What to Plant in January: Vegetable Garden Growing Guide

Learn what to plant in January with Homesteaders of America Vegetable Garden Growing Guides!

While most of the gardens in the United States are still resting, perhaps even insulated under a thick blanket of snow, there are a few southern areas beginning to warm up and will be ready to grow vegetables soon!

What to Plant in January: Vegetable Garden Growing Guide

How to Use the Growing Guides

In the Growing Guides, you will learn what to plant each month according to your last frost date. 

• Look up your last frost date by zip code if you don’t know it already.
• Choose the Growing Guide for this month
• Find which month your last frost date is in
• Follow the seed starting suggestions on the graphic

The Growing Guides will be targeted for the continental United States, which also includes some of the warmer areas of our country such as southern extremes Texas and Florida. It’s hard for some of us northern folks to imagine starting our gardens in January, but believe it or not, that’s the time for them to start their tomatoes now! 

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Last Frost Date in January

While most of the country is still deep in winter weather, a few extreme southern regions of the United States are warm enough to start their growing season!

If your last frost date is this month, your garden may already be well on its way with plants that can tolerate more chilly weather. January is the time for you to plant all of your direct started seeds in the ground. Tender seedlings can be transplanted now as well!

Last Frost Date in February

If your last frost date will be in February, there is much that can be done in the garden already! Once your soil is able to be worked you can get many cold hardy vegetables in the ground a month before your last frost.

Last Frost Date in March

Last frost date in March? It won’t be long now! And thankfully, there is still much gardening that can be done even though the weather in your neck of the woods is still pretty chilly.

Last Frost Date in April

A large portion of the United States has their last frost date in April. If you’re one of these folks it’s still to early to get out and work in the garden, but there is plenty to do indoors!

Start Indoors

• Onions
• Peppers
• Tomatoes
• Slow-Growing Herbs (see seed packets for details)

Last Frost Date in May

Still plenty of time for folks with a last frost date in May before you’re going to get busy in the garden. Make sure your indoor seed starting area is ready, your grow light bulbs aren’t burned out, find your timer, and get potting soil on hand because next month…. you get to crack a packet of seeds!

Last Frost Date in June

If you’re in the northernmost reaches of the United States or high in the mountains, your last frost date is still half a year away. But you can spend this time dreaming and planning! Flip through your catalogs one last time and finalize your seed order, draw up your garden plan, research crop rotation and companion planting, and make sure you set aside a little bit of garden to grow something beautiful for you and the bees.