What to plant in December

In zones 3–7, December is for winter sowing, cold frame production of overwintering greens, and seed/bare-root ordering. In zones 8–9, the cool-season garden is at full production. In zones 9–11, almost any vegetable except heat-demanding summer crops is worth planting now. See y

December gardening is real gardening in zones 8–11. For colder zones, it's structure work and seed catalog season. Either way, there's something worth doing this month.

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What to do in December by zone

Zones 3–5 (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado, northern New England)

December is the quiet planning month. The ground is frozen in most of these zones. Activity is indoor:

Order seeds: December is the best time to order seeds for the following season. Seed companies process orders through the winter and ship in spring, but popular varieties sell out. Per University of Minnesota Extension, "order seeds in December–January to ensure availability of the most sought-after varieties."

Build your planting schedule: Using your last frost date (May 15–30 for most of zone 4–5), work backward to calculate indoor start dates for each crop. Create a written schedule now rather than improvising in March.

Check cold frame progress: Cold frames started in fall can produce mâche, spinach, and kale through winter in zone 5 if the frame is insulated. Per Penn State Extension, "a cold frame lined with foam insulation board maintains temperatures 15–20°F above outside air temperature."

Zones 6–7 (Philadelphia, Long Island, DC, Nashville)

Winter sowing: Continue or begin winter sowing in clear plastic containers (milk jugs, takeout containers) for cold-stratification-requiring seeds. December sowings emerge in spring at the right time. Good candidates: coneflower, black-eyed Susan, columbine, snapdragon, pansies, larkspur, sweet William.

Cold frame and floating row cover: Mâche, overwintered spinach, and cold-tolerant lettuce varieties continue growing (slowly) through December in a cold frame in zone 7. Per Penn State Extension, "spinach planted in fall will continue slow growth in a cold frame through December and January" in zone 7.

Indoor seed starting (late December, zone 7): By December 25–31, zone 7 gardeners are 12–14 weeks from their April 1–15 last frost. This is the right window for starting leeks and onions indoors (10–12 weeks before transplanting). Starting onions the last week of December ensures stocky transplants ready for March transplanting.

Order bare-root plants: December is the primary ordering season for bare-root roses, fruit trees, asparagus crowns, and berry bushes. Per Missouri Botanical Garden, "order bare-root stock in December–January for best selection; shipping occurs in late winter."

Zone 8 (Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas)

Per Clemson HGIC, "December is an active month for cool-season vegetables in zone 8." The garden is producing.

What's actively growing:

• Kale, collards, Swiss chard
• Broccoli, cabbage (planted in August–September)
• Spinach, lettuce, arugula
• Carrots and beets maturing

What to plant in December:

• Direct sow spinach, lettuce, radishes, arugula
• Transplant onion seedlings
• Start tomato and pepper seeds indoors in late December for February–March transplanting (zone 8b)

Garlic: If not planted in October–November, early December planting is the last reasonable window for zone 8 garlic.

Zone 9 (Houston, Gulf Coast, Sacramento)

Per Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, December is "one of the most productive months for the South Texas and Gulf Coast vegetable garden."

Plant in December:

• Onion transplants: December is the primary onion planting month in South Texas. Per Texas A&M AgriLife, "short-day onion varieties (like Texas 1015, 'Sweet Yellow') should be transplanted in December for March–April bulb harvest."
• Lettuce, spinach, arugula, Asian greens, beets, carrots, turnips
• Broccoli and cabbage transplants (continued from November)
• Strawberry plants: December is the right transplanting window for zone 9 strawberry production in spring

Zone 10–11 (Miami, Hawaii, extreme South Texas)

Per UF IFAS Extension, December is "an excellent planting month" for South Florida. Plant the full range of cool-season vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, beets, carrots) as well as warm-season crops that other zones plant in summer (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash — but choose heat-tolerant varieties; summer heat will end them by April–May in zone 10).