January is a busy planting and garden preparation time in Central Texas. While our friends in the North are still in the thick of snowfalls, in Central Texas it is an ideal time to plant cool season vegetables to harvest in April and May.

Choose from the following varieties of vegetables for your early spring garden. Although there still may be frost at night, these plants prefer the cooler temperatures to the warm days of late spring, which will cause the plant to bolt and flower. It is advisable to protect very young transplants from freezes by covering your garden bed with a cloth at night. Remember to add plenty of compost and water heavily before a freeze, saturating the soil deeply. Having healthy, moist soil is vital to a successful winter garden.

Beans and Peas

· Fava beans - all throughout January

· Peas, English, snap, and snow – mid to late January

Cruciferous Vegetables

· Cauliflower transplants – mid to late January

· Cabbage (transplants) – mid to late January

· Kohlrabi (seeds or transplants) – mid to late January

Greens

· Mustard (seeds or transplants) – end of January

· Spinach (seeds or transplants) – all throughout January

· Swiss Chard (seeds or transplants) – mid to late January

· Lettuce (seeds or transplants)- all throughout January

· Collards (seeds or transplants) – mid to late January

· Kale (seeds or transplants) – mid to late January

· Asian greens – all throughout January

Leeks and Onions

· Leeks (seeds or transplants) – early to mid-January

· Onions bulbing (transplants) – early to mid-January

Root Veggies

· Radish – all throughout January

· Turnip – mid to late January

· Beets – mid to late January

· Carrots – mid to late January

Other

· Artichoke crowns/transplants all throughout January, but late January is best

· Asparagus crowns – all throughout January

· Potato, Irish – mid to late January