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 Royal Oakleaf is a long standing oak leaf lettuce that has good heat resistance. This variety develops beautiful rosettes of deeply lobed sea green leaves. Royal Oakleaf is an improved version of the standard oak leaf lettuce. The Royal Oakleaf has excellent flavor, crispness and tenderness that is one that cannot be beat!

The Crnkovic Yugoslavian Tomato is a full flavored, mid-sized bright red tomato that has a perfect beefsteak shape that is juicy inside. This variety produces heavy yields of pink beefsteaks that rarely cracks and can weigh up to a pound each. Fruits have perfect shape and a juicy flavor.

The Black Plum Tomato is a heavy producer and a favorite plum-shaped tomato variety for making different salsa or sauces. This variety produces 2" long by 1" wide tomatoes that weigh around 1-2 ounces. The Black Plum has a black-purple skin with green-shoulders and a very delicious flavor.

The Casper eggplant gets its name for being a unique ghostly white! This white skinned eggplant produces early 5-7 inch long fruit. Casper has a succulent mushroom-like flavor that is delicious added into soups, stews and roasts. This eggplant variety can grow anywhere in the United States.

Nothing says "spring" like the crisp taste of a homegrown Easter Egg Radish! This variety is a bright color blend of red, white, rose pink, purple, and bi-color (red top, white bottom) that is perfect for salads and relish trays. At the harvest time, you can have your own "Easter Egg hunt" for the most colorful radish! After the harvest, you can eat them fresh in salads or slice and add them to sandwiches for a bit of crunch and color.

The Dazzling Blue Kale is a beautiful, cold-tolerant lacinato-type that produces large blue-green leaves with deep purple veins. This kale is sure to add a delicious pop of color to any salad! This variety will survive freezing temperatures better than other lacinato types and will even intensify with cool temperatures.

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 Lucky Tiger Tomato is a sweet and fruity tomato that is part of the beautiful and tasty Artisan tomato collection and is great for fresh eating! The elongated green striped cherry tomato has red blush bottoms that mixes beautifully with the other Artisan tomatoes.

The Purple Petite Bell Pepper is a mini bell pepper variety with a flavor explosion! This sweet mini bell pepper is high yielding and will ripen to a rich purple when mature. This pepper plant produces 2-3 ounce pepper that are perfect for a snack sized pepper. This little purple pepper is excellent for market selling or fresh eating in salads!

These round fruit have a beautiful deep violet pleated skin with a touch of cream under the stem. The 4-5 inch eggplants have a meaty and mild tasting white flesh with a very eggplant texture. The Prosperosa is a favorite for its eye-catching shape and color, making it the perfect addition to any garden!

The Green Salad Bowl is a decorative rosette type of lettuce with closely set crispy leaves. This looseleaf lettuce's crumpled leaves hold water very well, making it a popular variety!

The Lolla Rosso Darky Lettuce is known for its deep red, curled loose leaves. This attractive lettuce is an heirloom that has beautiful magenta leaves with a light green base that gives a great presentation. Lolla Rosso Darky has a mild flavor that is a cut and come again, good to sow in the spring or fall.

Tango Lettuce is a fun curled baby leaf lettuce variety! This lettuce has a crisp clean texture and holds up well with numerous salad dressings. This attractive uniform plant forms tight erect rosettes that are 12" across and 6-8" tall. Tango is an oak leaf variety.

The Dwarf Siberian Kale leaves are perfect as a garnish and in hearty winter dishes. This frilly green and purple kale dances in the crisp early morning cold and thrive. Why? Because its roots are from Russia!

New Zealand spinach, known scientifically as Tetragonia tetragonioides, is a unique leafy green vegetable that thrives in warm climates, making it a popular choice in gardens. Unlike traditional spinach, which is a cool-season crop, New Zealand spinach is a perennial plant with succulent, triangular leaves that have a mild, slightly salty flavor. This hardy plant can tolerate heat and drought, making it ideal for summer gardens. It is often used in salads, stir-fries, and as a cooked green, providing a nutritious alternative to other leafy greens. With its ability to grow well in poor soil conditions and its attractive, sprawling growth habit, New Zealand spinach is not only a versatile culinary ingredient but also a valuable addition to edible landscapes.

The Crayon Colors Mix is a mixture of primary colored radishes that literally paints a wonderful colorful palette in your garden! The color in this mix includes yellow, pink, red, and purple.

The Oakleaf Lettuce gets its name for having very tender leaves that resemble the white oak leaf. This variety is an old time favorite that tastes great in mixed salads. The Oakleaf is perfect for planting late in the season. This lettuce will stay tasty and non-bitter well into the heat of summer!

The Prizehead Lettuce produces luscious slow bolting heads of loose, large green leaves with curled maroon tips. This variety is a popular lettuce for both home gardens and markets. Prizehead is truly a prize for its flavor being great in salads and sandwiches.