What to Plant this Month

January Planting Guide - Summer Rainfall Regions

Hot summer and cold winter with frost in some parts. Includes most of Gauteng and Limpopo Province, the Free State highveld, Mpumalanga highveld, North West and Northern Provinces, and the KZN Midlands.
Plant NameSow or Transplant
BasilSow Seed
Beans - Bush Beans and Runner BeansSow Seed
BeetrootPlant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
Borage (also Burrage, Bugloss) Plant out (transplant) seedlings
BroccoliStart in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
Brussels SproutsSow seed
CabbageStart in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
CarrotsSow Seed
CauliflowerPlant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
Chives (also Garden chives) Sow Seed
DillSow Seed
Jerusalem Artichokes (also Sunchoke) Plant tubers
Kale & CollardsSow seed
KohlrabiSow seed
LeeksSow Seed
LettuceSow Seed
MintSow Seed
Mustard greens (also gai choy) Sow Seed
New Zealand Spinach Plant out (transplant) seedlings
OkraSow Seed
Oregano (also Marjoram) Sow seed
Parsley (also curly leaf parsley or flat leaf (Italian) parsley) Start in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
RosemaryPlant out (transplant) seedlings
Sage (also Common Sage)Plant out (transplant) seedlings
Spinach and Chard Sow Seed
Strawberries (from seeds)Plant out (transplant) seedlings
SunflowerStart in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
Sweet Marjoram (also Knotted marjoram) Sow Seed
TarragonPlant out (transplant) seedlings
TomatoSow Seed
TurnipSow Seed

January Planting Guide - Humid Sub-Tropical Regions

Warm temperate region including most of the East coast, the Garden Route, and Eastern lowveld. Typified by the humid KZN coastal region, which is very hot and humid in summer (average 18 degrees C).
Plant NameSow or Transplant
Artichokes (Globe)Sow Seed
BasilSow Seed
Capsicum (Bell peppers, Sweet peppers) Sow Seed
Chilli peppers (also Hot peppers) Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks
ChivesSow Seed
Choko/Chayote (also Chayote squash, christophene, chouchou, mirliton) Plant tubers
Coriander (also Cilantro, Chinese parsley) Start in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
Cowpeas (also Black eye peas, Southern peas) Sow Seed
DillSow Seed
EggplantSow Seed
Lemon Balm (also Sweet balm, ) Sow Seed
MintSow Seed
Mustard GreensSow Seed
OkraSow Seed
OnionsSow Seed
Oregano (also Pot Marjoram) Sow Seed
ParsleyStart in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
RosemaryPlant out (transplant) seedlings
SagePlant out (transplant) seedlings
Spring onions (also Scallions, Bunching onions, Welsh onion) Sow Seed
Strawberries (from seeds)Plant out (transplant) seedlings
SunflowerStart in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
Sweet Marjoram (also Knotted marjoram) Sow Seed
TarragonPlant out (transplant) seedlings
TomatilloPlant out (transplant) seedlings
TomatoStart undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks
WatermelonSow Seed

January Planting Guide - Dry Summer Sub-Tropical Regions

Warm temperate, typical Mediterranean-type climate with dry,warm sub-tropical summer (normally above 10 degrees C). Cool, wet winter. Confined to the South Western Cape and western part of the Southern Cape.
Plant NameSow or Transplant
Artichoke Plant out (transplant) seedlings
AsparagusPlant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
BasilSow Seed
BeansSow seed
BroccoliStart in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
Brussels SproutsStart in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
CabbageStart in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
CarrotsSow Seed
CauliflowerSow Seed
Chilli peppers (also Hot peppers) Sow Seed
ChivesSow Seed
Choko/Chayote (also Chayote squash, christophene, chouchou, mirliton)Plant tubers
Coriander (also Cilantro, Chinese parsley)Start in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
Cow PeasSow Seed
DillSow Seed
EggplantPlant out (transplant) seedlings
KohlrabiSow Seed
LeeksSow Seed
Lemon BalmSow Seed
MintSow Seed
Mustard GreensSow Seed
OkraSow Seed
OnionsStart in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
Oregano(also Pot Marjoram) Sow Seed
ParsleyStart in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
PotatoPlant seed potatoes
RosemaryPlant out (transplant) seedlings
SagePlant out (transplant) seedlings
Strawberry PlantsPlant out (transplant) seedlings
SunflowerStart in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
Sweet corn (also maize) Sow Seed
Sweet Marjoram (also Knotted marjoram) Sow Seed
Tarragon Plant out (transplant) seedlings
TomatilloPlant out (transplant) seedlings
WatermelonSow Seed
Zucchini (also Courgette/Marrow, Summer squash) Sow Seed

January Planting Guide - Semi-Arid Regions

Dry and hot in summer. Cold, often with frost in winter. Includes most of the northern part of the Eastern Cape, including the Klein Karoo, the Great Karoo and Northern Cape, as well as some of the northern West Coast towards Namibia.
Plant NameSow or Transplant
AsparagusPlant out (transplant) seedlings
BasilSow Seed
Beans(pole, runner, climbing, french & bush beans)Sow Seed
BroccoliStart in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
Brussels sproutsSow Seed
CabbageStart in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
CarrotsSow Seed
CauliflowerPlant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
Chilli PeppersSow Seed
Coriander (also Cilantro, Chinese parsley) Start in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
KohlrabiSow Seed
LeeksSow Seed
LettuceSow Seed
MintSow Seed
New Zealand Spinach/ Warrigal greens Sow Seed
Okra Sow Seed
OnionsStart in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
ParsnipSow Seed
PotatoPlant seed potatoes
Rosemary SeedsPlant out (transplant) seedlings
SagePlant out (transplant) seedlings
SpinachSow Seed
SunflowerStart in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed
Sweet PotatoPlant Slips
TurnipSow Seed
WatermelonSow Seed