You Must Sow These Seeds in Winter

What could you possibly sow in January? Quite a bit as it turns out! In this week's episode Ben shows us how to sow some warm-season staples, a super-early crop of salad carrots, plus some sweet-and-juicy strawberries. If you thought January was a time for hunkering down and waiting till spring… think again!

Catch up on our past sow-this-month videos, including December’s:

For more on growing strawberries from runners watch:

And if you're a super-hot chili lover, this one is for you!

If you love growing your own food, why not take a look at our online Garden Planner which is available here:

[madjockmacsporran]

Nice video again. I planted pepper and chilli early this year. I moved them to my kitchen window, which is north facing, to overwinter them. What has surprised me is that they have still been flowering, producing peppers and they're even ripening in that location. And I live in the Hebrides!

[bbales]

Now. I'm getting all excited to start up again. Thx for the tips!!

[joybrown]

SOW Excited. 😅

Eggplants are the one thing I’m allergic to and I wish I wasn’t. Eggplant parmigiana is so good.

Thanks, Ben! So nice to hear your cheery voice this cold morning.

[ceegee]

Hi Ben - I'm so excited that you have pretty much found plants to sow for every month through the winter!! I get so depressed when it's time to clear out the garden at the end of the season. There is nothing that puts a smile on my face more than pulling all my seed supplies out to start sowing and yelling to my husband, "it's planting season!!" LOL!! I rely on every one of your videos for my gardening adventures! A big thank you from New Jersey!! :)

[simonm]

What a nice video! A bit distressed watching that nice colourful scarf being rubbed consistently on the table and getting dirty with potting mix 😂. I find these to be very good tips, especially the potting mix for chillies, and the trick of the white cardboard to reflect light and prevent plants from growing crooked. Have a nice end of the year!!

[gazoakleychef]

You’re the best Ben, videos get better & better

[Allotment-diaryUk]

Wow, I wish I could sow peppers in January.
Being up North I couldn't possibly risk planting out into a cold greenhouse until at least May.
You're so lucky to be able to do things so early.

[InspirationSessions]

Another good video from Ben - one tip I would add is to thoroughly soak the potting mix BEFORE sowing carrot seeds, to reduce the chances of them being dislodged or washed away by watering.

[iloverbk]

I’d call the white pumice material perlite, vermiculite is heated and therefore expanded mica, which is a golden color.

[oclocktomatotalk]

This vid was perfect timing good sir! I’m jazzed for early spring already in zone 6-b southern Indiana- thanks for this effort Ben!!

[ofrecentvintage]

I live in NY, zone 6a (1st frost early Oct; last frost early May). In January, I'm starting artichokes (per Eliot Coleman suggestion), asparagus and onions--in addition to some of what Ben has going on. Very excited!

[carolineowen]

Thank you for the top tip with the white cardboard.
I'll also paint the inside of my wooden coldframes white to help with reflecting light- as I don't have a greenhouse.

[christinamoxon]

Love the trick with the reflective cardboard. I've not tried growing strawberries from seed... Iwillnotbuymoreseeds, Iwillnotbuymoreseeds, Iwillnotbuymoreseeds.

[lornapenn-chester]

Thank you so much for being such a positive and happy personality for the cold winter days. I was thrilled to see your video come up. ❤👏Happy New Year 😊

[ofrecentvintage]

The puppy peering in to see what's afoot! 😂 So precious. Happy gardening as always!

[bobfal]

Im using an aquarium light this year, full spectrum led with some great success. Theres plenty available and they are generally a lot cheaper than the ones marketed for growing.

[robturville]

Excellent video and channel. This will be my go-to feed for the rest of the year.

After a missed summer caused by house renovations and living in a summer let, I have plenty of catching-up to do.

[carolstacey]

Thank you for the video video. I need some inspiration to get started and you provided it.

[charlie]

I never thought to start aubergines in Jan, but I'll give it a try as last year and this year my harvest wasn't as expected. Pepper and Chili are already going 🙂
Have a nice day.

[lilaclilly]

Morning Ben. This was truly a master class in seed growing. I always get very nervous about growing anything from seed. And a little impatient. Soaking seeds and germinating on a paper towel is a new concept to me. Ianot having much luck with coriander. So I will try germinating in a paper towel. Fingers crossed 🤞😃.