The beginning of a new year brings hopes and daydreams for a bountiful garden. The ground has been mighty soggy here in Humboldt and our last frost is no where near, yet it is time to start planning your garden and acquiring seeds. Seeds need light, warmth and moisture in order to grow and if you have a spare shelf in your house, cloches or a greenhouse you can get a jump start on your spring garden. Below is a list of seeds you can begin planting inside this month, to ensure you have plenty of plants to transplant in the garden once our local frost date has passed. Don’t worry if you do not have the space to begin your seeds indoors, there is still time. You can direct seed once the danger of frost has passed or purchase starts from your local nursery. Several seeds say they can be planted indoors or a few even outside right now.
The below list takes into account the moon phases along with the amount of days until the last frost date in my region. According to the 2023 USDA Hardiness Zone Map, I’m located in Zone 9b (25°F to 20°F). It is helpful to take into account your USDA Hardiness Zone as well as your local climate and sun exposure when choosing plants for your garden.
Happy planting!
January
Celery
Biennial – Full Sun
Begin seeds indoors 10 weeks before the last frost.
Transplant when outdoor temperatures stay above 55 degrees. The seeds are slow growers, with a little patience you should get at least one successful start.
Bell Peppers
Annual – Full Sun
Start seeds indoors 8 weeks before the last frost. Peppers require heat to grow and do not do well as direct seed in our region. Choose a sunny site to transplant your peppers into.
Jalapenos and Chili peppers
Annual – Full Sun
Start seeds indoors 8 weeks before the last frost date. Direct seeding is not recommended.
Peppers prefer soil that is warmed 75-85 degrees. They will benefit from placing them in a sunny warm location in the garden or up against the house in a container.
Oregano
Perennial – Sun /Part Sun
Start indoors 6 weeks before last frost or sow once soil temperatures reach 55 degrees.
Parsley
Perennial – Sun /Part Sun
Start indoors 6 weeks before last frost or sow once soil temperatures reach 55 degrees.
Thyme
Perennial – Sun /Part Sun
Start indoors 6 weeks before last frost or sow once soil temperatures reach 55 degrees.
Cabbage
Annual – Sun
Begin seeds 4-6 weeks before the last frost date.
Chives
Perennial – Full Sun
Start indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost or sow directly once the soil temperatures reach 55 degrees.
Arugula
Arugula is a fast grower that can grow in cooler weather. You can direct seed once the soil temperature is 40 degrees. You can also plant as a microgreen indoors and begin adding it to your dishes sooner.
Broccoli
Annual – Full Sun / afternoon shade
Start seeds indoors 4-5 weeks before last frost or direct seed once soil temperatures reach 50 degrees.
Eggplant
Annual – Full Sun
Start indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost or sow directly once soil warms up. Eggplants require a sunny warm location in your garden to ripen. Eat when ripe, the longer you wait the more bitter they become.
Kale
Biennial – Sun/Shade
Begin seeds indoors 6 weeks before last frost or sow directly once soil temperatures are above 45 degrees.
Oregano
Perennial – Part Sun
Start indoors 6 weeks before last frost or sow once soil temperatures reach 60 degrees.
Sage
Perennial – Partial Sun
Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost.
Tomatoes
Annual – Full Sun
Begin tomatoes indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date. Harden off the plants when transplanting outdoors by placing them outdoors for a few hours to start, increasing the amount of time each day until they are accustomed to a full day of sunlight. Choose a sunny location for your tomato plants as they require 70-85 degree soil temperatures. The plants require rich organic soil, careful watering practices and staking for success. Tomatoes as with all berry plants, prefer to be bottom watered to avoid getting fruits and leaves wet.
Peas
Annual – Sun/ Shade
Peas can be direct sown 6 weeks before the last frost date. They do not transplant well so if you want to start them indoors try planting them in a rain gutter so you can slide them out with little disturbance when planting.
Basil
Annual -Full Sun / Part Shade
Begin indoors 4-6 weeks before transplanting
Transplant or direct seed a week after the last spring frost.
Napa Bilko Cabbage
Annual -Full Sun
Begin indoors 4-6 weeks before last frost date.
Cabbage can be transplanted or direct sown 2-4 weeks before the last frost date.
Radish
Sow outdoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost date.
Successive sowings every few weeks will keep your meals lavished with radish.
Cauliflower
Annual – Full Sun
Begin indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date.
Collard Greens
Biennial – Sun
Can be direct sown four weeks before the last frost.
Leeks
Biennial – Sun
Begin indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date.
Lettuce
Begin your lettuce indoors 4 weeks before transplanting or sow directly once the soil temperature is above 40 degrees. A word of caution here along the coast it is hard to keep slugs away from your tender greens. I prefer to cover my beds of lettuce with netting laid over hoops to keep the slugs away.
Spinach
Full Sun/Partial Shade
Spinach can be planted directly once soil temperatures reach 45 degrees or started indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost date. If planted outside protect young starts from ice and frost with cloches or plastic domes until the weather improves.
Swiss Chard
Biennial – Full Sun
Start seeds indoors 1-2 weeks before the last frost and continue planting every 2 weeks for a succession harvest. Plant out after spring frost.
Tomatillos
Annual – Full Sun
Begin seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost. Harden off the plants when transplanting outdoors by placing them outdoors for a few hours to start, increasing the amount of time each day until they are accustomed to a full day of sunlight.
Wise Moon Garden 