Zone 7 - What to Plant in January

Zone 7 - What to Plant in January

January is go time for zone 7 gardeners. January is your first window to start your indoor sowings and order your seeds for the spring season. The next two months are the most important for starting your vegetables on time. Start your tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables to be ready for spring transplant!

Amazing cauliflower seeds produce a high-yielding, uniform variety known for its large, dense, and smooth white heads. This hybrid cauliflower is prized for its excellent resistance to common diseases and its ability to perform well in a range of growing conditions, from cool climates to slightly warmer environments. With a fast-growing cycle, Amazing cauliflower is ideal for early-season harvests, making it popular among commercial growers and home gardeners alike. The compact, tightly-formed heads are highly marketable and have a delicate, mild flavor that holds up well in both fresh and cooked dishes. Whether grown for local markets or personal use, Amazing cauliflower seeds offer consistent, premium-quality results with minimal care required.

The Green Globe is America's most popular artichoke! Large flower buds, harvest when plump, ornamental with bold blue 6" flowers. Artichokes are a very tender plant. With thick, fleshy scales and solid center, the flower heads should be harvested when they're young. Native to the Mediterranean, globe artichokes have been grown in the US since Colonial times. Provided with a protective cover, the artichokes will successfully overwinter in colder areas.

Gardeners will enjoy a generous harvest of large, beefsteak tomatoes weighing 12-14 oz. that have a great tomato taste with just the right balance of acid and sugar. Indeterminate hybrid tomato plants produce heavily in just 73 days from transplant and they do especially well in cooler climates. This fleshy tomato has minimal Seeds and slices very well for true summer dining enjoyment.

The Selway is a Lolla Rossa type lettuce with beautiful light green and dark purple coloring. This variety has deeply curled loose leaves with frilled dark-purple edges edges. The Selway is an essential in salad mixes for its color and taste. For baby leaf production, this variety can be harvested in 30 days and for full sized leaves, it can be harvested in 55 days and can be cut repeatedly!

Improved Rugen is a delicious alpine strawberry. Produces strong, upright plants that are great for rock gardens, border plantings and edible landscapes. Rugen produces smaller, elongated red berries with a sweet flavor. First grown over 250 years ago in France, these Alpine natives grow well in either sun or shade.

The Romanesco broccoli is a funky little vibrant broccoli! Known for its different appearance, it is also a really great tasting broccoli! This Italian variety is bright lime green with lots of texture. The Romanesco is excellent for cool areas.

The Amana Orange Tomato is a giant 1 pound beefsteak with a unique bright orange skin and a very juicy with an intensely flavored flesh! Bite into one of these and you won't forget the first time! This very attractive colored tomato  looks great with any meal. The Amana Orange tomato has become very popular since it's introduction in the 1980's.

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.

Anaheim Chili is a meaty hot pepper that is great for stuffing. This pepper variety has a mild to medium heat for a chili pepper. Each of these plant produce an abundance of spicy chili peppers that are 5-8" long. Anaheim Chili is great for roasting, stuffing, stews, sauces and eaten raw! A farmer back in the early 1900s bought some of these pepper seeds in Anaheim, California thus giving them the name they have today. Anaheim Chili peppers can be harvested while green or for more spiciness let them turn deep red.

Ananas Noire tomatoes, also known as “Black Pineapple” tomatoes, are a distinctive heirloom variety renowned for their rich history and unique attributes. Originating from France, this variety is celebrated for its striking appearance and complex flavor profile. The name "Ananas Noire," which translates to "Black Pineapple," reflects the fruit's unusual coloration and resemblance to a pineapple in its shape. These tomatoes mature to a deep mahogany color with greenish undertones and have a ribbed, somewhat lumpy texture. The flavor is rich and multi-dimensional, offering a balance of sweetness with tangy, smoky notes, making them a prized ingredient in gourmet dishes and salads. The plants are indeterminate, meaning they continue to grow and produce fruit throughout the growing season, reaching about 6 to 8 feet in height. Ananas Noire tomatoes are typically harvested in late summer to early fall when they have fully ripened and their color has deepened. With their vibrant color, complex flavor, and productive growth habit, Ananas Noire tomatoes are a standout choice for both home gardeners and culinary enthusiasts.

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.

Red Romaine Lettuce has long, crinkled leaves with great crunch! This variety starts green and fades to redish-purple. The Red Romaine's leaves are12" tall and the plant is about 10-12" wide. This lettuce is often used in Caesar salads not only for its crunch, but also for its color. Use Red Romaine lettuce for an incredible edible purple border in your flower beds.

The Pink Brandywine Tomato is our favorite heirloom beefsteak for home gardens and a customer favorite for its sweet taste! This large, beefsteak-shaped tomato fruit grows upright on large leaved plants. This favored tomato contains few seeds and meaty flesh! The indeterminate tomato will ripen later than most, but will produces 10-20 ounce tomatoes until the first frost of fall.

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.

Strawberry Spinach is a delicious fruit that is almost entirely edible. A beautiful plant with showy leaves and berries. It's triangular toothed leaves and tender shoots are great for salads. Shiny red mulberry-like fruits are edible and can be added to salads. Grown in Europe for centuries.

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.

Snowball Y Improved cauliflower is a popular open pollinated variety! This cauliflower is known for its vigorous, rapid growth and long harvest. Its head is snow-white and measures 7-8" inches across. Give this cauliflower fertile soil, full sun and steady moisture and you'll be rewarded with large, delicious heads that are high in vitamin C.

De Cicco broccoli, known for its exceptional taste, is a popular heirloom variety of broccoli (Brassica oleracea) that hails from Italy. This Italian heirloom has been cultivated for generations, making it a favorite among gardeners and chefs alike. De Cicco broccoli is classified as a compact, semi-dwarf type of broccoli, and it is highly prized for its versatility in the kitchen and its relatively quick maturity. De Cicco broccoli boasts a mild, slightly sweet flavor with a hint of nuttiness. Its tender, dark green florets are surrounded by a profusion of lush leaves. The compact plant typically reaches a height of 18-24 inches, making it suitable for smaller gardens or container growing. De Cicco is known for its relatively short days to maturity, typically taking around 48-65 days from seed sowing to harvest. This broccoli variety is characterized by its vibrant, dark green color, which is indicative of its high nutrient content. De Cicco broccoli exhibits strong disease resistance, particularly against common broccoli ailments like downy mildew and clubroot, which can be a relief for growers. When properly cared for, De Cicco broccoli can yield a bountiful harvest of small to medium-sized heads, often producing side shoots after the main head is harvested. For optimal growth, it's recommended to sow De Cicco broccoli seeds in well-drained soil with full sun exposure. Plant the seeds 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, spacing them about 18-24 inches apart to provide enough room for the plants to mature and thrive. Additionally, consistent watering and adequate fertilization can help ensure a successful De Cicco broccoli crop.