Due to the cold and frosty conditions, the winter months are a time when we are unable to get many of our gardening tasks completed. However, there are still some things that you can do to prepare for spring and summer, and January is the perfect time to start sowing certain seeds!
Below, gardening expert Calum Maddock at HomeHow.co.uk shares his tips on which seeds you can sow at this time of the year. Here are just a few examples of seeds you can sow this month:
Sweet Peas
Sweet peas are flowering plants that are native to Sicily, southern Italy, and the Aegean Islands. They can be used for many purposes including in cooking and traditional medicine and as decorative plants.
These beautiful plants can add colour and texture to a garden and are often used as climbing plants, supported by a trellis or similar frame. They are also a popular choice for bouquets and flower arrangements due to their bright and vibrant appearance.
Sweet peas belong to the legume family and, as such, they are best sown over winter. This will allow them to get the most out of a long flowering season. If we sow our sweet peas in January, to plant them around April/May, they should be in stunning bloom by the summer months if properly cared for.
Sweet peas will need a well-lit but frost-free environment to grow during winter so, once in their root trainers or trays with some good quality compost, an indoor location such as a windowsill is perfect for them.
Geraniums
Geraniums are a species of flowering plants with petals that range in shades of white, pink, purple, or blue. They are commonly found in the eastern part of the Mediterranean region and other temperate regions around the world.
As well as being a very popular garden plant, that are often displayed in flower beds and hanging baskets, geraniums have a variety of other purposes. This includes but is not limited to, use in the production of skincare, perfume, aromatherapy oils, and certain home remedies.
As with sweet peas, we want to avoid planting these delicate flowers outdoors until the frost season has passed, but January is the ideal time to start sowing their seeds indoors. Seeds should be buried lightly in a small tray containing compost, and regularly provided with nourishment.
As well as needing plenty of light, geraniums are best grown in a heated environment, making a greenhouse the ideal setting for germination. If a greenhouse is not something that is accessible to you, geranium seeds can still thrive in another suitable warm, well-lit environment.
Broad Beans
Another member of the legume family, broad beans are an adaptable plant that are widely cultivated for human consumption and as a cover crop to protect and manage soil. They are very common in varieties of European, East Asian, Latin American, and North African cuisines.
Broad beans are used in a range of, soups, stews, casseroles, and salads and can be included in purees and spreads. They can also be eaten alone as a fried snack or as an accompaniment to meat or fish. Animals can benefit from consuming these versatile plants too, and they are often used as feed for livestock and poultry.
January is a good time to sow broad beans in mild areas if you are looking to benefit from an early harvest. Whilst they can grow in an unheated greenhouse, these seeds can withstand temperatures as low as -13 degrees Celsius and can therefore be grown outside with the right protection.
Seeds should be planted in double rows and in blocks, as this will help to protect them from wind and weeds. On particularly cold nights, you may wish to protect your broad beans with a horticultural fleece to ensure that no frost damage occurs and affects the growing process.
Strawberries
Strawberries belong to the rose family and are widely cultivated around the globe for their fruit which has a sweet aroma and flavour, as well as a juicy texture. They were first bred in Brittany, France in the 1750s and have since become a product of mass production worldwide, with China currently producing the highest annual amount.
These tasty fruits are often eaten fresh with cream or other fruits, as well as being used for baking, and in jams, jellies, ice creams, and blended drinks. They have been suggested to provide several health benefits when consumed, such as supporting heart health and regulating blood sugar.
Strawberry seeds are perfect to grow indoors as they do not require a lot of light and thrive in warm temperatures. They are best planted in trays filled with compost, meaning that many can be planted together and easily fit onto your windowsills.
If grown inside the house, we can expect strawberries to fruit around late April, but this time frame could potentially be shortened if the seeds are sown inside a greenhouse.
Final Thoughts
Winter sowing is a simple and inexpensive way to get a head start on the growing season and allow your plants to germinate in the spring and early summer months. If you have really got the gardening bug, other jobs that can be completed this month include caring for winter vegetables, creating compost, cutting back perennials, and pruning fruit trees.