After the excitement of the New Year, it’s time to start thinking about what vegetables to plant and sow in January. With proper organisation, it can be the prime opportunity for planning your crop growth and preparing your garden. If you’re looking forward to fresh vegetables this year, then it’s time to start considering what you’re going to plant. January can be quite a cold month, often the coldest in the year, but that doesn’t mean that your vegetables can’t be planted or sowed.
Growing your own crops can be an incredibly rewarding experience, not to mention a very tasty one too, but some plants thrive much better when planted at the correct time of year. Cauliflowers, carrots and beetroots are some that require an extra amount of care and attention.
Many summer-maturing vegetables will need to be sowed in the colder months to give them enough time to develop before harvesting. You’ll also find that some crops can be sown indoors or inside an unheated greenhouse. So, what vegetables can you look at planting and sowing in January?
Vegetables to Plant and Sow in January
1. Spinach
Packed with antioxidants, spinach can supply you with a lot of nutrients. Add its leaves to a hearty salad or wilted to a pasta dish and you’re on to a winner. Spinach is also one of the eight ingredients within our V8 Original Vegetable Juice.
If you choose the right variety of spinach, it can be grown all year round. It needs to be sown in moist soil that is well-drained. During the sowing process, spinach will need to be attended to every few weeks to provide you with good quality, consistent crop.
2. Peas
A staple of any roast dinner, or served mushy with fish and chips, peas, such as mangetout and sugar snaps, are some of the easiest vegetables to grow in your garden. Peas are also high in protein and fibre, making them one of the simplest plant-based ways to increase protein in your diet.
Peas acclimatise to cold weather, which means their sowing process can begin in the winter months. They’re also quite low maintenance. However, if exposed to incredibly cold conditions it can affect growing time, so it’s best to keep an eye on them as they sprout. Pests will also see pea seeds as a feast, so you’ll need to keep an eye out for mice when sowing any seeds outside.
3. Cauliflower
A versatile vegetable that can be enjoyed with roast dinners or utilised as a vegan/gluten-free alternative, cauliflower can be harvested throughout the year. Despite its prime sowing period being between March and May, cauliflower can be sown in January or February for early crop. For seeds to germinate, this crop requires rich soil with plenty of moisture.
Believed to contain heart-friendly compounds, and filled with Vitamin C, it’s the perfect accompaniment to many dishes. Cauliflower can be used to replace rice and can also be finely ground as an ingredient for pizza bases or burger buns.
4. Cabbage
![Cabbage]()
Just like cauliflower, cabbage can be harvested all year round. As part of the brassica family, cabbage can take some time to mature, and you might find yourself tending more to this crop as harvest draws near. Upon planting, you’ll find a crop that can be left to germinate and develop.
Depending on the weather, you might be able to sow summer cabbages in January. Savoy cabbages are one of the most durable crops and can even grow in soil that has minimal nutrients. If you’ve grown a brassica vegetable before, you’ll need to plant your cabbage in a new location.
Due to its versatile nature, cabbage has its benefits. It is believed that red cabbage can help to promote good gut health. Enjoy it with a roast dinner, as part of a stew, in a coleslaw dish, or however you choose.
5. Carrots
Home-grown carrots pack plenty of flavour and come in an array of different shapes and sizes. Once carrot seeds have been planted, they should be available to harvest between 10-16 weeks later, depending on the variety type. If you’re hoping to start sowing your carrots before March, you’ll need good soil and a protective layer such as fleece to cover them.
Carrots have been eaten for thousands of years and are suggested to have been used as an antivenom during Ancient Rome. Despite great trivia, carrots are also good for skin health and contain fibre to help with your digestive system.
Why not try them in an Oven Baked Pot Roast?
6. Onions
Ready for planting in spring, onion seeds can be sown indoors in January. Whether you enjoy heaps of onion gravy on your roast potatoes or ample servings of this root vegetable in any dish, you might find that growing your own onions is highly rewarding.
Another low-maintenance crop for your garden, the process from sowing to planting to harvesting couldn’t be simpler. Onions need fertile soil to develop and water during dry spells. As onions are shallow rooted, it can make them an easy target for birds, so you’ll need some netting to protect them as they grown.
Consuming onions as part of your diet may support in both bone and gut health.
7. Beetroot
As one of the delicious ingredients within our V8 Vegetable Juice, beetroot will be a welcome addition to your garden or allotment. Ideal for gardening beginners, beetroot requires little upkeep and space to thrive. Although seeds can be sown from late March without protection, it’s possible to sow within the colder months with a bolt-resistant variety.
Once you’ve harvested your beetroot, why not try creating a Festive Beetroot & Vegetable Wellington? You’ll even find the perfect dish to use any onions or carrots that you’ve grown. Beetroot is also nutritious and rich in nitrates, which can assist with blood pressure.
8. Broad Beans
Broad beans can tolerate wintery weather and sowing them during milder spells can provide the best crops. The success of your broad bean plants might depend on where you live in the UK though. Freezing weather might impact germination and growth.
It can be less economic to purchase multiple broad bean plants, especially as there are a limited number of pods that can grow on the plants. Therefore, sowing them as seeds might be a better option.
Adding more broad beans to your meals can increase the amount of immune-boosting nutrients your body receives. Try a crunchy bean salad in the summer or add them to a delicious gnocchi dish.
Add some of these delicious vegetables into your diet with V8 Original Vegetable Juice
Make sure you get your share of vitamins and minerals with our delicious and nutritious V8 Vegetable Juice. Pick up a carton of V8 Vegetable Juice from supermarkets across the UK.
The post What Vegetables to Plant and Sow in January in the UK appeared first on V8 UK.