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 Ashe County Pimento pepper is a cherished heirloom variety with roots deeply embedded in the Appalachian region of North Carolina. Originating from Ashe County, this pepper has been cultivated since the early 20th century, known for its unique attributes and exceptional flavor. Characterized by its heart-shaped pods, the Ashe County Pimento ripens to a vibrant red hue, distinguishing it from other peppers. Its flavor is renowned for its sweet, fruity notes and low heat, making it a versatile ingredient for both fresh consumption and culinary uses like pimento cheese and stuffed peppers. The plant exhibits a compact growth habit, typically reaching about 18 to 24 inches in height, which makes it suitable for garden beds and containers. It produces an abundance of peppers that are ready for harvest in late summer to early fall. With its rich history, distinctive color, and delightful taste, the Ashe County Pimento pepper continues to be a prized addition to gardens and kitchens alike.

The Mushroom Red Pepper gets its name as it is a bell-shaped hot pepper that will ripen from a lime green to a bright red. This variety is great for pickling or drying and will add a nice hot kick to any dish. This pepper is great for a small garden as it does well in containers. These productive little peppers thrive in tropical regions, but will grow just about anywhere.

The Yellow Monster pepper is a striking heirloom variety with intriguing origins and notable characteristics. Developed in the United States, this pepper is prized for its large size and eye-catching appearance. As the name suggests, the Yellow Monster matures to a vibrant yellow, adding a bold splash of color to any garden or dish. The flavor profile is mild and sweet with a hint of fruitiness, making it a versatile choice for various culinary applications, from fresh salads to roasted dishes. The plant grows vigorously, reaching up to 3 feet in height, and is known for its high productivity. It typically produces large, thick-walled peppers that are ready for harvest in mid to late summer. With its impressive size, vivid color, and pleasant flavor, the Yellow Monster pepper is not only a visually appealing addition to gardens but also a flavorful ingredient that enhances a variety of recipes.

We believe this is the best tasting tomato available and even beats Brandywine for flavor. Productive plants produce large crops of 12 oz. fruits. Excellent tomato flavor. This strain was obtained from J. D. Green in Tennessee and is thought to be from the Cherokee Nation. Plants are indeterminate, but seldom grow more than 4' tall.

The Danver 126 is a durable, multipurpose carrot that produces high yields. Danver 126 was bred by the Eastern States Farmers Exchange from selections of heat resistant strains of carrots. This carrot is improved for better interior color, smoother skin, better uniformity and better yield. Released in 1947. Excellent for home gardens and markets.

The Oregon Sugar Pod II Pea is a high yielding snow pea that has a high percentage of two pods per cluster! This variety grows to a height of 28" and bears 4 1/2" long pods that are disease resistant to pea virus, common wilt and powdery mildew. The Oregon Sugar Pod II produces delicious flat and tender pea pods that are superb for freezing!

The Harvest King will produce a consistent 25-35 lb. pumpkin. This larger variety has excellent yield and quality. Almost 100% of the pumpkin yields are marketable.

The Carolina Reaper is one of the hottest peppers in the world! This very hot pepper has a sweet chocolate-cherry under tone with hint of fiery citrus. The Guinness book of World Records has the Carolina Reaper at 1,569,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU). Use with caution, extremely hot!

The Sweet Seedless Tomato is just like it name says, sweet with very few seeds! This juicy orange-red tomato variety is an extra tasty, very early tomato! Since this tomato has minimal seeds to digest, it offers a very outstanding taste. Since the Sweet Seedless does not store its sugars within its seeds, the sweetness is transferred to the flesh, making it extra tasty! This fast maturing, very sweet variety must be grown away from other tomatoes. Tomatoes may have some immature seeds.

The Detroit Dark Red is the standard all-purpose heirloom beet! This is by far the most popular beet for home gardens. Detroit Dark Red has blood red flesh that is very sweet and tasty. Beets are perfectly round with no rings or streaks. Has 13-16" greens that are wonderful mixed into salads. Very prolific and good keeper. This heirloom was first introduced in 1892 by Mr. Reeves of Ontario, Canada.

Ailsa Craig Exhibition is a large onion that has a unique mildly sweet flavor! This plant produces on the average a huge 5 lb. sweet white onion that has a delicious flavor in many dishes. Impress your neighbors and try growing this World Record sized onion.

The Pink Brandywine Tomato is our favorite heirloom beefsteak for home gardens and a customer favorite for its sweet taste! This large, beefsteak-shaped tomato fruit grows upright on large leaved plants. This favored tomato contains few seeds and meaty flesh! The indeterminate tomato will ripen later than most, but will produces 10-20 ounce tomatoes until the first frost of fall.

Walla Walla onions are a distinctive, sweet onion variety renowned for their large size, mild flavor, and delicate texture. Originating from the Walla Walla Valley in Washington State, these onions have a history dating back to the late 1800s. Their bulbs are typically round or slightly flattened, with smooth, pale yellow to light brown skins, and their flesh is exceptionally sweet and mild, making them ideal for raw consumption in salads, salsas, or on sandwiches. Known for their low sulfur content, which contributes to their sweetness, Walla Walla onions are a long-season crop, requiring a full growing cycle to reach maturity. They are beloved by gardeners for their ability to grow in a variety of climates, though they flourish best in well-drained, fertile soil with ample sunlight.

The Jack Be Little is a small pumpkin that is popular in many floral arrangements! This new miniature pumpkin is ideal for small Jack'O Lanterns and other decorations. These easy to grow plants bear several small pumpkins per plant. The Jack Be Little pumpkins are edible, but are more highly valued for their decorative value and will last for months if properly cured!

This productive heirloom pepper is well suited to short-season gardens and has long been valued for canning and pickling. Originating from Hungary, it produces light yellow, medium-to-hot peppers with a classic flavor that works beautifully for stuffing, roasting, pizza toppings, and traditional Eastern European dishes. Plants set fruit steadily over an extended harvest window, delivering high yields with quick production. The 5-inch fruits begin a bright yellow and mature to red, adding visual appeal as well as versatility in the kitchen, and they are especially popular as pickled peppers. This heat-loving variety thrives in full sun, reaching maturity in about 70 days With a Scoville heat rating of 5,000 to 15,000, Hungarian Hot Wax peppers provide a nice kick without overwhelming heat, making them versatile for various culinary uses.

The Young's Beauty Pumpkin is a very uniform New England Pie variety that is the perfect small pumpkin for Halloween carvings! At only 10-12 pounds, this jack-o-lantern sized pumpkin will look great in a family garden. This deep orange, slightly ribbed variety produces high yields.

The Rainbow Blend Bell is an assorted mixture of 7 colorful bell pepper varieties. This blend of bells contains a full range of colors with 7 varieties of top-quality, vigorous hybrids of red to green, orange, yellow, chocolate, lilac, ivory and purple! Enjoy your peppers together in a colorful dish with this excellent sweet bell pepper blend!

The Patio Pride Pea is the perfect variety for a container or small garden and it looks stunning among other ornamental combinations. This pea plant produces uniform, sugary sweet pods that are tender when harvested early. This variety is perfect for succession planting, as it yields a consistent harvest over many weeks. You can grow Patio Pride with other cool-season flowers for a gorgeous display right on your patio! Certified Organic. Learn more about our organic seeds.