What to Plant in December in Zone 9
Here is what you can sow in December if you garden in USDA zone 9. Dates use typical zone 9 frosts, so your own microclimate may shift them by a week or two.
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| Crop | Window | Sow between |
|---|---|---|
| Snap PeaSugar Snap | spring | Dec 30 – Feb 10 |
| SpinachBloomsdale | spring | Dec 30 – Feb 10 |
| CabbageTiara | spring | Dec 30 – Jan 27 |
| BroccoliBelstar | spring | Dec 30 – Jan 27 |
| CauliflowerSnow Crown | spring | Dec 30 – Jan 26 |
| Onion, bulbTexas Legend | spring | Dec 13 – Jan 26 |
| Fava Bean (Broad Bean)Broad Windsor | fall | Nov 4 – Dec 12 |
| English Shelling PeaLittle Marvel | spring | Dec 30 – Feb 10 |
| TatsoiTatsoi | spring | Dec 27 – Jan 31 |
| MizunaMizuna Early | spring | Dec 27 – Feb 6 |
| SorrelProfusion | spring | Dec 30 – Feb 10 |
| ParsnipHollow Crown | spring | Nov 28 – Jan 9 |
| LeekLincoln | spring | Nov 28 – Jan 9 |
| ShallotAmbition | spring | Dec 26 – Jan 30 |
| SalsifyMammoth Sandwich Island | spring | Dec 26 – Jan 30 |
| CeleriacPrinz | spring | Nov 14 – Dec 26 |
| Onion | spring | Dec 13 – Jan 26 |
Zone 9 in December
Zone 9 in December: the last overwintering crops go in as frost finally arrives
A handover month, not a short one
December in zone 9 is a changeover rather than a lull. The long-season crops that opened back in November are closing out, celeriac shutting the day after Christmas and fava bean a couple of weeks before that, while parsnip and leek run on into the first week of January. Then in the last days of the month the main cool-season wave opens almost at once: snap pea, English pea, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and sorrel all come available within a day or two of each other.
Onion and bulb onion open earlier, around the middle of the month, with shallot and salsify following on the 26th. All of them tolerate the season's first real frost, which usually arrives in zone 9 during the first half of December, without much drama, unlike the tender crops that would be killed outright by the same 28 degree night.
Garlic is the one crop that is NOT on this list, and it surprises people. In zone 8 and warmer its planting window closes at the end of November, so a clove going into the ground now is going in late; shallot is the close substitute that still has time. Any shallot still sitting in a bag should go in before the month is half over, since waiting leaves noticeably less time to build roots before January's coldest stretch.
The garden's actual to-do list this month
Between the two planting waves, December still leaves plenty of room for dormant season chores: prune blackberry and raspberry canes back to remove anything damaged or diseased, sharpen and oil pruning shears and hoes before they sit unused for weeks, and pull and compost the last of any spent summer crops still standing in beds.
This is also the month to order seed for January's big planting push, since popular varieties of cabbage, broccoli, and sweet pea sell out of seed racks by late winter; a 20 minute seed order now saves a scramble for substitutes in 6 weeks.
Checking on what is already stored
Give winter squash, sweet potato, and stored onions a monthly look-over this month. A finger test finds trouble early: anything that yields when you press it, or carries a sour smell near the stem, is already going and needs to come out before it takes its neighbors down with it, sometimes within a week.
December in zone 9: common questions
What can I plant in December in zone 9?+
In December, USDA zone 9 gardeners can sow Snap Pea, Spinach, Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Onion, bulb, and more. Dates use typical zone 9 frosts, so your own microclimate may shift them by a week or two.
What USDA hardiness zone am I in?+
Zone 9 is one band of the map, but planting time is set by your local frost dates, not the zone number. Enter your ZIP code in the free planner and it uses your actual frost dates, which can differ by weeks within a single zone.
Are these December planting dates exact?+
They are typical zone 9 windows. Two gardens in the same zone can be a week or two apart because of elevation and local climate, so treat these as a starting point and tune them to your ZIP code with the free planner.