03 January 2024 , 16:02
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It’s officially January, which means green-fingered folk are gearing up for the growing season, but it can be difficult to know which plants are best to sow.
Fortunately, an outdoor expert has revealed the best way to achieve plentiful pickings by the summer, and it requires braving the frosty temperatures. Known online as Rhiannon’s Garden, the planting guru took to TikTok to share her knowledge, where she helps followers "grow amazing food and flowers at home".
When it comes to planting in the New Year, Rhiannon warns that January is the "last chance" to get garlic cloves in the ground, as the popular vegetable demands a period of cold exposure to encourage the development of roots. According to Simply Seed, this process is known as vernalization, where the winter temperatures serve as the required chilling period for the garlic.
Rhiannon added: "Make sure you've bought garlic especially for planting and make sure you have prepared the bed well with lots of compost or natural fertiliser, as garlic is a really hungry plant."
If you’re a fan of allium genus, then you’re in luck as it’s the perfect season to plant onions from a seed, too. Gardeners World recommends sowing them indoors, using a tray filled with moist seed compost, about 1cm apart.
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Once the seedlings are a few inches tall, the gardening site suggests pricking them out and transplanting them into fresh, peat-free multi-purpose compost. Once they are established, then it’s time to transplant the seedlings into the garden, around 10 to 15cm apart.
That’s not all, January is the ideal month to plant peppers, chillies, and aubergines as these plants need a long growing season in order for the fruits to ripen by the summer. Rhiannon advised: "Make sure that you start them off with plenty of heat, preferably a heated propagator, with grow lights if you have them."
It’s also a great time to start planting flowers, especially sweet peas as it allows them to grow strong roots, develop an early growth, and provide larger plants after the frost. Rhiannon said: "It's a great time to start up sweet peas indoors, but make sure you soak them in water first."
Similarly, carnations and delphiniums also demand a long growing season, so planting them during January will give them the best chance for a more beautiful blossom. "A little tip, pop these seeds in the fridge for a couple of weeks before planting, they need that cold period too," shared the expert.
Rhiannon concluded the video by asking followers what plants they will be sowing this month, and viewers rushed to the comments to share their responses. One user penned: "I’m going to try planting crocuses late because I missed out and really want some." Another wrote: "Tomatoes, cucumbers and chillies under a grow light. And I also use January for updating my garden journal from last year".