January planting checklist

January brings peak harvest — juicy, ripe summer crops ready to pick, eat, and enjoy. Sun ripened tomatoes, new potatoes and home grown salads are the rewards for all your hard work this January. It can be just too hot to be out in the garden during the day, wait until the evening when it is cooler.

Key gardening points for January:

• Protect vegetable crops from white butterfly and insects.
• Plant swan plants to attract butterflies into the garden.
• Check watering systems are working or install new ones.
• Roses will need maintaining: dead-head and spray if insects or mildew is present.
• Early crops of garlic can be harvested.
• Harvest crops of tomatoes, beans, salad and herbs as they become ready.
• Mulch citrus and shrubs.
• Refresh garden colour with new season summer plants.

What vegetables to plant in January

January is the ideal time to get your garden set up for a productive year ahead. Find out what vegetables to plant in January that thrive in warm soil and will reward you with harvests in the months to come!

Direct to sow vegetables to plant in January

• Salad greens: Rocket, Radish, Landcress, Coriander (in partial shade to prevent bolting)
• Root vegetables: Carrots, Parsnips (best for cooler regions; not recommended in very hot/dry areas), Beetroot.
• Green beans: Dwarf beans, Climbing beans (best in warmer regions or if your season extends long enough)
• Lettuces (heat-tolerant varieties): Lettuce, Mesclun, Rocket.
• Basil: Sow directly into warm, sunny spots.
• Sweetcorn: Only in the warmest areas — needs consistent water and heat.
• Zucchini and cucumbers: Direct planting still possible in warmer areas for a late harvest.

Vegetable seedlings to transplant into the garden in January

If you raise seedlings in trays or buy punnets, you can plant out:

• Tomatoes
• Zucchini
• Spring Onions
• Leeks
• Brussels sprouts
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Silverbeet
• Spinach
• Kale
• Potatoes

January is the perfect time to plant crops for a winter harvest. Feed your vegetables every two weeks with liquid fertiliser to keep them growing strong.

When vegetables are ready, make sure you pick them as soon as they’re ready. You can tell vegetables are ready by their size and taste. Leaving them too long often reduces the quality of the vegetables.

For corn or sweetcorn, harvest when the kernels are still milky and the silk has turned brown and dry. To check, peel back the leaves and press a fingernail into a kernel. If you wait too long, the kernels can become hard and doughy. Potatoes can be dug up as they mature. Use any damaged ones first and store the good ones.

Beans need checking often because they can turn tough and stringy if left on the plant too long. Picking crops at the right time keeps your harvest fresh, tasty, and easy to enjoy.

Summer vegetables

Summer brings an abundance of fresh, garden-ready vegetables perfect for light, flavourful meals. From crisp cucumbers to sweet corn and tender beans, enjoy what’s in season while it’s at its best.

• Courgettes/Zucchini
• Tomatoes
• Capsicums
• Beans

What flowers to plant in January

January is the perfect time to add colour and life to your garden with flowers that thrive in summer warmth. Choosing the right varieties now will keep your beds vibrant, your pots cheerful, and your borders full of interest through the hottest months.

Flower seedlings to plant in January

• Petunias
• Impatiens
• Calendula
• Dahlias
• Verbena
• Alyssum
• Cosmos
• Marigolds
• Nemesia
• Dahlias

Flowers to plant in January for the bees

• Alyssum
• Pineapple Sage
• Bergamot
• Echinops
• Eryngium
• Lemon balm
• Blue salvia
• Coreopsis
• Gaillardia
• Alyssum
• Rosemary
• Lavender

In warmer weather, water pots more often and consider adding a water retention product to help soil hold moisture.

What flowers to plant in late summer

Late summer is a great opportunity to refresh your garden with blooms that handle the lingering heat and set the stage for autumn colour. Planting the right flowers now keeps your outdoor spaces looking lively and full as the seasons begin to change.

• Marigolds
• Alyssum
• Petunias
• Pansies

What fruits to plant in January

January is mid-to-late summer in NZ. For fruit, it’s less about sowing seeds and more about planting young plants or preparing for future harvests, because most fruits are perennial or long-lived and are not sown directly like vegetables.

Here are some fruits to plant in January:

• Strawberries: Plant new strawberry runners in January to establish them for next spring and summer’s crop.
• Blueberries: January is a fine time to plant potted blueberry bushes (as long as they’re kept well-watered).
• Melons & Watermelons: In the warmest regions (Northland, Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay), you can still transplant seedlings of melons and watermelons in early January if the weather stays hot into March.
• Passionfruit: Plant seedlings or grafted vines now while the soil is warm, so they can get established before cooler weather.

Summer fruits

During summer, there are many fruits to enjoy. Here are the top summer fruits that are in seasonal during January in New Zealand:

• Apples
• Stone Fruits: Peaches, Nectarines
• Summer Berries: Blackberries, Boysenberries, Cherries
• Oranges
• Lemons
• Pears

What herbs to plant in January

January is a hot and often dry month in New Zealand, so the focus is on heat-loving herbs and those that grow quickly enough to harvest before autumn.

• Basil
• Coriander
• Chives
• Parsley
• Dill

January gardening – Mitre 10 tips

• Water less often but more thoroughly, the water needs to reach the subsoil to the root zone. Take your time and check that the soil is wet to at least 5cm.
• Water in the early morning or early evening to reduce water loss due to evaporation.
• Check over your plants regularly, pests love the heat, remove bugs by hand then install sticky traps.
• If pests have become a problem use an environmentally friendly spray around your vegetables and remember to spray late in the day when the bees have gone home.
• Sow seeds. In most areas seeds can be planted directly in to the garden: cabbage, beans, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, and silverbeet. Keep them well watered and thin when necessary.
• Keep your seedlings protected with slug and snail bait.

Lawn maintenance tips for Mitre 10 in January

• The summer heat will slow growth, water if necessary.
• Cut the grass dry and remove the catcher on your lawnmower to let the clippings fall on the lawn. They will act as mulch conserving water and prevent scorching.
• Water well to keep it green, use an oscillating sprinkler for maximum coverage.

What’s the difference between sowing from seed and planting seedlings?

Sowing from seed means planting seeds straight into your garden soil or pots, letting them germinate and grow in place. This works best for fast-growing crops like carrots, beans, radish, or mesclun, vegetables that don’t like being transplanted.

Planting seedlings, on the other hand, is setting young plants already sprouted and are growing into your garden. Planting seedlings usually start earlier in trays and are ready to go into the ground when you buy them. Crops like broccoli, cabbage and leeks often perform better as seedlings because they take longer to mature and benefit from a head start.