Month by month · Oregon · Washington · Idaho
January in the garden
The quiet month. Wet and cold on the west side, frozen east of the Cascades. Good for planning, ordering and pruning.
What to plant in January
How much can go in across the five climate regions. Your region's row is highlighted once you pick a town.
| Region | Plant outside | Start indoors | January 1 – 31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coast | Nothing | 2 plants | |
| West-side valleys | Nothing | 10 plants | |
| East-side valleys | Nothing | 2 plants | |
| Inland Northwest | Nothing | Nothing | |
| High desert | Nothing | Nothing |
January planting dates, by region
| Plant | Coast | West-side valleys | East-side valleys | Inland Northwest | High desert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Start indoors Jan 18 – Feb 1 | — | — | — | |
| — | Start indoors Jan 25 – Feb 8 | — | — | — | |
| — | Start indoors Jan 25 – Feb 8 | — | — | — | |
| — | Start indoors Jan 18 – Feb 1 | — | — | — | |
| — | Start indoors Jan 25 – Feb 8 | — | — | — | |
| — | Start indoors Jan 18 – Feb 1 | — | — | — | |
| Start indoors Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Start indoors Jan 4–18 | Start indoors Jan 21 – Feb 4 | — | — | |
| — | Start indoors Jan 25 – Feb 8 | — | — | — | |
| — | Start indoors Jan 18 – Feb 1 | — | — | — | |
| Start indoors Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Start indoors Jan 4–18 | Start indoors Jan 21 – Feb 4 | — | — |
Dates are for one typical town in each region: Astoria, Portland, Pendleton, Spokane and Bend and Redmond. Plant now shows your own town's dates.
January jobs
Start indoors
- Late in the month, start onions and leeks from seed under lights if you want big bulbs. West-side valleys
Harvest
- Pick kale, leeks, collards and overwintered carrots as needed. West-side valleys
- Use stored squash, potatoes and onions, oldest first.
Garden care
- Order seeds while catalogs have full stock. Pick short-season and cool-summer varieties.
- Sketch this year's beds and rotate crop families so none sits in the same spot two years running.
- Check stored squash, potatoes and onions, and remove any that are going soft.
- Check seed packets you already have. Most stay good two to three years if kept cool and dry.
Pests and problems
- Look over overwintering brassicas for aphid colonies tucked into the leaves. West-side valleys
Read next
Starting Vegetable Seeds Indoors: A Northwest TimelineWhen to start tomatoes, peppers and other seeds indoors in Oregon, Washington and Idaho, plus the simple setup that grows strong seedlings.
What Your Last Frost Date Really MeansA last frost date isn't a promise. Here's what the number on a planting chart actually measures, and how to use it without losing your tomatoes.