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Things to grow in January

 What will you be planting this year?

A new year is upon us. Perhaps it is one of your aims for this upcoming year, or indeed your new year’s resolution, to get out in the garden or greenhouse and start growing your own plants, fruits and vegetables. There is no time like the present. Although some people are sceptical of the ability to grow quality produce in the UK over winter, there is plenty opportunity to grow successfully in January.

If you have a backlog of winter tasks that remained incomplete, January is the ideal time to finish such jobs before the worst of the cold weather arrives in February. It is not typically the time of year to be growing outside but there are plenty of vegetables that can be grown in January with a view to sowing in autumn. This includes Aubergines; cabbages; carrots; cauliflowers; leeks and onions to name but a few.

If you have a frost free greenhouse you can grow lots. Plants and vegetables that are more typically cultivated in warmer months can flourish in a greenhouse environment. Sweet peas are a seasonal favourite to grow at this time of year and they can be started in gentle heat now as one of the first things that you attempt to grow in 2016.

You can also consider growing Pansies in a greenhouse with the view to moving them outside when summer arrives to create a glorious, colourful display in the sunshine. Similarly, Lobelia can be grown and moved across to hanging baskets and containers at a later date to give a bright and summery show.

All you need for successful growing is a good quality soil full of nutrients. You can do without chemical fertilizers and sprays. If you get a high quality soil they will not be necessary. The cash saved by buying excellent sterilized topsoil can instead be spent on plants and pots.

Multipurpose compost should be sufficient for your growing needs but if you really want top results for growing vegetables then opt for specially formulated vegetable compost. A good soil mix for growing in greenhouses is a half and half mixture of rich garden loam and compost.