As the new year begins, gardeners can get a head start on their allotments by sowing certain crops in January. Despite the cold weather, several hardy vegetables can be planted now to ensure an early and productive harvest in the coming seasons. Here are the ones I’ll be trying…
Broad beans
Sow hardy varieties like ‘Aquadulce Claudia’ in pots or directly under cloches for an early harvest
Onion sets
Sow overwintering varieties like ‘Radar’ or ‘Senshyu Yellow’ in well-drained soil
Garlic
Plant garlic cloves if you missed the autumn planting window, as long as the ground isn’t frozen
Peas
Start hardy varieties like ‘Kelvedon Wonder’ in a cold frame or under cloches
Early carrots
Sow varieties like ‘Amsterdam Forcing’ in a cold frame or under fleece
Lettuce
Choose winter-hardy types like ‘Winter Gem’ or ‘Arctic King’ and grow them under cover
Spinach
Sow hardy varieties such as ‘Perpetual Spinach’ for a slow-growing but resilient crop
Chillies
Start seeds indoors in a heated propagator to give them a long growing season
Tomatoes
Sow seeds indoors under grow lights for an early start to the season, especially for greenhouse varieties
Parsley
Start sowing seeds indoors in modules for planting out later
Views: 1