January is not just the first month of the year, it is also one of the coldest and wettest months. January make’s even the most dedicated gardeners think twice about starting seeds or bulbs outdoors. The harsh winter winds and wetter than wet weather, makes the soil harder to work with and even removing a warm glove to grip a tiny seed to sow in cold temperatures is a turn off.
The saviours of the vegetable garden are Hardy Vegetables. Hardy vegetables actually love these dank, dark and frosty growing conditions..
What are Hardy Vegetables?
They are vegetables that can survive through extreme cold weather conditions. They have a high tolerance to cold, ice, snow, and frost and can survive where other vegetables wilt and die.
How do Hardy Vegetable Plants survive the cold?
Plant Cell Conversion
It is all down to their plant cells, they have evolved to make themselves toughened by converting water in cells into a sugar solution and increasing proteins and fats which lowers the freezing point in the plant. Plants can also remove water in their cells to stop it freezing and damaging them.
Ceasing Growth
Some plants can force themselves into dormancy – a sleeping phase where they can survive the winter in like a hibernation period, similar to animals. They conserve energy by ceasing growth through the winter.
What Type of Hardy Vegetables can I Sow in January?
In January, the main place to sow Hardy Vegetables is Indoors on a light sunny windowsill, cold hardy veg started in January, can be planted outside in April and harvested in July & August.
Indoors on a sunny light windowsill
The day light hours in January are low so this is why I wait until February to sow my hardy veg and warm loving veg on a sunny light windowsill. Read – Is it worth sowing seeds in January?
Last year I sowed Onions from seed and summer cabbages on my windowsill in January. I was amazed that both these seeds where successful and I went on to get a fantastic harvest in August from the Onions.
What to Sow in January
What kit do I need to have a Windowsill setup?
There is a basic setup needed for windowsill seed sowing.
You will need:
- A windowsill sized cell tray with ventilation lid.
- Seeds to sow,
- A small amount of compost or seed compost,
- A small jug to water the compost when it’s dry.
More: How to Create a Simple Seed Sowing Setup Indoors
Download my Cheat Sheets
You could be enjoying your own homegrown homemade cauliflower cheese in May, if you start sowing cauliflower in January!
How? I hear you cry, download my Veg Growing Cheat Sheets and take the guess work out of veg growing and just feel the joy and achievement instead.
Free Veg Cheat Sheet PDF’s
Growing Onions Cheat Sheet.pdf
Grow Cauliflower in Jan Cheat Sheet.pdf
Start your Vegetable Growing Journey!
Learn as you grow, we’ll guide you through what to sow and when, what’s under the soil and why it’s so important, where to grow and how to grow vegetables on a budget.
Limited spaces available.
More about our Brand New Vegetable Gardening for Beginners Course here.
Join the waiting list here ready to start to Learn as you Grow: February 2026
sowgrowharvest.co.uk 
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