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!

The Merlot Pepper produces huge yields of big peppers on tall healthy plants! This hybrid pepper is a tall plant that is highly resistant to tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and bacterial leaf spot (BST). This variety produces huge pepper yields on lush foliage that offers good protection for the newly formed bells. The Merlot begins off green, turns white, and finally begins to turn merlot purple when mature.

Orange King is a deliciously sweet and tangy orange pepper. This blocky, thick skinned pepper turns from green to a bright orange when mature. Its plants produce average yields of 4-5 lobed block peppers that mature to 4x6." This pepper variety is the sweetest bell pepper we have tasted to date! Orange King is perfect for fresh eating, dips, salads, stuffing, stir fries and sandwiches.

The Lutz Green Leaf Red Stem Beet has a beautiful deep red hue and a mouth watering taste that pairs perfectly with any dish. This variety is known for having huge glossy, deep green tops that are amazingly delicious! This beet is a "winterkeeper" beet that has a long standing storage capability. The Lutz Green Leaf Red Stem has 6 inches in diameter roots.

A dark rich red color characterizes this hybrid on the outside, and inside it has distinct ring development. Purple Haze has a good combination of maturity and bulb size. A good disease package compliments this vibrant and vigorous hybrid. Disease Rating: High tolerance to Pink Root and Bolting and Good Tolerance to Fusarium.

Cherokee Purple tomatoes are a revered heirloom variety with a rich history and exceptional flavor. Originating from the Cherokee Nation in the southeastern United States, this variety has been passed down through generations for its unique attributes. Cherokee Purple tomatoes are known for their dark, dusky purple-brown skin and deep, red interior, which provides a striking contrast and a visually appealing fruit. They are medium to large in size and have a complex, rich flavor with sweet and slightly smoky notes, making them ideal for fresh salads, sandwiches, and gourmet dishes. Typically, these tomatoes reach maturity in about 75 to 80 days and feature an indeterminate growth habit, meaning they continue to produce fruit throughout the growing season. The plants are vigorous and require staking or caging to support their sprawling vines and the weight of the heavy fruit. With their historical significance, unique color, and robust flavor, Cherokee Purple tomatoes are a cherished choice for gardeners and culinary enthusiasts alike. This plant produces large vines with large beefsteak fruits that average 8-20 ounces.

Ruby onions are a vibrant variety of red onions known for their striking color and sweet, mild flavor. Characterized by their deep purple skin and crisp white flesh tinged with red, Ruby onions add a pop of color to salads, salsas, and various dishes. They are typically medium to large in size, making them versatile for both raw and cooked applications. Originating from traditional onion cultivation, Ruby onions are prized for their ability to balance sweetness with a subtle bite, enhancing the taste of many recipes. They are often used in fresh preparations like salads and sandwiches, but they also caramelize beautifully when cooked, bringing out their natural sugars. Harvesting typically occurs in late summer to early fall, about 90-100 days after planting, when the tops begin to yellow and fall over. Ruby onions thrive in well-drained soil and full sun, making them a popular choice for home gardeners. Their attractive appearance and delicious flavor make Ruby onions a favorite in both home kitchens and commercial markets.

The Rainbow Blend contains a kaleidoscope of orange, purple, red, white and multi-colored beet varieties that will make any dish pop! This colorful variety not only produces the brightest colored beets, but also the tastiest. This blend is a great addition to any garden, especially a container garden. Enjoy this beet blend in a salad, or roasted for a mouthwatering colorful plate.

A spectacular everbearing strawberry that does well in hanging pots! Produces delicious 1" inch fruits all summer long. The only true variety that produces traditional, full-sized strawberries from seed. Bred in the US by one of the leading seed houses, this wonderful, new, everbearing variety is both early and long-blooming. Sow indoors 3 months before transplanting outdoors.

The Golden Detroit is the ultimate savory golden beet with delicious greens! A colorful beet that won over gardeners with it's sweet but more mild flavor. Golden Detroit's vibrant orange-yellow color makes a wonderful addition to salads and meals. Cooked it turns buttercup yellow and melts in your mouth. Light green, with gold veined leaves also mix well into salads. One of the best tasting raw beets that is extremely healthy.

The Marion Tomato is a great tasting, bright red Rutgers variety that is perfect for slicing and fresh eating in a salad or on a sandwich. This variety is earlier and more disease resistant and crack resistant than other tomatoes.

Gypsy is a hybrid broccoli that produces well in warmer growing zones. An excellent variety for greenhouse production. Gypsy has a strong root system and intermediate downy mildew resistance. Gypsy yields excellent, smooth, dome-shaped heads with medium-small beads.

The Orange Fantasia is a brightly colored orange Swiss Chard. This is a tasty variety that is great for people who want to grow controlled colors of different Swiss Chard. The Orange Fantasia's orange color comes when mature and ready for harvest.

The Marglobe Supreme Tomato is great for home and market growing as it is the highest producing tomato plant that we have ever seen! The Marglobe Supreme tomato plant was originally released by the USDA in 1925 and was first developed in 1917 from a cross between 'Marvel' and 'Globe'. Marglobe Supreme has been in demand for several generations while many other varieties have come and gone. This high yielding tomato plant is stocky, vigorous, and has excellent disease tolerance. Its vine growth is uniform and provides good protection from sun scald. The Marglobe Supreme produces high yields of crack resistant  4-6 ounce, smooth and round shaped tomatoes that are perfect for canning.

The Barese Swiss Chard is an excellent home garden chard. This variety is known for its taste and tenderness. The Barese is bred specifically for baby leaf production. This chard matures quickly, produces uniform, crisp leaves and holds well.

The Roma is a popular heirloom elongated tomato preferred for cooking, canning and making a spectacular Italian paste. This variety has very thick flesh, low seed count and produces high yields of up to 200 fruits on each plant. The Roma VF also has great disease resistance to verticillium and fusarium wilt. These strong vigorous plants can be grown outdoors or in a greenhouse.

Walla Walla onions are a distinctive, sweet onion variety renowned for their large size, mild flavor, and delicate texture. Originating from the Walla Walla Valley in Washington State, these onions have a history dating back to the late 1800s. Their bulbs are typically round or slightly flattened, with smooth, pale yellow to light brown skins, and their flesh is exceptionally sweet and mild, making them ideal for raw consumption in salads, salsas, or on sandwiches. Known for their low sulfur content, which contributes to their sweetness, Walla Walla onions are a long-season crop, requiring a full growing cycle to reach maturity. They are beloved by gardeners for their ability to grow in a variety of climates, though they flourish best in well-drained, fertile soil with ample sunlight.

The Abe Lincoln Tomato is a popular heirloom variety with very good disease resistance that has been a farm favorite since the 1920's! This tomato variety produces bright red, perfectly round and medium-sized 12 oz. tomatoes in clusters up to 9. This tomato is very delicious and rich with slightly acidic tomato flavors. The Abe Lincoln will be in your garden for years!

Crunchy Red produces large tops and very uniform dark red, round roots. This variety is very slow to develop pith. It performs well under cool conditions. It’s usually a few days earlier than standard varieties. Crunchy Red is desirable where larger roots are required.