December is here! This guide will go through what to plant in December in your garden if you live in zones 8-10
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What is my Garden zone
This article is specifically for zones 8, 9, and 10. If you don’t know what your garden hardiness zone is follow this link to find out! If you live in a colder area, like me, and you can’t plant this month you can check out my list of winter garden tasks or my holiday gift guide for gardeners.
What to Plant in December: Tips for Zone 8
You can plant all of these crops by seed, but remember you will need to use a hoop house or low tunnel for most of these crops to help protect them from the cold weather! You can also use water-filled cloches to protect individual plants as well.
If you don’t already have a hoop house or low tunnel you can check out this article that will go through the steps to build a hoop house on an already existing raised garden bed. They’re pretty easy to make, so don’t be scared away just because you don’t already have one!
Vegetables to Plant in December for Zone 8
Onions
Yum! Onions are one of my favorite crops to grow in the garden! They’re hardy crops, so they should be able to withstand any cold temperatures well.
You can get onion seeds started in December if you live in Zone 8. Onions that are planted in December should be ready to harvest sometime between late spring in May and July!
Beets
Beets are packed full of nutrients, so they’re a great plant to add to your winter vegetable gardens this year! For more specific info on growing beets in your garden, you can read my growing guide on beets here: Growing Beets in Your Backyard Garden
Radishes
Radishes are another root crop that you can plant in December if you live in zone 8. I love slicing up some fresh radishes to put on top of my salads!
Spinach
Spinach is a leafy green that I love growing in the winter. It’s pretty hardy, so if you provide it with protection via a hoop house or low tunnel it will give you a yummy harvest all winter long! You can learn more about growing spinach in this article: Spinach Growing Guide
Lettuce
I really enjoy growing lettuce in the fall and winter. I appreciate that I don’t have to worry about warmer temperatures making my lettuce bitter! Lettuce is pretty hardy and will do well when it’s protected by a hoop house or a low tunnel.
Kale
Kale is one of the hardiest crops out there. In fact, if you don’t have a hoop house or low tunnel, kale should do ok when it is protected by some heavy fabric row cover. One of the best things about planting kale in the cold is that the cooler temperatures change the taste of kale considerably. Kale grown in cooler temperatures is much sweeter and tastes much better!
Swiss Chard
Swiss Chard is another very hardy crop! You’ll be able to harvest smaller leaves all winter long and then in the spring it will really take off and you’ll get the larger, more traditional leaves.
Chives
Chives are one of the simplest crops to grow on this what to plant in December guide. Typically my chives are one of the most neglected crops in my garden, but they still do well every year!
Chives are perennials, so you’ll want to plant them in a spot where they can stay long-term. Chives like full sun with fertile well-drained soil. However, I have had chives do really well in partial shade and less thean ideal soil. This article goes through the specifics of planting chives in your garden: Growing Chives
December Planting Tips for Zones 9 & 10
Before we get started, remember that you can plant all of the crops on this list by seed. You can direct sow these vegetables directly in your garden, EXCEPT the crops that are in the cabbage family. They will need to be planted from seedlings, NOT SEEDS.
Alright, let’s get started! Here is my December planting guide for zones 9 & 10!
Vegetables to Plant in December Zones 9 & 10
Beets
Beets are one of my favorite crops in this December planting guide. They’re packed full of nutrients and they’re fairly easy to grow.
Broccoli
There isn’t anything much better than broccoli grown in your own garden! Remember that broccoli is in the cabbage family, so you need to plant seedlings, NOT SEEDS!
Cabbage
Cabbage is a cool-season vegetable that is perfect for growing in the winter in zones 9 & 10. Try planting some cabbage seedlings in your garden this month!
Onions
You can plant onions by seed in December if you live in zones 9 & 10. Onions planted by seed this month will be ready to harvest in May or June!
Carrots
Cooler temperatures make carrots taste much sweeter! I love winter-grown carrots! They’re like candy for this gardener! One of my favorite varieties is called Little Finger.
Lettuce
Growing lettuce in the winter is a must, especially if you live in zones 9 & 10. Because warmer temperatures make salad greens bitter and can cause tip burn, lettuce is a great crop for growing in the cooler weather of the winter.
Spinach
Spinach grows well in the winter. You should be able to harvest some small leaves throughout the winter, but it will really take off once the weather starts to warm up and the days get longer in early spring! You can learn more about growing spinach here: Spinach Growing Guide
Peas
Although most people consider peas a spring crop, you can grow them in the fall or early winter if you live in zones 9 & 10. You can learn more about growing peas here: Growing Peas in Your Backyard Garden
Swiss Chard
Similar to spinach, Swiss Chard will grow well throughout the winter, providing you with a harvest of smaller leaves. Once the days start to get longer in February and March, it will really take off and you’ll be able to harvest the larger leaves.
Kale
Kale is another crop that is ideal for growing in the winter in zones 9 & 10. It is very hardy, so it can handle any cold temperatures. It also tastes much better when it is grown in cool weather!
Garlic
You can still get your garlic started in your garden if you live in zones 9 or 10! Personally, I think garlic tastes much better when planted in the fall (or early winter!) You can read my garlic growing guide here: Growing Garlic in the Fall
Claytonia & Mache
Claytonia and Mache (corn salad) are some of my favorite winter vegetables. They’re incredibly hardy, so they can handle any cold days (although if you live in zones 9 & 10 cold days are few and far between!) They’re both great crops to try out in your garden this year and will give you a yummy winter harvest of greens to add to your salads!
December Planting Guide: Other Crops
The crops above are some of my favorites, but there are plenty of other crops that you can get started in your garden this month if you live in zones 9 or 10! Here are some ideas:
That’s all folks! I hope that this guide for what to plant in December helps you to know what to plant this month! What will you be planting in your garden? Is there anything that I missed?
What To Plant In November?
Thank you so much for this wonderful information. I live in zone 8b