What to plant in December
What to start indoors, plant or sow outside, and harvest in December, for every hardiness zone from 3a to 10b. Find your zone, or enter your ZIP code for dates made for exactly where you live.
December in each zone
| Zone | Start indoors | Plant or sow outside | Harvest (food crops) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3a | — | — | — |
| Zone 3b | — | — | — |
| Zone 4a | — | — | — |
| Zone 4b | — | — | — |
| Zone 5a | — | — | Sunchoke |
| Zone 5b | — | — | Sunchoke |
| Zone 6a | — | — | Mâche, Sunchoke, Meyer lemon |
| Zone 6b | — | — | Mâche, Sunchoke, Meyer lemon |
| Zone 7a | — | — | Mâche, Sunchoke, Meyer lemon |
| Zone 7b | — | — | Kale, Collard greens, Horseradish, Mâche, Sunchoke, Meyer lemon |
| Zone 8a | — | — | Spinach, Kale, Cabbage, Carrot, Collard greens, Rutabaga, Horseradish, Mâche, Tatsoi, Sunchoke, Meyer lemon |
| Zone 8b | — | Garlic, Tulip | Spinach, Kale, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrot, Beet, Swiss chard, Collard greens, Mustard greens, Rutabaga, Turnip, Scallions, Horseradish, Endive / escarole, Radicchio, Mâche, Mizuna, Tatsoi, Daikon radish, Sunchoke, Meyer lemon |
| Zone 9a | — | Garlic, Tulip, Daffodil, Cereal rye | Lettuce, Spinach, Kale, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Carrot, Beet, Radish, Swiss chard, Cilantro, Arugula, Bok choy, Collard greens, Kohlrabi, Mustard greens, Rutabaga, Turnip, Scallions, Horseradish, Fennel, Endive / escarole, Radicchio, Mizuna, Tatsoi, Napa cabbage, Daikon radish, Broccoli raab, Sunchoke, Meyer lemon, Chervil |
| Zone 9b | — | Garlic, Tulip, Daffodil, Cereal rye | Lettuce, Spinach, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Carrot, Beet, Radish, Peas, Swiss chard, Cannabis auto, Cilantro, Arugula, Bok choy, Kohlrabi, Mustard greens, Rutabaga, Turnip, Scallions, Snap peas, Horseradish, Fennel, Endive / escarole, Radicchio, Mizuna, Tatsoi, Napa cabbage, Daikon radish, Broccoli raab, Sunchoke, Raspberry, Meyer lemon, Chervil |
| Zone 10a | — | Garlic, Mâche, Tulip, Daffodil, Cereal rye | Lettuce, Spinach, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Carrot, Beet, Radish, Peas, Swiss chard, Cannabis auto, Cilantro, Arugula, Bok choy, Kohlrabi, Mustard greens, Rutabaga, Turnip, Scallions, Snap peas, Horseradish, Fennel, Endive / escarole, Radicchio, Mizuna, Tatsoi, Napa cabbage, Daikon radish, Broccoli raab, Sunchoke, Raspberry, Meyer lemon, Chervil |
| Zone 10b | — | Spinach, Kale, Radish, Garlic, Mâche, Tulip, Daffodil, Cereal rye | Lettuce, Cauliflower, Radish, Peas, Cannabis auto, Cilantro, Arugula, Bok choy, Kohlrabi, Snap peas, Fennel, Napa cabbage, Broccoli raab, Raspberry, Grape, Fig, Meyer lemon, Apple tree, Chervil |
These follow each zone's average frost dates, and include fall crops. Crops planted in fall for next year (garlic, spring bulbs) show under planting.
Tips for December
- Try winter sowing in milk jugs. Cut a milk jug almost in half, poke drainage holes in the bottom, and fill it with moist potting mix. Sow cold-hardy seeds like kale, onions, or native flowers, tape the jug shut with the cap off, and set it outside in late winter. The seeds sprout when the weather is right, already used to the cold.
- Order seeds early. Popular varieties sell out by spring. Over the winter, sketch next year's garden, check which seeds you already have, and order what's missing.
- Move crop families every year. Pests and diseases build up in the soil. Don't plant tomatoes where tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, or eggplant grew last year: they're one family and share the same problems.
- Know if a tomato is bush or vining. Bush (determinate) tomatoes stop at about 3 to 4 feet and ripen most of their fruit within a few weeks, which is handy for canning. Vining (indeterminate) ones keep growing and fruiting until frost, and need tall stakes or cages.
For a garden in the middle of the country (around zone 6). Colder places run a few weeks behind, warmer ones ahead.