Zone 10 - What to Plant in January

Zone 10 - What to Plant in January

Zone 10 still has time to get some vegetables and flowers planted and grown before that heat kicks in. All the cool seasons vegetables like lettuce, spinach and broccoli should be direct sowed into your garden. Try some of the vegetables below.

Bibb is a crisp, clean, and easy to grow butterhead lettuce that has light green leaves with the occasional red spots. The crispy heads often self blanch in the center. This lettuce variety is perfect for farmers markets and for the home gardener. This Bibb does well in the heat, yet still grows quickly in our cool weather. Lt. John B. Bibb served in the War of 1812, represented Logan County in the Kentucky House of Representatives and the state Senate from 1827 to 1834. Lt. Bibb was also an amateur horticulturist and developed the Bibb lettuce we know and love today. However, it wasn't offered commercially until 1935.

Calabrese Green Sprouting broccoli is a popular and nutritious vegetable known for its tender florets and robust flavor. Originating from Italy, specifically the Calabria region, this variety was cultivated for centuries before gaining popularity worldwide, especially in home gardens and markets. Calabrese broccoli include its sturdy, upright stalks and large, vibrant green heads that typically form in loose clusters. The color is a rich, dark green, with tightly packed florets that can range from small to medium-sized. When cooked, Calabrese broccoli offers a slightly sweet and earthy flavor, making it a versatile ingredient in a variety of dishes, from stir-fries to soups. An appealing attribute of Calabrese is its ability to produce side shoots after the main head is harvested, providing multiple harvests throughout the season. This variety is also valued for its nutritional benefits, being rich in vitamins C and K, fiber, and antioxidants. Its hardiness and adaptability make Calabrese green sprouting broccoli a favorite among gardeners and cooks alike.

The Rainbow Blend Swiss Chard will brighten up any dish! The beautifully colored and delicious Rainbow Blend is a mixture of different red, orange, pink, yellow and white chard. These stunning leafy greens are a staple to any garden or meal. The glossy dark green leaves have a crisp texture that can't be beat. Organic Seed.

The Olympia is a top-notch smooth leaf hybrid spinach that has a great flavor. This spinach Hybrid has thick and dark green leaves that grow upright. The Olympia is highly recommended for spring, summer, fall and over wintering crops because it resists bolting under high temperatures and long day conditions. Treated seed.

The Red Russian Kale is a very tender, colorful specialty kale for salad mix and bunching. This variety is a special, refined strain. Its stems are purple and leaves are deep gray-green with purple veins. This flat, noncurled, and tooth-edged kale has a wonderful taste. Red Russian matures medium-tall and leaves are tender compared to other kales.

Little Gem lettuce is a small, compact variety that belongs to the Romaine family. Known for its tender, crisp leaves and sweet, mild flavor, it has become a favorite in both casual and fine dining. The heads are typically about the size of a fist, with tightly packed, bright green leaves that are both crunchy and delicate. Its flavor is a perfect balance between the slightly bitter taste of Romaine and the mild sweetness of Butterhead lettuce. Little Gem is often used in salads, sandwiches, or as a base for grilling, where its natural sweetness intensifies. Its small size also makes it an ideal choice for individual servings or garnishes. Rich in vitamins A, C, and K, it’s not only flavorful but also nutritious. Little Gem's heads are about 4 inches across and are prime eating from 4-6 inches tall. The plants can be spaced 6 1/2 by 6 1/2 inches for maximum yields. Growing Little Gem lettuce is relatively easy and well-suited to home gardeners, thriving in cool, temperate climates. This compact variety of lettuce prefers full sun but can tolerate partial shade, especially in hotter weather. It grows best in well-drained, fertile soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH. To plant, sow seeds directly into the soil in early spring or late summer, spacing them about 6-8 inches apart to allow for proper air circulation and growth. Little Gem lettuce thrives with regular watering, but it’s important to avoid waterlogging, as this can lead to root rot. As it matures, the small heads form tight, crisp rosettes. Harvesting can begin in around 30-45 days, typically when the heads are firm but still small. For continuous harvest, sow new seeds every couple of weeks. Little Gem lettuce is also ideal for container gardening due to its compact size, making it a great choice for small spaces or urban gardens.

The Optima Lettuce is a large-framed Boston type that produces dark green leaves that have excellent heat tolerance and will resist bolting. This variety is known for being resistant to tip burn as well as races 1-4 of mildew. This great lettuce also has a juicy, crisp flavor that is amazing cut up in salads or on sandwiches!

Michihili cabbage is great for those who love stir-fry or pickling cabbage. A tight-head type with well blanched, crisp and tender interior. Michihili produces a cylindrical, leafy head. A high yielding cabbage with excellent flavor. Chinese cabbage nutrients include vitamins A and C.

Often considered the benchmark for rainbow chard, this outstanding mix features beautifully savoyed, glossy leaves in shades of green and bronze, paired with vibrant stems in gold, pink, orange, red, white, and soft pastel blends. Each color brings its own subtle flavor, all milder and more refined than standard chard. Developed by New Zealand amateur breeder John Eaton and recognized as an All-America Selections winner, this variety delivers uniform growth, consistent leaf quality, and excellent bolt resistance across every color in the mix. It can be direct seeded or started as transplants to separate individual colors, performs reliably through much of the year, and is best suited to mild conditions, as it is slightly less frost tolerant than other chard types.

The Santa Fe Lettuce produces a small blanched head that is surrounded by green outer leaves with a tinged bronze-red tip. This variety is a favorite for being extra crunchy!

Red Malabar spinach (Basella rubra) is a heat-loving, vining green that thrives through the hottest days of summer when traditional greens fade. This vigorous Asian vine features glossy, thick, slightly savoyed dark green leaves set against striking deep red to purple stems, making it as ornamental as it is edible. The mild, chard-like flavor works well when young leaves and tender stems are used fresh in salads, blended into smoothies, or lightly cooked in stir-fries. Exceptionally tolerant of heat and humidity, it produces an abundance of nutritious greens well into fall, along with deep purple berries rich in anthocyanins that can be used as a natural dye. Not a true spinach, this beautiful plant is typically grown as an annual in cooler regions and as a perennial in subtropical climates, but it is not frost hardy.

The French Breakfast Radish has a delicate flavor and is an excellent variety for home gardens. This radish variety is an attractive uniquely shaped radish with elongated roots and red tops with white tips. The French Breakfast has an excellent flavor and texture, that is perfect for dips or as a garnish.

The White Icicle Radish is an heirloom white variety that has a warm, mild flavor. The shoulders where the radish protrudes above the ground should be green, although there is a variant with purple shoulders. This radish variety is excellent for the home garden or fresh market.

The Early Purple Sprouting broccoli is an heirloom broccoli bred for overwintering! This variety produces lots of beautiful purple broccoli sprouts in the spring. The Early Purple Sprouting grows slowly through the winter; very frost hardy.

Sugar beets are the perfect natural choice to make sugar! You can boil the sugar beets in order to make a sugary syrup. These beets can grow up to 1 foot long and can weigh from 3-5 pounds. That means you need to thin them to make sure they have enough room to grow. Tops can grow 1-2' tall. Beet tops can be eaten, lightly grazed or fed to animals.

Chioggia beets, also known as Candy Cane or Bull's Eye beets, are a unique and visually striking variety of beets that originated in Italy. Their history dates back to the early 19th century when they were first cultivated in the coastal town of Chioggia, near Venice. These beets are renowned for their vibrant and eye-catching appearance, characterized by concentric rings of alternating red and white colors, reminiscent of a candy cane. This distinct coloration makes them a popular choice among gardeners and chefs for their ornamental and culinary appeal. In terms of taste, Chioggia beets offer a mild and slightly sweet flavor, making them a versatile ingredient in various dishes. They can be enjoyed raw in salads, pickled, roasted, or boiled, and their taste becomes sweeter when cooked. Typically, Chioggia beets are round to slightly flattened in shape, with a diameter of 2 to 3 inches. They are known for their relatively quick maturity, taking around 50 to 60 days to reach full size. Their unique coloration is retained even after cooking, making them a visually stunning addition to any meal. When it comes to growing Chioggia beets, they thrive in well-drained soil with a neutral pH and require full sun for optimal growth. Proper spacing is essential to allow room for their roots to develop, typically requiring 3 to 4 inches between each plant and rows spaced about 12 to 18 inches apart. Chioggia beets are relatively disease-resistant, with a natural ability to withstand some common beet diseases, but it's still essential to monitor them for any signs of issues. With proper care, Chioggia beets can yield a bountiful crop, and their unique appearance and delightful taste make them a favorite among gardeners and culinary enthusiasts alike.

Minowase radish seeds produce a classic Japanese daikon variety with origins in East Asia, where long-rooted radishes have been cultivated for centuries for their productivity and versatility. Known for its smooth white roots that often reach 12–18 inches, Minowase features crisp, juicy flesh with a mild, slightly sweet, lightly peppery flavor that is far gentler than smaller spring radishes. Its clean taste and firm texture make it ideal for microgreens, sprouts, salads, pickling, stir-fries, soups, fermenting, and even grating fresh as a condiment. This variety grows best in cool weather and loose, deeply prepared soil that allows for long, straight roots; sow seeds directly in late summer or early fall, provide consistent moisture, thin seedlings to prevent crowding, and harvest before hard frosts for the best quality.

Wonder is a new artichoke variety that offers yields early and often! Plants are about 90-120cm tall, with most of the heads being pear-shaped and firm. Wonder F1 has excellent quality for both the fresh markets and for commercial use.