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!

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.

Red Arrow radish seeds produce fast-growing plants that are primarily cultivated for their vibrant red stems and lush green leaves rather than their roots. This variety is especially prized for microgreens and edible shoots, offering a crisp texture and a bold, spicy radish flavor that adds zest to salads, sandwiches, and garnishes. Red Arrow is easy to grow, thrives in full sun to partial shade, and is well-suited for both garden beds and indoor trays. Its striking color and strong flavor make it a favorite among chefs and home growers alike.

First released in 1909 by H. Hartmann & Company, this historic Danish cabbage has earned its reputation as a dependable garden classic and a benchmark for many modern varieties. It forms dense, well-wrapped heads measuring about 6–8" across and weighing 3–4 pounds, making it an excellent choice for smaller gardens. Plants mature quickly, adapt well to a wide range of growing conditions, and show strong resistance to splitting. Once harvested, the firm heads store exceptionally well—often lasting up to six months—adding to the long-standing appeal of this time-tested heirloom.

Ancho peppers are dried poblano peppers, commonly used in Mexican cuisine. These peppers are deep red-brown in color and have a mild to medium heat level, making them versatile in a variety of dishes. They have a rich, smoky flavor with subtle hints of sweetness, and their earthy taste is often described as slightly raisin-like. Anchos are typically rehydrated in water before being blended into sauces, salsas, or marinades. They are a key ingredient in mole sauces, contributing to their complex depth of flavor. Ancho peppers are also packed with antioxidants and vitamins, making them both a flavorful and nutritious addition to many recipes.

This heirloom Rainbow Swiss chard is remarkably easy to grow and delivers a steady harvest of nutritious greens from a single sowing all season long. Plants feature an upright growth habit that keeps leaves clean and makes harvesting simple, whether picked young or at full size. The vibrant blend of stems ranges from red, pink, white, yellow, and gold, paired with leaves that shift from bright lime green to deep purple-green as they mature. While baby leaves tend to show softer tones—mostly pinks, reds, and whites—the colors intensify as plants reach full size, creating a striking and colorful display that’s as eye-catching in the garden as it is at market.

The Orange Fantasia is a brightly colored orange Swiss Chard. This is a tasty variety that is great for people who want to grow controlled colors of different Swiss Chard. The Orange Fantasia's orange color comes when mature and ready for harvest.

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.

Dating back to the 1800s, Hailstone is a classic heirloom radish prized for its exceptionally fast maturity. This variety produces small, round, snow-white roots that resemble tiny hailstones, with compact tops and slender taproots that make it ideal for close spacing. The crisp 1–1½ inch globes offer a bright, tangy flavor with a pleasant pungency, and the firm white flesh stays fresh and appealing longer than many other radishes. Hailstone performs best when planted very early in spring in a sunny, well-prepared bed enriched with organic matter. For a steady supply, sow seeds every two weeks and harvest before hot summer weather, which can affect flavor and texture.

The Large White Ribbed Swiss Chard has a wide and flattened white stem. This variety is a popular heirloom chard that has tender and thick smooth leaves. The Large White Ribbed is very tasty and can even substitute asparagus when creamed.

SuperStar is a hybrid cabbage that produces the highest quality fresh market cabbages. It has excellent wrappers for a fancy pack along with excellent holding ability in the field and after harvest.

Ruby Fresh hybrid swiss chard is perfect for market growers. Perfect for producing baby leaf greens that have bright red petioles with a well-defined venation. It has thick round to oval leaves. Ruby Fresh is a great choice for baby leaf or spring mix growers.

The Cincinnati Market Radish is a uniquely skinny and elongated pink to red radish that is a fresh-from-the-garden-favorite! This six inch variety has a delicately mild taste with a very tender and crisp texture, making it perfect for fresh eating. The early maturing radish has been an heirloom garden favorite since 1885. You can enjoy the delicious Cincinnati Market from spring to fall.

The Tasty Evergreen Tomato is a green fleshed heirloom with a tasty, strong sweet flavor. This tomato was introduced by Glecklers Seedmen of Metamora, Ohio in 1956. This delicious large heirloom ripens to grapefruit yellow with a lime-green flesh, giving it a very sweet flavor. This very productive, medium-sized beefsteak grows well throughout the United States. The Tasty Evergreen produces a continual harvest throughout the season.

The Red Velvet Lettuce produces very dark maroon to greenish-bronze tinged colored leaves that have a nice chewy texture. This beautifully unique variety is a great choice for mixed salad greens. This lettuce is slow to bolt and will become bitter in the heat.

The prolific Louisiana Long Green Eggplant is an attractive banana-shaped variety that has a delicious full-bodied nutty flavor. This Southern heirloom variety is best picked young, with its white slightly green-ish skin, for optimal texture and flavor. This tall eggplant plant produces 8-9 inch long fruits that are slender and easy to cook with.

The White Albino beet plants produce good yields of very sweet white beets. The beets are white and will never stain again! This gourmet beet is ideal for boiling, pickling, baking, and freezing.

This cabbage is known for its solid head and excellent flavor. Early Flat Dutch is a big cabbage, it is a good keeper and the standard early season variety. Heads form up to 12 inches and weigh as much as 15 pounds. Early Flat Dutch has an excellent flavor.