My Planting Calendar

What to plant in January in zone 6

USDA zone 6 has winter lows of -10 to 0°F, a typical last spring frost around Apr 15 and first fall frost around Oct 15, roughly 185 frost-free days. January is the "a planning month" there.

5 crops have a sowing or planting window this month.

Dates come from the typical frost dates of USDA zone 6 (last frost Apr 15, first frost Oct 15). A zone covers many climates, so for dates tuned to your town use the planting calendar, or pick your state below.

A planning monthSow or plant: 5Start indoors: 5Harvesting: 0

Zone 6: planting activity through the year

5
29
65
90
58
11
24
34
8
2
2
0
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Frost riskFrost-free: Apr 15 – Oct 15
Bars count the vegetables, herbs and fruit with a sowing or planting window in each month, from the state’s average frost dates. 5 have one in January; the busiest month is April (90).

Start seeds indoors in January (5)

Indoor sowings for transplants later. Six to eight weeks under lights is typical for tomatoes and peppers; onions and leeks need longer.

CropWhat to doWindowThis month
CeleriacStart seeds indoorsJan 21 – Feb 4Opens Jan 21
CeleryStart seeds indoorsJan 28 – Feb 11Opens Jan 28
LeekStart seeds indoorsJan 28 – Feb 11Opens Jan 28
OnionStart seeds indoorsJan 28 – Feb 11Opens Jan 28
RosemaryStart seeds indoorsJan 28 – Feb 11Opens Jan 28

A planning month: January garden jobs in zone 6

  1. Order seed while stock is good. Zone 6's average last frost is April 15, so the first indoor sowings begin around January 21 - see starting seeds indoors.
  2. Sketch this year's beds and move each crop family to a new spot - the garden planner and the crop rotation guide make it quick.
  3. Test old seed: roll ten seeds in a damp paper towel for a week. If fewer than seven sprout, sow thicker or buy fresh.
  4. If the ground isn't frozen, spread compost now so it's worked in by spring, and send off a soil test - January is when labs are quiet.

Questions gardeners ask

What can I plant in zone 6 in January?

5 crops have a window in January: celeriac, celery, leek, onion, rosemary. The tables above give the exact dates for each.

When are the last and first frost in zone 6?

The typical last spring frost is around Apr 15 and the first fall frost around Oct 15. These are broad zone averages, so your own town can be a week or two either side: look yours up by ZIP code in the planting calendar.

What should I start indoors in zone 6 in January?

Celeriac (Jan 21 – Feb 4), Celery (Jan 28 – Feb 11), Leek (Jan 28 – Feb 11), Onion (Jan 28 – Feb 11), Rosemary (Jan 28 – Feb 11).

January in states with land in zone 6

ArizonaArkansasCaliforniaConnecticutIllinoisIndianaKansasKentuckyMarylandMassachusettsMissouriNevadaNew JerseyNew Mexico

Zone 6 in other months

FebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberZone 6 overview →

What to plant in January in other zones

Zone 7Zone 8Zone 9Zone 10All states →

Dates are computed from the zone’s typical frost dates and each crop’s timing in our crop database. Your garden may be a week or two either side.