Zone 9 - What to Plant in January

Zone 9 - What to Plant in January

Zone 9 still has time to get some vegetables planted and grown before that spring heat kicks in. All the cool seasons vegetables like lettuce and spinach should be direct sowed into your garden. Tomatoes and peppers should be transplanted into the garden in January as well. Try some of the vegetables below.

An early maturing heirloom cabbage. Early Jersey Wakefield is an early variety of cabbage with pointed heads that resist splitting! A great home garden cabbage with great flavor!

The Cherry Belle Radish is the earliest maturing, garden standard radish. This variety is a 1949 All-American Winner and there is no wonder why. This radish retains its fine eating quality all season. The Cherry Belle is a round, smooth, scarlet beauty. This radish is 3/4" inches across with a crisp, white flesh that is ideal for garnishes or use in salads.

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.

Great Lakes 118 lettuce is a classic butterhead variety that has gained popularity among gardeners since its introduction in the mid-20th century. Known for its compact, dense heads and vibrant green, slightly crinkled leaves, this lettuce offers a pleasing texture and rich, buttery flavor. The taste is mildly sweet and crisp, making it ideal for salads and sandwiches. Harvesting typically occurs around 60-75 days after planting, when the heads are firm and fully developed; gardeners can either cut the entire head or pick individual leaves as needed. Great Lakes 118 thrives in cooler temperatures and well-drained soil, making it a favorite choice for spring and fall planting, and it’s particularly valued for its ability to withstand heat and maintain flavor.

Waltham 29 broccoli seeds produce a classic, open-pollinated variety that was developed in the early 20th century by the University of Massachusetts at Waltham and has remained a trusted garden standard ever since. This variety forms large, deep blue-green central heads measuring 6–8" across on sturdy, cold-tolerant plants that typically reach 20–24" tall. Known for its reliability and adaptability, Waltham 29 performs especially well in cooler temperatures and is valued for its uniform growth and strong side-shoot production after the main head is harvested, resulting in generous yields over an extended period. It matures in about 74–85 days from transplant, making it well suited for spring and fall planting. The tightly packed florets have a tender texture and mild, slightly sweet flavor, excellent for fresh eating, steaming, freezing, and a wide range of culinary uses.

This refined, open-pollinated cabbage produces round, green heads wrapped around crisp, tender white hearts and has been a trusted favorite since at least the 1920s. Known for its very early maturity and compact growth habit, it is ideal for dense plantings and tight spacing while still delivering strong yields of uniform, marketable heads. The dense, solid heads are spherical, typically measuring 5–7 inches across and weighing about 3–5 pounds, with plants remaining relatively small compared to head size. Fresh, the flavor is delicately crunchy with a pleasant bite, while cooking mellows it to a rich, buttery taste. Well suited for coleslaw, stir-fries, and other fresh kitchen uses, this variety shines as an early fresh-market cabbage rather than a long-term storage type. Maturing in about 65 days, it is an excellent choice for serious cabbage growers seeking high quality and reliability.

Carmona Red is a favorite among many market growers! This lettuce variety produces big, bright red heads with lime green hearts. The Carmona Red has a nice silky texture and is very disease resistance.

Green Ice is a crispy loose-leaf lettuce that does well in hot weather! This variety produces an abundance of crunchy loose leaves. Green Ice's leaves are curled with deep green color. This lettuce is ready in just 45 days, it is among the earliest, yet will last well into summer thanks to its superior heat tolerance. Green Ice is one loose-leaf that just won't bolt!

The Little Caesar Lettuce is a very attractive tall romaine type with crisp, bright green outer leaves and golden-blanched inner leaves. This lettuce has a sweet, crunchy flavor that is delicious on any sandwich or salad. This variety is easy to grow and is perfect for smaller gardens. Little Caesar is best picked right before eating.

The Tom Thumb Lettuce is a tennis ball sized Bibb type with a great flavor! This slightly savory, bright green lettuce produces small compact heads that have slightly crumpled leaves with a sweet, delicate flavor. One head will make a salad for two! Tom Thumb will grow beautifully in small pots, window boxes, hanging baskets and planted under trees. This variety is the oldest American lettuce still grown, dating back to 1830's! This rare find is a good one!

Lakeside smooth leaf spinach with dark green leaves. It has a round to oval leaf shape with an upright plant habit that makes it easy to harvest. It is a very versatile variety it can be used for baby leaf, bunch or clip.

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.

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.  

The Vivian lettuce is a tightly bunched romaine with broad dark green crisp leaves. Its leaves are 12-16 in. long and 4-6 in. across. Vivian is bolt resistant and suitable for commercial and home growers. Its erect dark green leaves are great for baby leaf production.

Bibb is a crisp, clean, and easy to grow butterhead lettuce that has light green leaves with the occasional red spots. The crispy heads often self blanch in the center. This lettuce variety is perfect for farmers markets and for the home gardener. This Bibb does well in the heat, yet still grows quickly in our cool weather. Lt. John B. Bibb served in the War of 1812, represented Logan County in the Kentucky House of Representatives and the state Senate from 1827 to 1834. Lt. Bibb was also an amateur horticulturist and developed the Bibb lettuce we know and love today. However, it wasn't offered commercially until 1935.

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.

The Garden Mesclun Blend is a mixture of light green to emerald, and bronze to deep red lettuces as well as endive and radicchio for a crunchy, zesty flavor that is a perfect addition to any salad!

All The Year Round Lettuce is a medium-sized green headed lettuce that is just like its name, good for all the year round! This slow bolt variety is solid even in hot weather, and good for far northern areas as it is very hardy. Sow All The Year Round in spring or late summer!