Note: This is general information for the entire state of Arkansas on what to plant in your garden in January. For specific questions about planting in your area, please reach out to your local county agent.
Winter vegetables can grow all winter, provided the temperatures don’t drop too low. Keep some covering handy, and if temperatures are predicted below 28°F, you should protect them with an overturned box, pot or row cover.
Check out which garden chores we recommend doing this month:
Protect vegetables and other plants when temperatures drop 28°F and below with an overturned box, flower pot, or other type of protection. For prolonged days of low temps, be sure to remove the covering during the day so your plants can get some sunlight.
Be sure not to mess with frozen plants as they are brittle and can break easily. Assess frost damage when the weather warms back up. Avoid any cosmetic pruning until later as this can expose more of the plant to the cold. Gently brush heavy snow off plants to keep them from being weighed down.
Shallow-rooted vegetables and winter annuals will need supplemental water if dry, particularly before a hard freeze.
Houseplants are susceptible to being overwatered. Allow growing media to dry out between watering. Don't fertilize in winter months unless indoor plants are growing under optimum high-light conditions.
January is a great time to repot houseplants! Repotting almost always encourages new growth, so it is best to repot in late winter just as the natural light level is increasing and the plants are awakening from their winter doldrums.
Check out our houseplant resources for more tips!
January is a great time to plant matted row strawberries and cool-season greens like spinach. Just be sure to protect these plants if the temperature drops too low or there is a heavy frost. See what we recommend planting in your vegetable beds this month:
The grey of January really makes us want some color in our yard! You can still plant some pansies early on in the month, but feel free to also enjoy the colors of your indoor flowers, such as poinsettias and Christmas cactus. Find our (short) list of what we recommend planting this month:
Persevering Pansies: Pansies thrive in cool weather and will bloom until hot weather causes them to decline next summer. They can be planted from October through early January and again in late March through April, although spring planted pansies are relatively short-lived in the garden.
Plant pansies in a well-drained location with moderately rich soil or in containers, and fertilize upon planting and monthly on warmer days. They will grow in full sun to partial shade. Those in full sun will fade away sooner in the summer, but by then, you will have plenty of other plants to replace them with.
A Note on Azaleas: Do your azaleas have yellow foliage on them, particularly toward the bottoms of the branches? This is likely their annual old leaf shed and is nothing to be worried about.
Lenten Rose
Ornamental Kale
Pansy
Viburnum
Viola
Winter Jasmine
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