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!

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.

Early maturing cabbage with tight heads! Stonehead is a fast grower with 6" heads that average between 4-6 lbs. when mature. Good texture and flavor. This hybrid resist yellow and black rot very well. A great market variety that matures early, won't split and holds well after harvest. Grows well throughout the United States. An All American Selection winner in 1969.

The Carbon Tomato won the “Best Tasting Tomato Award” at the Heirloom Garden Show in 2005 and continues to rate very high in many taste tests! This tomato is one of the darkest of the “black tomato” varieties, and 10-12 oz. in size with a flattened round shape. This purplish-brown, "black" colored tomato has a deep brick red flesh and has a deliciously rich, sweet flavor. The fruit is medium to large, with a slightly flattened shape and a smooth, glossy skin. Carbon tomatoes are celebrated for their robust flavor profile, which blends sweet, tangy, and smoky notes, making them a versatile choice for fresh salads, sauces, and salsas. The plants are indeterminate, meaning they continue to grow and produce fruit throughout the growing season, typically reaching heights of 5 to 7 feet. They exhibit a vigorous growth habit and produce a steady yield of tomatoes from mid-summer to fall. Harvesting is usually done when the tomatoes have fully ripened and developed their deep color. With their rich flavor, striking color, and reliable productivity, Carbon tomatoes are a favorite among gardeners and culinary aficionados alike. 

The Large Red Cherry Tomato is the perfect little mouth watering fresh eating tomato that grows in clusters and is the perfect addition to salads! This variety grows on hardy vines, with green foliage that produces green fruits that may be picked early for pickling, while the ripe ones are used fresh or for preserves.

The Amana Orange Tomato is a giant 1 pound beefsteak with a unique bright orange skin and a very juicy with an intensely flavored flesh! Bite into one of these and you won't forget the first time! This very attractive colored tomato  looks great with any meal. The Amana Orange tomato has become very popular since it's introduction in the 1980's.

The Pineapple Tomato is a large, rich yellow-gold beefsteak variety that has a wonderfu very sweet, almost fruity, flavor. This tomato variety contains very few seeds and more solids, giving you more for your money. The Pineapple tomato is a high yielding tomato plant. The Pineapple gets its name for have a flavor that is sweet and fruity with a tangy, meaty after-bite.

The French Breakfast Radish has a delicate flavor and is an excellent variety for home gardens. This radish variety is an attractive uniquely shaped radish with elongated roots and red tops with white tips. The French Breakfast has an excellent flavor and texture, that is perfect for dips or as a garnish.

The Little Finger eggplants are slender, petite eggplants that are excellent for grilling and cooking. This eggplant has a dark purple skin is thin and tender with a silky flesh. This variety produces few seeds and a mildly sweet flavor. Harvest when the eggplant is young and glossy. Little Finger is a great variety for container growing and requires very little cooking time since it is so tender.

Alexandria is a delicious alpine strawberry that produces delicious fruit. Deep scarlet and fragrant aromatics, these strawberries are the size of wild berries. Alexandria is an everbearing strawberry that can produce the first year if planted early. These day-neutral plants stay compact and produce few runners. Excellent for pots and window boxes.

Federle tomatoes, also known as Federle's Italian Paste, are a unique and heirloom variety of tomato renowned for their distinctive characteristics and rich history. These tomatoes typically exhibit a medium-sized, elongated shape, resembling a classic Roma tomato. Their size can range from 3 to 5 inches in length, making them ideal for canning, sauces, and paste production. Federle tomatoes thrive in specific growing conditions. They require full sun exposure and well-drained, fertile soil to flourish. These tomatoes are known for their resilience and adaptability, making them suitable for various climates and regions. They are often treasured by gardeners for their consistent performance and robust growth, making them a reliable choice for home gardeners and small-scale farmers. The history of Federle tomatoes dates back to Italy, where they have been cultivated for generations. These tomatoes were brought to the United States by Italian immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Since then, they have become a cherished heirloom variety, cherished for their exceptional flavor and versatility in the kitchen. Federle tomatoes are a testament to the enduring legacy of traditional tomato cultivation and continue to be a favorite among those who appreciate the rich heritage and exceptional taste of heirloom vegetables.

The Malabar Red Stem Spinach is a beautiful climbing spinach that looks and taste great! This vigorous climbing vine needs to be trellised and grows into fall. This spinach variety has a taste that resembles a mild Swiss chard. Use Malabar Red Stem's leaves and young stems sparingly in salads or stir-fries.

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!

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 White Boston is a butterhead lettuce that is an improved Big Boston. This variety gives excellent yields of firm, round, 12" heads of crisp lettuce. The White Boston is a very delicious lettuce that is a bright light green with a buttery-yellow heart . This lettuce does well in warm conditions and is recommended for southern gardens.

The Pink Brandywine Tomato is our favorite heirloom beefsteak for home gardens and a customer favorite for its sweet taste! This large, beefsteak-shaped tomato fruit grows upright on large leaved plants. This favored tomato contains few seeds and meaty flesh! The indeterminate tomato will ripen later than most, but will produces 10-20 ounce tomatoes until the first frost of fall.

We believe this is the best tasting tomato available and even beats Brandywine for flavor. Productive plants produce large crops of 12 oz. fruits. Excellent tomato flavor. This strain was obtained from J. D. Green in Tennessee and is thought to be from the Cherokee Nation. Plants are indeterminate, but seldom grow more than 4' tall.

The Green Globe is America's most popular artichoke! Large flower buds, harvest when plump, ornamental with bold blue 6" flowers. Artichokes are a very tender plant. With thick, fleshy scales and solid center, the flower heads should be harvested when they're young. Native to the Mediterranean, globe artichokes have been grown in the US since Colonial times. Provided with a protective cover, the artichokes will successfully overwinter in colder areas.

The Patio Tomato is a hybrid tomato that produces delicious, approximately 4 oz. fruits with attractive dark green rugose foliage. The easy to grow Patio Tomato thrives in pots, patio containers and small gardens, truly good things can grow in small spaces! Also does great as a hanging tomato plant.