December is here! This guide will go through what to plant in December in your garden if you live in zone 8! 
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This article is specifically for zone 8. If you don’t know what your garden zone is follow this link to find out! For those of you who don’t live in zone 8 we also have an article on what to plant in zones 9 & 10 in December. 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.
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 from the cold weather!
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!
What to Plant in December: 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 in between May and July!
Beets
Beets are packed full of nutrients, so they’re a great plant to add to your winter garden 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 a perennial, so you’ll want to plant them in a spot where they can stay long term. This article goes through the specifics of planting chives in your garden: Growing Chives
What to plant in December: Other Crops
In addition to the crops listed above you can also start these crops in your garden this month:
- Collards
- Arugula
- Mache
- Claytonia
That’s all folks! I hope that this guide for what to plant in December in zone 8 helps you to know what to plant this month! What will you be planting? Is there anything that I missed?
December Planting Guide: Zones 9 & 10
Thank you so much for this wonderful information. I live in zone 8b