Grass Valley Veggie Planting Calendar (Jan–Feb)

Late winter in the Sierra Foothills is the calm-before-the-sprout. January through February is where you set yourself up for an easy spring: plant the cold-tolerant stuff, start a few key seeds indoors, and get your beds ready so you’re not panic-buying tomato cages the day everything suddenly decides to grow.

Below is a simple “now / next” planting calendar built for cool-season success now and a smooth runway into spring.

What to plant outdoors now (Planting Calendar: January through February)

These are the crops that don’t mind chilly nights and reward you fast.

Direct sow (when soil is workable)

• Peas (snap/snow)

• Spinach

• Radishes

• Carrots (best in looser soil or raised beds)

• Beets / turnips

• Fava beans (great cold-season producers)

If your beds are soggy, don’t fight them. Use containers, raised beds, or wait for a drier window.

Transplant (best with a little protection)

With frost cloth, row cover, or a simple cold frame:

• Lettuce starts

• Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower starts

• Chard (often tough as nails)

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What to start indoors now (January through February)

This is the “quiet advantage” section.

Indoors now

• Onions and leeks from seed (slow growers—starting early helps)

• Optional: cool-season greens if you want earlier harvests or the weather stays wet

Simple seed-starting setup that works

• Seed-start mix + trays/cells

• Light source (bright window usually isn’t enough on its own)

• A little warmth helps germination (top of fridge vibes—just don’t cook them)

What to prep now (the part that makes spring easy)

You can plant all the right things and still lose momentum if the setup isn’t ready. January–February is perfect for these:

1) Refresh your soil

• Top up raised beds with quality soil + compost

• Add amendments early so they can blend in before heavier spring planting

2) Get supports in place before plants need them

Do future-you a favor and set up now:

• Trellises for peas and future cucumbers

• Stakes/cages plans for tomatoes

• Garden edging and paths (so you’re not compacting wet soil later)

3) Plan watering before it’s hot

Spring growth is forgiving. Summer is not.

Make sure hoses, timers, drip lines, or watering access are ready before warm-season planting begins.

What’s next as we move into spring

Think of spring in two phases: early spring (cool-season expansion) and late spring (warm-season launch).

Early spring: expand cool-season planting

As days lengthen and soils warm:

• Keep sowing lettuce, spinach, radishes every couple of weeks (succession planting)

• Add more peas

• Start thinking about potatoes (timing depends on local conditions)

Seed-starting window for warm-season favorites

As spring approaches, start indoors:

• Tomatoes

• Peppers

• Eggplant

• Basil

Late spring: plant warm-season crops outdoors

Once nights are consistently milder and frost risk is mostly behind you:

• Tomatoes, peppers, basil

• Beans

• Squash/cukes (many gardeners wait a bit longer for these so they take off faster)

“Shop the Project” checklist

This is the section that turns a helpful article into a high-converting one—because it matches what people realize they’re missing right now.

Planting

• Seeds (cool-season now, warm-season for indoor starts)

• Vegetable starts as they come in

Soil + nutrition

• Raised bed mix / potting soil / compost

• Vegetable fertilizer (a simple feeding plan beats guessing)

Support + structure

• Trellis, stakes, ties, hooks

• Tomato cages/stakes (grab early—spring is when they mysteriously vanish)

Containers + extras

• Pots/planters for small-space gardeners

• Landscape fabric for paths and weed control

Need help choosing? Come into our nursery today and we can help answer your questions!