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 White Bell Pepper is a translucent white to pale yellow colored bell pepper with a crisp, sweet flavor. This pepper variety produces an abundance of white bell fruits. These peppers turn from translucent to pale yellow when mature. The White Bell is a great addition to any salad or meal.

Fire Fresh hybrid swiss chard is excellent for baby leaf or spring mix production. Produces bright red petioles and medium-dark green leaves. Has an above normal growth rate and produces long oval leaves that have a slight texture.

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 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.

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.

The Sudduth's Strain Brandywine Tomato is a pink Brandywine type with an excellent, rich and delightfully intense tomato flavor. This variety was obtained from Dorris Sudduth Hill whose family grew it for over 100 years. The large pink beefsteak tomatoes can grow to be about 2 pounds.

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 Ruby Red Lettuce is an early variety that produces good yields of bright green to ruby red colored leaves. This beautiful variety is a very heat tolerant lettuce that is slow to bolt. Ruby Red's color does not fade in the hot weather! This lettuce is excellent for adding color to salads or garnishes.

Hillbilly tomatoes are a vibrant heirloom variety renowned for their eye-catching appearance and rich flavor. These large, beefsteak-type tomatoes feature a striking color pattern of yellow and orange with red marbling, creating a visually stunning fruit that stands out in any garden. When fully ripe, Hillbilly tomatoes develop a sweet, fruity flavor with subtle tangy notes, making them an excellent choice for fresh eating, sandwiches, and salads. They typically take about 80 to 90 days to reach maturity, and the plants exhibit a sprawling, indeterminate growth habit, producing a steady yield of fruit throughout the growing season. The vigorous vines benefit from staking or cage support to manage the heavy fruit and ensure a bountiful harvest. With their unique coloration and exceptional taste, Hillbilly tomatoes offer both visual and culinary appeal, making them a favorite among gardeners and chefs alike.

Red Currant tomatoes are a charming heirloom variety renowned for their tiny, jewel-like fruits and exceptional sweetness. Believed to have origins in both Europe and North America, this variety has been cherished for its prolific nature and unique characteristics. The tomatoes are notably small, often the size of a pea, and grow in clusters reminiscent of currants, hence the name. They are bright red when ripe and possess a delightful, tangy-sweet flavor that makes them perfect for snacking, salads, and garnishes. Red Currant tomatoes typically reach maturity in about 60 to 70 days, making them relatively quick to harvest. The plants exhibit a vigorous, indeterminate growth habit, meaning they produce an abundant yield throughout the growing season and require staking or caging to manage their sprawling vines. With their vibrant color, sweet flavor, and impressive productivity, Red Currant tomatoes are a favorite among gardeners looking to add both beauty and a burst of flavor to their gardens.

Freckles Lettuce gets its name for being an unusual bright green romaine lettuce with crimson freckles! This uniquely colored lettuce is sun-loving and grows upright. This variety has a crisp texture that can be harvested early or late!

Black from Tula tomatoes are a notable heirloom variety with a fascinating history and distinctive qualities. Originating from the Russian city of Tula, this variety has been cherished for its rich, robust flavor and striking appearance. Black from Tula tomatoes are characterized by their dark, reddish-brown skin with purple undertones, giving them a unique and attractive look. The fruits are medium to large, typically weighing between 6 to 12 ounces, and are known for their complex, sweet, and slightly smoky flavor, which adds depth to salads, sandwiches, and sauces. They generally take about 75 to 80 days to mature, and the plants exhibit an indeterminate growth habit, producing a steady yield of fruit throughout the growing season. The vines are vigorous and require staking or caging to support the weight of the abundant, flavorful tomatoes. With their rich taste and visually appealing color, Black from Tula tomatoes are a favorite among gardeners and culinary enthusiasts alike.

'White Solemacher' (Also known as Weiss Solemacher) is a white fruiting alpine strawberry cultivar that has been around for many years. It was discovered in Germany. The fruit is among the largest white fruit produced by alpines. It is a clumping type (few to no runners) and is day neutral which means it is not dependent on day length for flowering. The white fruit has the distinctive wild strawberry flavor and aroma expected from fraises des bois. The fruit has a hint of pineapple flavor typical of white alpine fruit. We like it that birds don't seem to know the fruit is ripe and so it Fools the Birds and a part of the collection by that name.

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 Winter Density Lettuce is a favorite cold weather Romaine! This variety produces compact, extra-dark green heads that are 8" tall and very tightly folded. The Winter Density gets its name for doing well in the cold weather!

The Red Sails Lettuce is a full rosette type that produces radiant bronze-red, ruffled and deeply lobed leaves that have a mild bitter-free flavor that pairs very well in salads. This slow-bolting lettuce is ready to cut early and holds its quality very well. Red Sails has six times the vitamin A and three times the vitamin C as other supermarket lettuces. This variety thrives in cool weather, but can also grow well in the spring, summer or fall.

Sorrento is a speedy maturing broccoli that is reliable for fall or late winer growing. This is our favorite Raab for fresh market and home growers. This plant has uniform large florets with bluish-green narrow turnip-shape leaves. It has a tall, upright plant habit and a low bolt tolerance.

The Golden Helios Radish is named after the Greek god of the sun. This olive-shaped radish is bright yellow with a crispy white flesh and is truly one of the most beautiful radish! Not only is Helios a beauty, it is also tasty with a sweet and mild flavor.