves by simply storing old onions in water. In just a few days you will get young onion leaves for preparing salads or stews.
• Another edible member of the onion plant is leek, which you can start sowing as early as January. The difference is that gardeners sow this plant earlier not for its seed head, but rather for the edible part of the stem. The plant needs a long growing season, so it's a good idea to sow it as soon as possible. The main advantage is that spring onions germinate even at low temperatures. However, you should consider sowing the leek seeds indoors to support plant growth. The best germination rates can be achieved at room temperatures between 18 and 30 degrees.

Grow root vegetables and root crops such as potatoes, celeriac, beetroot and carrots in winter

• You can also sow the seeds of plants such as cabbage, celery, new potatoes, beetroot and carrots by the end of the second week of January. Just make sure you disinfect them before sowing. In addition, you can grow potatoes from seeds or germinate them at room temperatures between 15 and 18 degrees. However, the seedlings must be removed beforehand.
• As far as early carrot varieties are concerned, these can also be grown in January if the climate is mild. This would also be a good period to sow them under foil in the garden soil or greenhouse. Just make sure that your soil is permeable, or sandy, and can warm up quickly. Early varieties of carrots germinate at temperatures above 5 degrees, but this may take longer and occur unevenly. The ideal germination temperatures are between 7 and 25 degrees. The main advantage of early sowing is the timely harvest before the carrot fly becomes a problem. However, with such a pest infestation, the...Mixed culture with neighboring plantslike garlic or onions help.
• Another crop that would be preferable during this period is celeriac. Namely, root celery has seeds that are covered in essential oils. This hinders the germination process, which is why seedlings that are too long later develop. For this reason, it would be advantageous to sow this crop at the beginning of the year. During the germination phase, the optimal room temperature should be between 15 and 21 degrees. Only then can you let the hardy seedlings grow at low temperatures.
• You can also sow other root crops such as parsnips, radishes or beets under a tarpaulin in winter. Such beets germinate at temperatures above 5 degrees, with the optimal temperature being between 10 and 25 degrees.

Prefer leafy vegetables such as spinach or lettuce in January

• Lettuce plants can be grown all year round, and you can also grow many varieties on your windowsill. Most of them are therefore also suitable for sowing in garden soil, but with the appropriate protection. In addition, most lettuce seeds germinate at temperatures of 1 to 2 degrees. However, the optimal temperature for the best germination rate is between 5 and 20 degrees.
• As for other greens, lettuce isn't the only leafy plant you can grow in January. Some varieties of Asian leafy greens, such as spinach, are also ideal for this, as long as you provide them with the right growing conditions. Spinach seeds can germinate even at temperatures slightly above freezing, but the optimal temperature should be between 7 and 25 degrees.

Final thoughts

The vegetables listed here represent only a small part of the plants that you can grow in January. They can either be grown as seedlings or sown into the garden soil before the beginning of spring. Of course, there are numerous other options available to you, such as fruits like strawberries. Accordingly, you can sow strawberry seeds from late-ripening varieties in order to be able to pick ripe fruits in mid-summer. The seeds of herb plants mentioned above as well as many flowering plants such as lilies, slipper flowers, gazania, heliotrope, petunias and verbena can also be grown early using the same principle.

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