Zone 8 - What to Plant in January

Zone 8 - What to Plant in January

January is the time to start your garden in zone 8. To be ready for the last frost you should start all transplants inside in January so you're ready to go. 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 Floradade Tomato is a delicious, bright red variety that has a great ability to withstand heat and produce high yields! This variety was introduced by the University of Florida in 1976. This tomato plant produces smooth, 5-7 ounces sized tomatoes with slightly deep globes that have red with green shoulders.

The Little Finger eggplants are slender, petite eggplants that are excellent for grilling and cooking. This eggplant has a dark purple skin is thin and tender with a silky flesh. This variety produces few seeds and a mildly sweet flavor. Harvest when the eggplant is young and glossy. Little Finger is a great variety for container growing and requires very little cooking time since it is so tender.

Lolla Rossa lettuce is a beautiful Italian heirloom variety originating from the Lolla region near Bergamo, known for its striking deep-red, frilly leaves and crisp texture. Typically forming compact, loose-leaf rosettes about 6 to 8 inches across, it adds vibrant color and visual appeal to salads and garden beds alike. The leaves are tender yet slightly crunchy, offering a mild, slightly bitter flavor with a subtle nutty finish. Lolla Rossa thrives in cool weather and prefers full sun with well-drained, fertile soil rich in organic matter. It grows best in temperatures between 45–70°F and benefits from consistent moisture, making it ideal for spring and fall planting.

Cylindra beets, also known as "Formanova" or "Butter Slicer," are a unique variety of beetroot known for their elongated, cylindrical shape. These beets have a fascinating history, originally hailing from Europe, particularly Denmark, where they were developed in the early 20th century. Their distinctive shape was cultivated to make them easier to slice and can, a practical innovation that has made them popular among home gardeners and commercial growers alike. In terms of taste, cylindra beets are mild and sweet, with a slightly earthy flavor. They are known for their tender, non-fibrous texture, making them excellent candidates for pickling, roasting, or slicing thinly for salads. Their deep red-purple skin contrasts beautifully with the vibrant, dark red flesh inside, adding an attractive element to culinary dishes. Cylindra beets typically grow to be 6-8 inches in length and 2 inches in diameter. They are ready for harvest in approximately 55-65 days from planting, making them a relatively quick-growing beet variety. They thrive in well-drained, loamy soil with full sun exposure. When it comes to disease resistance, cylindra beets tend to be more resistant to common beet diseases like leaf spot and powdery mildew than some other beet varieties. Proper spacing is crucial, with about 2-3 inches between each plant and rows spaced 12-18 inches apart. With the right care and growing conditions, cylindra beets can yield a bountiful crop of these delicious and uniquely-shaped vegetables, making them a favorite among gardeners and chefs.  

Riverside is a smooth spinach with dark green leaves. Grown mostly for its spade-shaped baby leaf harvesting. Riverside produces at normal rates with an upright plant habit. Excellent for growers who want premium quality product. Riverside is also very resistant to downy mildew.

The Petite Mix Bell is a blend of our favorite mini bell peppers that are a sweet flavor explosion! These tiny peppers ripens to a rich yellow, red and purple colors when mature. The Petite Mix Bell blend is high yielding and produces 2-3 ounce peppers that make the perfect snack sized pepper. This mix is excellent for market selling or home growing for adding into salads!

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.

The classic Burpee's Bush Big Boy Tomato is the same large, juicy favorite but has been made even better, especially for small-space gardeners. With this variety, you get the same number of tasty, big red tomatoes (10 to 11 oz. each), with the same sweet, aromatic, melt-in-your-mouth juiciness as the original, but the compact plants are only half the size!

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 Red Bhut Jolokia (Ghost Pepper) is among the world's hottest pepper! In 2006, the Guinness Book of Records confirmed that New Mexico State University had discovered the world's hottest chile pepper, the wrinkled, scarlet Bhut Jolokia. At 1,001,304 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), the Red Bhut Jolokia is nearly twice as hot as Red Savina, the Chile pepper variety it replaced as the world's hottest. In comparison, a New Mexico Green chile contains about 1,500 SHUs and an average jalapeno measures at about 10,000 SHUs. Use with caution.

The Beaver Dam Pepper is a delicious pepper that makes a great for stuffed peppers or adding to sandwiches. This pepper variety was brought from Hungary to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin in 1912 by the Joe Hussli family. Beaver Dam ripens from green to orange to red with just a touch of a tangy heat flavor!

The Napoli Tomato is an exceptional, bright red Italian paste type that is perfect for slicing, freezing and canning or making into sauce, soups or paste! This tomato plant variety produces heavy yields of 1.5 x 3 inch fruits that weigh around 3 ounces. The Napoli is a favorite for being juicy and meaty.

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.

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.

The Long Red Slim Cayenne Pepper is a traditional medium heat cayenne pepper with a great flavor! This variety is a long and thin pepper that produces unbelievably high yields. These peppers will mature red and are wrinkled with a mixture of straight and curly fruits. Long Red Slim is excellent for drying, pickling and fresh eating to spice up your chili or salsa. This pepper plant is bushy and reaches 26" tall.

Scarlet kale seeds are a vibrant and intriguing choice for any garden enthusiast looking to add a splash of color and a touch of nutrition to their harvest. These seeds produce kale with striking red and purple leaves that not only brighten up your garden but also provide a visually stunning addition to your plate. Rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, scarlet kale is as beneficial as it is beautiful. Its bold flavor, with a slightly peppery bite, can elevate a variety of dishes from salads to soups. Easy to grow, these seeds thrive in cooler weather and are resilient to frost, making them a versatile option for extending the growing season. With scarlet kale, you're not just cultivating a nutritious vegetable; you're enhancing your garden's aesthetic appeal with a vibrant, healthful crop.

The Purple Bumble Bee Tomato is part of the beautiful and tasty Artisan tomato collection with a sweet fruity flavor that is great for fresh eating! This variety produces tomatoes with a purple color and a metallic green striping. The Purple Bumble Bee is beautiful when mixed with the other Artisan tomatoes.

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.