Get with the Plan
January 2024 has been unexpectedly warm to the point where I’m seeing the peach buds starting to swell, but ever so slightly.
Ordering Seeds and Plants
January is a good time to plan for the garden this season and reflect on the garden last season. Figure out what you grew last year, what was successful, and what was not. Now is the time to plan for the early crops, as seeds starting will start next month, at least with the onions.
Beets
For me, this year I will try a little harder to grow beets. Last year I tried Detroit Red and Egyptian, an heirloom and a less round and more squat variety. At least that is what the picture on the package indicated.
Both varieties were not as successful as I wished, though, I still have a few in the ground in NH and a few healthy-looking versions in the hoop house in MA.
Beets are a cold-season crop
I’m going to try a cylindrical, long root type, and try again on some heirlooms. This time I’ll put them in early. I’m still figuring out if I can grow these in succession with a summer crop.
Onions and Carrots
St Valery
I’m still searching for a successful carrot and onion. The onions I grew last year were supposedly a prize winner: Ailsa Craig Exhibition Onion. They were the best onions I grew, and the first year I dedicated a bed to just onions, with companioning German camomile. Both did OK the camomile looks like it may come back, the onions grew smaller than a baseball, and most were about golf ball size, despite plenty of water.
Brussels Sprouts and brassicas
Cabbage: KAITLIN F1 (Johnnys)
Broccoli: Bell Star (widely available)
Brussels sprouts: MARTE (Territorial Seeds)
Brussells are still out in the NH garden and can still be picked. They were covered with snow in December, then it warmed up, and we’re expecting 6-12″ this weekend. Mostly we’re leaving them out there for the wildlife, along with the broccoli stems and a couple of small cabbages.
Hot peppers
January is a good time to start hot peppers in the grow box.
Apples
The apple trees that were put in last Mother’s Day are now surrounded with burlap to prevent deer from eating as well as a little wind protection.
Mapping the Garden
This is the time I draw a plan for the garden, what to plant in what rows, and also any planned extension in NH.
