What to plant in January: zone 8a
Zone 8a averages its last spring frost around March 30 and its first fall frost around November 15. Everything below is timed from those two dates, so it stays useful whether you're planting for summer or for a fall harvest.
Start indoors
- Sow microgreens indoorsaround Jan 5
A tray on the windowsill gives you a cut of fresh greens every 10-14 days through the cold months.
- Start onions and leeks indoorsaround Jan 19
Alliums need 10-12 weeks under lights before they go out. The earliest sowing of the year.
- Onionaround Jan 19
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (03-30). Match day-length to your latitude. Long-day north of 37°, short-day south.
- Rosemaryaround Jan 19
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (03-30). In zone 6 and below, grow in a pot and overwinter indoors near a south window.
- Leekaround Jan 19
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (03-30). Plant seedlings deep in a 6 in trench and hill soil up the stem twice during the season. That buried length is the tender white shaft you're growing for.
- Celeryaround Jan 19
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (03-30). Celery is a water crop: it turns stringy and bitter the moment it dries out. Keep soil consistently moist and feed steadily. Homegrown stalks are thinner and far more flavorful than store celery.
- Lavenderaround Jan 19
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (03-30). Lean, gritty, well-drained soil and no coddling. Plant on a slight mound, skip the fertilizer, and prune a third of the plant after bloom to stop it going woody.
- Celeriacaround Jan 19
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (03-30). Needs a long, steady season: start indoors early and keep soil evenly moist the entire time or the knob stays small.
- Habanero Pepperaround Jan 19
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (03-30). Needs more heat and a longer season than bell peppers; start indoors early and don't rush it outside until nights stay above 55F.
Direct sow
- Rutabagaaround Jan 5
Soil is ready -12 weeks before last frost.
Dormant care
- Prune dormant fruit treesaround Jan 12
Prune apples, pears and peaches while fully dormant. Open the center, remove crossing wood.
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