Zone 6 - What to Plant in January

Zone 6 - What to Plant in January

It's January in Zone 6 and that means it time to order your seeds and start some early indoor sowing. You can start planting a few items in late January to be prepared for early season plantings. Broccoli, cabbage, artichoke and cauliflower can all be started in late January indoors to be ready for a March transplant outdoors.

Fragaria virginiana, commonly known as the Virginia or Wild Strawberry, is a native North American species that played a key role in the history of cultivated strawberries, having been crossed with the Chilean strawberry (F. chiloensis) in the 18th century to produce the modern garden strawberry. These plants spread by runners and form low mats, producing small, deep red berries that are celebrated for their intense sweetness and concentrated, classic strawberry aroma. While smaller than commercial varieties, the fruit packs a rich, complex flavor that many describe as more “wild” and satisfying. Adaptable and resilient, F. virginiana thrives in fields, forest edges, and meadows, with attractive trifoliate leaves, delicate white flowers, and a long tradition of use by both wildlife and people.

Fragaria vesca var. semperflorens ‘Golden Alexandria’ is a striking Alpine strawberry selection descended from long-cultivated European woodland forms, known for its unique chartreuse-to-golden foliage that adds ornamental flair to gardens. Unlike traditional runnering strawberries, it forms compact clumps that continuously fruit from late spring into fall, producing numerous small, bright red berries. The flavor is intensely sweet and aromatic, carrying the rich wild-strawberry taste that Alpine types are famous for, making them popular with gourmet growers. Its colorful leaves provide season-long visual interest, while the fragrant berries offer a delicious contrast, making ‘Golden Alexandria’ both decorative and highly flavorful.

Pineapple Crush alpine strawberries are a unique and delightful variety known for their vibrant yellow to orange-hued berries and exceptional sweetness. These compact plants produce fruit that not only boasts a striking color but also offers a tropical flavor reminiscent of pineapples, making them a favorite for fresh eating and culinary creations. Thriving in various growing conditions, Pineapple Crush strawberries are hardy and require minimal care, making them ideal for home gardens and containers. Their attractive foliage and charming white flowers enhance any garden setting, while their continuous harvest throughout the growing season ensures that gardeners can enjoy a delicious bounty of unique berries.

Red Wonder, aka Fraises des Bois, is a tasty Alpine Strawberry that is easy to grow from seed. Red Wonder is one of our favorites because it's considerably sweeter than most strawberries. An everbearing strawberry plant that produces all summer long.

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.

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 Fiesta is a beautiful, heavy yielding broccoli . Uniform plants are medium height, giving rise to 5-7" blue-green heads. Heavy yields that are disease resistant, which is definitely a reason to celebrate!

Happy Rich Baby is an excellent summer producing baby broccoli. Produces uniform, vigorous, dark-green florets that look like baby broccoli heads. One of the best flavors broccoli flavors with hints of sweetness. Produces generous amounts of side shoots when first floret is pinched out and plants are spaced 12-18" apart.

Bobcat is a high producing fresh-market variety that has long storage life. Excellent flavor and good resistance to disease. Due to its high yield potential, Bobcat is suitable for coleslaw production.

Ruegen is an heirloom cultivar that is still as good today as it was when it was first selected. Several cultivars on the market today have been selected from Ruegen. Also known in various European countries as 'Rügen', 'Rujana', 'Rjugen', and 'Rugia'.

The Orange Dream cauliflower performs like a dream in outdoor and greenhouse growing conditions. This cauliflower is a medium-large plant. Orange Dream is a pastel orange cauliflower that exhibits great tolerance to heat and stress.

Very large fruits with juicy flesh! These large growing strawberries are the largest on the market. Great flavor. Perfect for farmers markets.