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.

A standout yellow tomato with exceptional flavor and improved performance. This updated version of the classic Lemon Boy offers enhanced disease resistance along with a bright, sweet-tangy taste that outshines many traditional yellow varieties. The flattened, round beefsteak fruits average 7–8 ounces and are uniform in size and shape with smooth, mostly blemish-free skin and good firmness. Plants are high yielding and widely adaptable thanks to a strong disease-resistance package that helps keep vines healthy and fruit clean. Harvest at a bright lemon-yellow stage or allow fruits to deepen to a rich golden color with a slight blush at the blossom end for fuller sweetness. Pick slightly early if you prefer a sharper, more acidic bite. Indeterminate plants produce over a long season.

'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.

Yes, these mouth watering fruits are real! White Alpines are white, ornately speckled with red seeds. The unique pineapple flavor and aroma more than make up for the small, bite-size fruits. Easily could be a kid's favorite mini-berry to pick and snack. Once you try one of these mouth watering fruits you will have them in your garden for years to come!

The Cherry Belle Radish is the earliest maturing, garden standard radish. This variety is a 1949 All-American Winner and there is no wonder why. This radish retains its fine eating quality all season. The Cherry Belle is a round, smooth, scarlet beauty. This radish is 3/4" inches across with a crisp, white flesh that is ideal for garnishes or use in salads.

The Big Jim is the largest of all chile peppers! This hot-medium pepper can get up to 12 inches long and tastes amazing in many different types of cuisine. The Big Jim yields 24-30 peppers per plant. This organic pepper will turn from green to red once ready to be harvested. The Big Jim pepper plant flowers well, even when hot. Certified Organic Learn more about our organic seeds.

The Islander Pepper is known as the chameleon as it is beautiful pepper to watch its colorful display! This color-crazy pepper starts out as a violet hue, then turns to a yellow/orange and then finally deep red! This variety can be picked at any of these stages to provide awesome color to salads and meals. The Islander is a thick-fleshed, medium-sized bell pepper with 3-lobes that have a mild, slightly sweet taste. This colorful pepper also has a resistance to tobacco mosaic virus.

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!

This refined, open-pollinated cabbage produces round, green heads wrapped around crisp, tender white hearts and has been a trusted favorite since at least the 1920s. Known for its very early maturity and compact growth habit, it is ideal for dense plantings and tight spacing while still delivering strong yields of uniform, marketable heads. The dense, solid heads are spherical, typically measuring 5–7 inches across and weighing about 3–5 pounds, with plants remaining relatively small compared to head size. Fresh, the flavor is delicately crunchy with a pleasant bite, while cooking mellows it to a rich, buttery taste. Well suited for coleslaw, stir-fries, and other fresh kitchen uses, this variety shines as an early fresh-market cabbage rather than a long-term storage type. Maturing in about 65 days, it is an excellent choice for serious cabbage growers seeking high quality and reliability.

The Kellogg's Breakfast Tomato is an heirloom variety that produces big, bright orange fruits that are meaty and juicy with only a few seeds! This large tomato can weigh 1 pound or more! This variety has thin skin and a sweet tangy flavor. Kellogg's Breakfast will brighten up your day!

The Hot and Happy Mix is a blend of hot pepper, all colors, shapes and heats. This mix of peppers are bold and adventurous! This assortment of hot peppers includes habaneros, jalapeños, chilies, poblanos, anchos and more! Hot and Happy Mix is perfect for any hot pepper lover!

The Yellow Petite Bell Pepper is a mini bell pepper with flavor explosion! This sweet mini pepper variety that is high yielding and ripens to a rich yellow when mature. The Yellow Petite Bell grows to 2-3 ounces which is the perfect snack sized pepper that is excellent for market selling or fresh eating in salads or sandwiches!

The Taiwan Sugar Pea is known as the queen of the Orient, making it the ultimate sugary sweet pea for stir fries and salads. These crisp pods are delicious cooked or raw and will just melt in your mouth! These large sweet pods originated in Taiwan and like cooler temperatures to give it its fresh sweet flavor. Certified Organic. Learn more about our organic seeds.

The Sweetie Tomato is a prolific variety that produces an abundance of super sweet, small cherry-sized tomatoes, perfect for patio containers. This cherry tomato variety is one of the sweetest cherries around, as it boasts 12-14% sugar content and can be used for making juice or preserves without adding any extra sugar. This tomato grows exceptionally well in the home garden and will continuously produce until the first frost in fall. Sweetie produces .5-1" inch fruits in clusters of 15-20.

The Speckled Roman is a plum shaped tomato with a great flavor! This tomato variety is a beautiful colored tomato and when mature, has a bright red skin with golden streaks. This meaty tomato has a thick flesh that is excellent raw in salads, and cooks quickly into different sauces.

Waltham 29 broccoli seeds produce a classic, open-pollinated variety that was developed in the early 20th century by the University of Massachusetts at Waltham and has remained a trusted garden standard ever since. This variety forms large, deep blue-green central heads measuring 6–8" across on sturdy, cold-tolerant plants that typically reach 20–24" tall. Known for its reliability and adaptability, Waltham 29 performs especially well in cooler temperatures and is valued for its uniform growth and strong side-shoot production after the main head is harvested, resulting in generous yields over an extended period. It matures in about 74–85 days from transplant, making it well suited for spring and fall planting. The tightly packed florets have a tender texture and mild, slightly sweet flavor, excellent for fresh eating, steaming, freezing, and a wide range of culinary uses.

Brunswick cabbage is a traditional variety known for its hardiness and adaptability, making it a favorite among gardeners in cooler climates. Originating from Europe, Brunswick cabbage features large, tightly packed heads that can reach sizes of 3-5 pounds. The leaves are thick, dark green, and slightly crinkled, providing a robust texture. The flavor is mild and sweet, especially after exposure to frost, which enhances its natural sugars. Brunswick cabbage is typically harvested in late summer to early fall, and it can store well, making it ideal for winter use. This variety is often used for sauerkraut, coleslaw, and various cooked dishes due to its versatility. Brunswick cabbage plants grow upright and can reach heights of about 18-24 inches, preferring well-drained soil and full sun. Their resilience to cold weather makes them suitable for early spring and fall planting, allowing gardeners to enjoy fresh produce throughout the growing season. Overall, Brunswick cabbage is valued for its robust flavor, adaptability, and long storage life.

The White Icicle Radish is an heirloom white variety that has a warm, mild flavor. The shoulders where the radish protrudes above the ground should be green, although there is a variant with purple shoulders. This radish variety is excellent for the home garden or fresh market.

Red Jewel is early maturing and produces good size cabbages. This variety is a high-yielding red cabbage hybrid with uniform maturity. Red Jewel offers a deep red head with a short core and is ideal for both fresh and shredder markets.