Sowing in January

And here we are again. The old year has ended and the New Year has just begun, so we're starting fresh. One begins to think about what, when, where, how, and for what purpose to plant. And we're here to help you with that. We'll advise you and, most importantly, offer you an extensive range of all different types of seeds, all seed varieties for your garden, helpers for any problem, right down to the final lawn mower or greenhouse. It will be up to you what appeals to you in a given month and what catches your interest in our offer. So let's welcome together a successful growing year 2016, and we look forward to seeing you as satisfied, returning customers.

Even from the frosty January period, we can start with various sowings or preparation of vegetable, flower, or other gardens. The sooner we start, the sooner our garden will reward us with its harvest.

Outside the window, in a winter garden, or in a temperate greenhouse, we can already grow a narrow range of vegetables or herbs. We begin with sowing cress, rocket, baby lettuce, and in self-watering planters we can already sow basil, lamb's lettuce, and lettuce for pre-growing seedlings for early planting in a greenhouse or polytunnel.

We sow cress and rocket at regular intervals according to the instructions on the back of the seed packets. We can also sow baby lettuce in self-watering planters. For lettuce, we prefer varieties for so-called forcing, such as the Neferin variety with medium-blistered leaves of medium green colour, Smaragd S with yellow-green blistered leaves, or Cézaros with smooth leaves. However, we must count on 8 weeks before we can harvest for the first time. Already at the beginning of January, we sow lettuce for growing seedlings for forcing, which we later intend to plant in a greenhouse or polytunnel. These include, for example, the Safír variety, which is suitable for harsher growing conditions, even in unheated plastic covers, and the Briliant variety, which has a medium-sized light green head. Here we count on about 12 weeks before we can harvest.

Seeds should always be sown in moist sowing substrates at approximately 2 seeds per cm² and at a depth of 0.5-1 cm. The soil should be of good quality with a lower nutrient content, and each seedling should have 10-30 cm². If we can regulate temperature at home by suitable relocation, the optimal temperatures for growing are from sowing for germination 14-16°C at night, 20-22°C during the day, and even 22°C if sunny. After germination and pricking out, 6-8°C at night and 16-21°C during the day.

We can also start planting basil in January to speed up the growth of young leaves. Basil contains essential oils that stimulate the digestive system, reduce bloating, improve appetite, and have mild disinfectant properties. However, its primary place is in the kitchen, where it's used to prepare salads, pasta sauces, and soups. In this case, we sow basil seeds in a pot with a diameter of 10 cm filled with quality substrate, at a depth of 0.5 cm, with a maximum of ten seeds. Room temperature and regular watering are sufficient here. However, it must have plenty of sunlight for proper development. The Genovese variety is suitable, where once it reaches a height of 6-10 cm, we can gradually harvest the young leaves.

In January, we can also sow lamb's lettuce (corn salad) in window boxes. Quality substrate mixed with fine river sand is most suitable for sowing. Lamb's lettuce is a very undemanding leafy vegetable with a very short growing season. So if we sow in January, we can harvest as early as March or April. Direct sowing at 3x3 cm spacing and 0.5 cm depth is best. It will thrive even at lower temperatures. It's the easiest leafy vegetable to grow and is ideal for window sills or balcony boxes.