Seeds to Sow in January
January doesn't care if you feel dreamy or energized. Just do what you feel.
Right now I’m caught between opposing energies: slowing down or speeding up. I’m thankful for the weather in California over the past couple of weeks. It’s flashy, with strong winds and rain, punctuated by periods of sunny, cool weather.
With this going on, I wonder: what could I really be doing to create a magical, healthy garden by spring? The rain invites me to stay inside and cook a nourishing pot of soup. My desire is to curl up with a stack of seed catalogs and a warm drink, not cutting back the yarrow. When the sun comes out, I gratefully step outside to push flower seeds into the soil, check on the garlic, and celebrate a break in the clouds.
The more I see-saw between apathy and action, I realize it doesn’t matter if I feel dreamy or energized. Actually, there are many ways to sow success in my garden by mid April when that final frost date comes around where I live (Napa County, Zone 9b).
If you’re experiencing the same tension between bursts of energy and a need to relax, it’s natural. Don’t fight it: instead use these suggestions to fit either tempo or mood.
Start a journal. What do you notice and appreciate in your garden—then and now? Reflect on the last growing season. What tricks did you learn? Does gardening expand your well being or confound you? Both? (Draw a sketch of your arch nemesis with six legs.) What colors or textures were missing for you? Which plant boosts your mood? Your health? Did gardening “save” you?
Browse seed catalogs and make a wish list. Note the seeds you’re low on and list the seeds you dream of planting in spring. Bring this list and look for them to trade yours for at our 4th Annual Seed Swap on April 5. (Here’s how to prepare your seeds for our swap.)
Reorganize your seed stash and prepare to start certain seeds indoors. Separate the seeds you’re planting now from those you’ll plant in spring. Set aside seeds you’ll trade at the seed swap. Exchange tools and tips with other gardeners and prepare to start seeds indoors (here’s how). Our skill share for starting tomato and pepper seeds is February 6 at the St. Helena Library.
Plant cold hardy vegetable and flower seeds in succession. Beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, collards, and endive, among others, can produce all winter long. Flowers like borage, calendula, nigella, scabiosa, strawflower, and sweet pea will give blooms now and later. Plant these seeds directly into the soil every 2-3 weeks.
Cover plants to protect them from frost. Blanket frost sensitive plants with burlap, a torn bed sheet, or a tarp (or drape those pretty mini lights over them after the holidays). Use recycled materials to create cold frames and makeshift cloches. Last month I wrote in more detail about protecting plants from frost.
Add mulch and plant cover crop to retain soil moisture, nutrients, and warmth. Cover soil surfaces with straw, wood chips, rocks, or leaves at a depth of 2 to 4 inches. Add nitrogen to soil by planting fava beans in succession, then chop and drop the stems and leaves before they flower.
Whichever direction your energy takes you in January, your flow is sure to sprout fantastic ideas and rewards come spring.
Seed you soon,
