January Sowing Guide
The best place for starting most suitable seeds at this time of the year, even in mild areas, is on a windowsill unless you have a heated greenhouse. Take care not to chill seedlings at night (a window sill behind a closed curtain can be much colder than the room) or to have them too wet. Some varieties can be started under cloches or in a cold frame.
Baby Leaves – Astra Rocket, Catalogna Cerbiatta & Deronda Red lettuces, Pea Meteor, Red Ruble Kale, Red Wizard Pak Choi & Sangria leaf radish. All can be used for salads and some can be used in cooking too
Beetroot – Bolthardy, Detroit Globe & Jannis
Broad Beans – Aquadulce Claudia, Monica, Sutton Dwarf & Witkeim can be started in modules or pots for planting out under cloches
Chillies – hot ones such as Birds Eye*, Orange Tyger, Scotch Bonnet & Habanero do best with an early protected, warm sowing (*in the Chilli Smorgasbord collection)
Cress – all varieties and types
Endive – Catalogna Garnet Stem, Cornet De Bordeaux & Panaclieri
Kale – Scarlet (Red Ruble is a baby leaf type)
Leek – Porbella, Warwick & Winter Giant
Lettuce – Canterix, May Queen & Rouge de Hiver
Onion – Dulce De Fuentes (look out for Santero coming soon)
Orach
Parsley – lots of choices
Peas: first early ones such as Avola or Douce Provence
Pepper – Thor likes a warm early start…
Radish – Cherry Belle & Malaga Violet
Rocket – lots of choices
Spinach – Harp is a good early choice
FLOWERS: Carnation, Hollyhock, Stocks & Sweet Peas with 15 varieties in stock AND a special collection this January
HERBS: Basil British, Coriander (indoors only), also Lemon Grass