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.
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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