What I’m Planting In January

If you’re like most beginner gardeners, January might seem like the perfect time to dive into planting. But here’s the thing—not every crop is ready to go into the ground just yet.

Depending on your climate, however, there are plenty of crops that you can (and should) start planting in January, whether indoors, in a greenhouse, or directly in the garden. Today, I’m sharing exactly what I’m planting in January and why these choices work for my Arkansas climate.

If you’d like to watch a video instead about what I’m planting in January, you can watch it here.

Learn What I’m Planting in January

Let’s go over the crops I’m planting in January with these topics:

• My Garden Setup
• Onions
• Broccoli, Cabbage, and Cauliflower
• Celery
• Lettuce
• Herbs
• Greens, Arugula, and Spinach
• Greenhouse Tomatoes
• Planning for Potatoes
• A Note on Climate

Don’t forget to snag your 2025 Garden Planner now to help you on your journey of effective gardening.

My Gardening Setup

Before we dive into the list, let’s talk about my gardening setup. I’m located in Arkansas, zone 8a, where our average last frost date is in early April. That means January is still way too early to plant summer crops like tomatoes and peppers. Instead, January is all about cool-season crops—those that thrive in cooler weather and can handle a light frost. 

Onions

Onions are always the first seeds I start in January. Growing onions from seed can be tricky, so if you’re just starting out, onion transplants might be a better option. If you’re up for the challenge, onion seeds need about 10 weeks indoors before they’re ready to transplant.

Sometimes I grow mine in a heated greenhouse with grow lights but usually I start them inside to give them the best start possible. Since onions can go into the garden about a month before the last frost, it’s crucial to start them early.

Broccoli, Cabbage, and Cauliflower

These cool-season vegetables are best started indoors in mid-January or about 10-12 weeks before your average last frost date. Timing is key! If you’re in a warmer climate like mine, transplanting these crops too late can lead to poor results. Warm weather makes them bolt—flower prematurely—which means all your hard work could go to waste. I aim to have them ready for the garden about a month before my last frost date, which usually means I am planting them in the ground in early March.

Celery

Celery is another slow grower that benefits from an early start. I plant celery seeds indoors alongside my broccoli and cabbage in mid-January. While celery can handle a light freeze, temperatures in the 20s can cause damage. To ensure a successful harvest, I’ll transplant it into the garden about two weeks before my last frost date.

Lettuce

Lettuce is a fantastic crop to start indoors in January. I begin with cold-tolerant varieties like Winter Density and Tango. By starting early, I’m able to transplant them into the garden or greenhouse by late February or early March, ensuring a quick harvest. To keep a steady supply, I plant a second round of lettuce indoors in late January.

Herbs

January is also a great time to plant slow-growing, cold-hardy herbs like parsley, feverfew, echinacea, oregano, and marshmallow. If they are perennial crops in my climate — meaning they would normally survive the winter — I’m not worried about keeping them too warm. In nature, they would grow on their own soon anyway, so I just try to follow nature’s lead. 

By mimicking their natural growth cycles, I ensure that they establish strong, resilient roots early on, which helps them thrive when planted outdoors later in the season. While these herbs take time to germinate and grow, starting them indoors or in a greenhouse is an excellent way to save money on expensive transplants.

Greens, Arugula, and Spinach

Unlike other crops, these cold-hardy greens can be sown directly in the garden as long as the soil isn’t frozen. Greens, arugula, and spinach are some of the earliest crops you can harvest, making them perfect for planting in January.

Greenhouse Tomatoes

While it’s too early for outdoor tomatoes, I’ve started experimenting with planting a few tomato seeds indoors at the very end of January. These plants are destined for my heated greenhouse, where they’ll get a head start before moving outdoors after the frost risk has passed. This strategy has given me early tomato harvests—sometimes over a month earlier than traditional plantings.

Planning for Potatoes

Although I don’t plant potatoes in January, it’s the month when I order my seed potatoes. Once they arrive, I start green-sprouting them to give them a head start for spring planting. If you want to learn more about growing potatoes, you can click here to read more.

A Note on Climate

What you plant in January depends heavily on your climate and your average last frost date. While I’m in zone 8a, your planting schedule might be different. Remember, your garden zone tells you how cold your winters get, but your frost date determines when to plant your crops.

If you’re unsure when to start planting, I’ve created a free resource called the When to Plant Cheat Sheet. It’s designed to help gardeners in any climate determine the perfect planting schedule for their area. You can download it here.

January might not be the busiest month in the garden, but it’s the perfect time to get a head start on planting cool-season crops. By starting seeds indoors, in a greenhouse, or directly in the garden, you’ll set yourself up for a bountiful spring harvest. So, what are you planting in January? Let me know in the comments!