Although this post was written almost a year to the day, the jobs to do are still relevant so I felt that I would repost for the benefit of new veg growers. Funny how after reading the first what to do now in January post, I mention about the amount of rainfall that we had last January with no sign of snow. Seems identical to the weather we are experiencing at the moment. But who can forget the Easter that followed with the vast amount of snow that held the growing season back by at least 3-4 weeks.
The same principles with sowing seeds will still apply though. Better to wait till the weather improves before sowing the first seeds of the season than to be too eager and fail. Take this time to plan and prepare you plot and soil. Ensure that all structures such as greenhouses, sheds and poly tunnels are cleaned out and checked over for minor repairs. Before you know it the busiest period of seed sowing will be upon us and those little jobs that have been unattended will start to get on top of us.
Jobs to do………in January
- Plan what you intend to grow this year and order seeds
- Continue digging over the plot
- Spread a layer of well rotted manure over empty beds but leave in clumps ready for spreading when the weather conditions improve
- Warm up seed beds by covering with a layer of polythene, carpet or cardboard
- Buy and chit seed potatoes
- Make sure pots and seed trays are cleaned ready for sowing
- Start to save empty plastic veg and meat trays to use for sowing seeds
- Collect egg trays for chitting potatoes
- Check for slugs under brassica leaves and secure netting
- Continue to check over crops that you have stored from previous months
- Cover late crop vegetables that are not winter hardy such as salads and oriental leaves
- Continue to hoe all weeds where possible
- Mulch asparagus beds
- Lime your soil if needed
- Prune fruit trees such as pears and apples
- Prune blackcurrant bushes and take hard wood cuttings
- Don’t forget to feed the birds
What to sow………Indoors
- Winter salads
- Summer Cabbages
- Summer Cauliflowers
- Early variety peas
- Onion seeds for giant varieties (min temp 13c)
- Parsley (curly leafed)
- Chillies, peppers and aubergines in heat for an early start
- Leeks (min temp 13c)
- Calabrese
- Spinach
- Radish
What to sow………Outdoors
- Garlic
- Autumn onion sets and shallots
- Broad beans
What to plant………in January
- Winter salad crops – protected by some sort of cloche
- Plant rhubarb sets
- Fruit bushes are best planted now
- Jerusalem artichokes
- Bare root container-grown trees
Crops in season now
- Broccoli (Sprouting)
- Brussels sprouts (tops)
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celeriac
- Celery
- Chicory
- Endive
- Jerusalem Artichokes
- Kale
- Kohl Rabi
- Leeks
- Lettuce
- Mustard Cress
- Parsnips
- Spinach
- Swede
- Swiss chard
- Turnips
- Winter Radish
Happy diggin’
Debb
digginwivdebb 
Great to have such reminders, but where we are
rule 1 is
wait for the water to disappear.
our plots – at the bottom of a hill are fairly waterlogged.
good luck with it all.
I agree with you. Our plot is so sodden. Not even had chance to do our seasonal manure collection trip. Our beds are just soggy and looking very sorry for themselves. Here’s to the wishful thoughts of drier weather. 🙂
🙂
At other times we realise we are lucky to have a bottom of the hill plot, believing the water/nutrients that plotholders above us on the slopes put down makes its way to our plots.
But we wouldn’t mind at the moment if they kept some of the water.
Take care.
I like your way of thinking with the water and nutrients travelling down to your plot:-) clever thinking.
Great list!
Thanks. 🙂