Crops to Grow in January in the Tower Garden
January is an interesting time to grow in Florida. In North Florida, temperatures will often drop to near freezing overnight and be in the 60s a week later. Daytime temperatures have a similar 30-degree swing too. In the South, our temperature ranges are not nearly so vast. We're hitting the low 80s today! We might get as low as the 50s one or two days a year. With this weather, many are wondering what crops to grow in January in the Tower Garden. Read on and we'll dig in!
One of the many advantages of the Tower Garden is that it extends your growing season. You'll be able to grow deeper into the summer and winter than you would if you were growing those same crops in the ground. The following blog posts will help you with that. 10 Tower Garden Summer Growing Tips and 9 Proven Tips to Grow a Tower Garden all Winter Long. If you're growing inside, You'll be able to grow almost anything, provided your house isn't too cold.
But what crops can you grow in January in the Tower Garden?
Because the temperature changes are so vast the crops can vary a little from North to South. However, there are a handful of crops that you can grow in the entire State of Florida in January.
If you are looking to purchase seedlings, we have conveniently grouped the cold-tolerant crops together here. These crops are only cold-tolerant when grown in the Tower Garden. When growin in the soil, or other vertical garden, please follow seasonal planting guidelines.
Below is a useful infographic from the University of Florida. Now remember, this guide is for a soil garden so you're not going to be able to grow all of these in the Tower Garden, and you may be able to start some of them a little earlier than this guide suggests.
But what if you don't live in the state of Florida?
There are still a handful of crops you will be able to grow too!
January Tower Garden Crops
Providing you protect your Tower Garden from frost with a frost bag and a submersible heater you'll be able to grow the following crops. If your winters are particularly harsh, you may need to use a pop-up greenhouse or grow inside with Grow Lights
What if I'm growing inside with Grow Lights?
Growing inside opens up a whole new world of possibilities! Your temperatures tend to be constant so the only factors you need to consider when selecting your crops are whether it needs to be pollinated and how much space the crop is going to need. Melon and squash vines can grow in excess of 8ft and, unless you have additional lighting, they will not not thrive inside. Smaller fruiting crops, like beans, peppers, eggplants and strawberries can be good choices to grow inside, provided you are ready to pollinate.
To learn more about how to pollinate read How to hand pollinate tomatoes, zucchini and more.