What to plant in December, by zone and state
December planting is mostly a warm-winter story. We applied our 21-crop planting rules to the NOAA frost dates of all 512 U.S. cities on this site: 247 have at least one December planting window and 265 have none, so for most gardeners December is for planning and starting the earliest seeds indoors.
December crops across the U.S.
| Crop | Cities with a December window | How | Median December dates | Days to maturity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onion | 219 of 512 | start indoors | Dec 12 – Dec 31 | 90–120 days |
| Broccoli | 170 of 512 | start indoors | all month | 60–90 days |
| Cabbage | 170 of 512 | start indoors | Dec 1 – Dec 30 | 60–100 days |
| Kale | 170 of 512 | start indoors | all month | 55–75 days |
| Spinach | 144 of 512 | direct sow | Dec 3 – Dec 31 | 40–50 days |
| Lettuce | 142 of 512 | start indoors | Dec 3 – Dec 31 | 45–60 days |
| Peas | 142 of 512 | direct sow | Dec 3 – Dec 31 | 55–70 days |
| Radish | 138 of 512 | direct sow | Dec 9 – Dec 31 | 25–35 days |
| Tomato | 113 of 512 | start indoors | Dec 5 – Dec 19 | 60–85 days |
| Eggplant | 105 of 512 | start indoors | Dec 4 – Dec 18 | 65–85 days |
| Pepper | 105 of 512 | start indoors | Dec 4 – Dec 18 | 60–90 days |
| Basil | 90 of 512 | start indoors | Dec 15 – Dec 29 | 60–90 days |
| Beets | 78 of 512 | plant | all month | 50–70 days |
| Carrot | 78 of 512 | plant | all month | 60–80 days |
| Cucumber | 52 of 512 | start indoors | Dec 25 – Dec 31 | 50–70 days |
| Garlic | 52 of 512 | plant cloves | Dec 1 – Dec 15 | 240–270 days |
| Potato | 52 of 512 | plant out | Dec 25 – Dec 31 | 70–120 days |
| Strawberry | 52 of 512 | plant out | Dec 25 – Dec 31 | 60–90 days |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | 52 of 512 | start indoors | Dec 25 – Dec 31 | 45–60 days |
What to plant in December by zone
Zones with the widest December choice on our calendar: 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 12b. Zones 2a, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b have no December window. Each zone page has a December section with its own dates.
| Zone | Cities | With a December window | Most common crops |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 2a | 1 | 0 | none |
| Zone 4a | 2 | 0 | none |
| Zone 4b | 3 | 0 | none |
| Zone 5a | 14 | 0 | none |
| Zone 5b | 21 | 0 | none |
| Zone 6a | 44 | 0 | none |
| Zone 6b | 46 | 0 | none |
| Zone 7a | 42 | 0 | none |
| Zone 7b | 35 | 0 | none |
| Zone 8a | 33 | 2 | onion |
| Zone 8b | 59 | 36 | onion, eggplant, pepper |
| Zone 9a | 35 | 32 | onion, eggplant, pepper, broccoli |
| Zone 9b | 63 | 63 | onion, broccoli, cabbage, kale |
| Zone 10a | 63 | 63 | broccoli, cabbage, kale, spinach |
| Zone 10b | 36 | 36 | broccoli, cabbage, kale, lettuce |
| Zone 11a | 14 | 14 | beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrot |
| Zone 12b | 1 | 1 | beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrot |
What to plant in December by state
Only states where at least one listed city has a December window appear here; each links to the December section of the state page.
| State | Cities | With a December window | Most common crops |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 7 | 4 | onion, eggplant, pepper |
| Arizona | 17 | 16 | broccoli, cabbage, kale |
| California | 115 | 112 | onion, broccoli, cabbage |
| Florida | 39 | 39 | broccoli, cabbage, kale |
| Georgia | 12 | 5 | onion, eggplant, pepper |
| Hawaii | 1 | 1 | beets, broccoli, cabbage |
| Louisiana | 5 | 5 | eggplant, onion, pepper |
| Mississippi | 2 | 2 | onion, eggplant, pepper |
| Nevada | 5 | 3 | broccoli, cabbage, eggplant |
| New Mexico | 4 | 1 | onion |
| Oregon | 8 | 1 | eggplant, onion, pepper |
| South Carolina | 4 | 3 | onion, broccoli, cabbage |
| Tennessee | 7 | 1 | onion |
| Texas | 55 | 45 | onion, eggplant, pepper |
| Utah | 11 | 1 | onion |
| Virginia | 11 | 1 | onion |
| Washington | 18 | 7 | onion |
How we work this out
For each city we take the 30%-risk last spring and first fall frost dates from the nearest suitable NOAA station and apply the sowing and transplanting rules on each crop page. A crop is listed when any of its windows overlaps December 1–31, including indoor seed starting for spring. Where frost is rare, we use the frost-free planting windows. Still in November? See what to plant in November, protect beds with our winter garden care guide, and get spring bulbs in with our fall bulb planting guide. Details: methodology.
December planting questions
What vegetables can I plant in December?
It depends on your frost dates. Across 512 U.S. cities, the crops with the most December windows are onion, broccoli, cabbage, kale, spinach, lettuce. 247 of 512 cities have at least one December window.
Is December too late to plant a vegetable garden?
In 265 of 512 cities there is no December planting window on our calendar; in zones 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 12b you can still sow or set out several cool-season crops.
Which zones can plant the most in December?
Zones 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 12b, where frost is late or rare, have at least five crops with a December window in at least half of their cities.
Can I start seeds indoors in December?
Yes, where spring comes early. Counting only indoor seed starting, 195 of 512 cities have a December window, most often for onion, broccoli, cabbage and kale. In colder zones it is too early: wait until 6–10 weeks before your last spring frost.