Zone 9 - What to Plant in December

Zone 9 - What to Plant in December

Now is when the main planting is happening in zone 9. The hot and humid days of summer are behind us and we can start growing the garden. With a last frost date in early February you should start growing your tomatoes, peppers and other plants indoors so they are ready to transplant in February.

The Bambino carrot is a super sweet baby gourmet carrot. The color develops quickly and can pull early. This carrot produces 4 in. cylindrical blunt roots, very small core, smooth skin, a deep orange color and small dwarf tops. The Bambino was developed for canning & pickling whole and must be harvested early.

Avalon is a very sturdy, yet flexible, late intermediate Spanish onion. This variety allows a smooth transition from intermediate to long day varieties. Growers enjoy the easy growth, the size potential, single centers, and the nice firm bulb that it produces. The grower also has the option of mechanical harvesting with Avalon.

The Chocolate Bell Pepper is a Chocolate colored bell pepper with a very sweet flavor. This early maturing bell pepper turns dark brown on the outside and a deep red on the inside when fully ripened. This Bell Pepper is beautiful raw in salads and roasted in other dishes. The Chocolate Bell is the perfect bell pepper for gardeners with short seasons.

The perfect size, shape and taste for a pickling pepper! This pepper variety is covered with thick-walled, sweet, 2-inch tapered peppers that grow in a variety of colors. The Sweet Pickle is one of the best picking peppers around!

An early maturing heirloom cabbage. Early Jersey Wakefield is an early variety of cabbage with pointed heads that resist splitting! A great home garden cabbage with great flavor!

'White Solemacher' (Also known as Weiss Solemacher) is a white fruiting alpine strawberry cultivar that has been around for many years. It was discovered in Germany. The fruit is among the largest white fruit produced by alpines. It is a clumping type (few to no runners) and is day neutral which means it is not dependent on day length for flowering. The white fruit has the distinctive wild strawberry flavor and aroma expected from fraises des bois. The fruit has a hint of pineapple flavor typical of white alpine fruit. We like it that birds don't seem to know the fruit is ripe and so it Fools the Birds and a part of the collection by that name.

The Golden Jubilee Tomato has a meaty, thick, golden-orange skin with a mild flavor and is an All American Selection winning tomato! This medium sized beefsteak has low acidity and high Vitamin C content, making it a great choice for fresh eating and perfect for home gardens! This tomato variety's fruits are produced in a heavy yield from upright and uniform indeterminate vines, which makes this variety easy to manage. The Golden Jubilee was first introduced in 1943 by the Maule Seed Company of Philadelphia and has a flavor that is not too strong and pairs well with other ingredients.

The Red Petite Bell Pepper is a red mini bell pepper that is bursting with flavor! This high yielding mini bell pepper is sweet and ripens to a rich red when mature. This pepper variety grows to 2-3 ounces, which is the perfect snack sized pepper. The Red Petite Bell is an excellent pepper for market selling or fresh eating!

The Yellow Pear is a plentiful yellow pear-shaped tomato that is vigorous and an extremely old heirloom. This tomato variety is very popular for both home gardens and markets, as it is as rich in vitamins as it is flavorful! The Yellow Pear's growth is fairly tall, so provide some staking or caging. This deliciously tangy tomato adds as pop of color in salads, sliced on a plate or in preserves, as it looks great on a summer hors d'oeuvre platter. The large plant of the Yellow Pear prolifically produces oodles of tiny yellow pear-shaped fruit with its favored flavor!

The Red Bhut Jolokia (Ghost Pepper) is among the world's hottest pepper! In 2006, the Guinness Book of Records confirmed that New Mexico State University had discovered the world's hottest chile pepper, the wrinkled, scarlet Bhut Jolokia. At 1,001,304 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), the Red Bhut Jolokia is nearly twice as hot as Red Savina, the Chile pepper variety it replaced as the world's hottest. In comparison, a New Mexico Green chile contains about 1,500 SHUs and an average jalapeno measures at about 10,000 SHUs. Use with caution.

The Pink Bumble Bee has a sweet fruity flavor that is great for fresh eating and is part of the beautiful and tasty Artisan tomato collection! The attractive mix of light pinks, yellows and oranges of this tomato is a treat for your mouth and eyes. The Pink Bumble Bee is beautiful in mixes with the other Artisan tomatoes.

The Lemon Drop is an excellent seasoning pepper from Peru with some heat! When mature it will ripen to be a bright yellow that occasionally turns a purple blush depending on maturity. The Lemon Drop's crisp and clean, uncomplicated flavor is hot with some citrus notes. Its Scovilles top out at 35,000 units.

The Corno Di Toro Rossa Pepper is an old-time Italian sweet frying pepper! Corno Di Torro Rosso is nicknamed the "bull's horn" for its distinctive horn shape. This plant bears 8" fruits that matures to a bright red. The Corno Di Toro Rosso is a great cooking pepper variety.

The Golden Helios Radish is named after the Greek god of the sun. This olive-shaped radish is bright yellow with a crispy white flesh and is truly one of the most beautiful radish! Not only is Helios a beauty, it is also tasty with a sweet and mild flavor.

The Trip-L-Crop Tomato is an extremely long and productive heirloom tomato plant variety that thrives in a greenhouse setting! This tomato produces huge yields on a 15 foot vine that needs a trellising. The large 1-2 lb. tomatoes are red, meaty and great for canning.

The Amana Orange Tomato is a giant 1 pound beefsteak with a unique bright orange skin and a very juicy with an intensely flavored flesh! Bite into one of these and you won't forget the first time! This very attractive colored tomato  looks great with any meal. The Amana Orange tomato has become very popular since it's introduction in the 1980's.

Hillbilly tomatoes are a vibrant heirloom variety renowned for their eye-catching appearance and rich flavor. These large, beefsteak-type tomatoes feature a striking color pattern of yellow and orange with red marbling, creating a visually stunning fruit that stands out in any garden. When fully ripe, Hillbilly tomatoes develop a sweet, fruity flavor with subtle tangy notes, making them an excellent choice for fresh eating, sandwiches, and salads. They typically take about 80 to 90 days to reach maturity, and the plants exhibit a sprawling, indeterminate growth habit, producing a steady yield of fruit throughout the growing season. The vigorous vines benefit from staking or cage support to manage the heavy fruit and ensure a bountiful harvest. With their unique coloration and exceptional taste, Hillbilly tomatoes offer both visual and culinary appeal, making them a favorite among gardeners and chefs alike.

A wonderful mild chile with a sweet flavor and is larger and sweeter than the Poblano pepper. The mulato has been described as tasting somewhat like chocolate or licorice, with undertones of cherry and tobacco. Its heat rating is 2,500 to 3,000 on the Scoville scale. Dry these out to create the perfect mole sauce!