What to sow in January when nothing outside is alive

January indoors is not a gardening month by any reasonable measure, which is exactly why people buy plants in it. The trick is to pick crops whose whole life happens on a scale a windowsill can actually support.

Microgreens, ten days

Radish, pea shoot, broccoli. Sow thickly on an inch of mix, cover for three days, uncover, cut at the first true leaf. You get a real harvest before the light improves, which does more for February morale than any houseplant.

Herbs that tolerate a slow start

Chives, parsley and mint will germinate in low light and simply idle until March. Basil will not — it sulks below 65°F and rots. If you want basil in January you need a heat mat and a lamp, and we would rather tell you that now than sell you a packet that disappoints you in three weeks.

Force something

Paperwhites and amaryllis are doing a trick with stored energy, not photosynthesis, which is why they bloom spectacularly in a room with terrible light. It's the closest thing to a guaranteed win in the catalog.

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