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 Pepitas F1 Pumpkin is a very delicious and nutritious improved variety that is named for its hullness, or naked seeds. This pumpkin is amazing eaten fresh in salads or roasted. This variety is not just delicious, but it also makes for a beautiful decoration during the fall season. Each plant produces a high yield of medium-sized, orange fruits with attractive green stripes.

The Pimento Pepper is a great snacking pepper that goes excellent with cheese, specifically Pimento cheese! The Pimento, aka Sheepnose, is a beautiful sweet pepper that ripens from green to red. This variety is a round, oblate, and gorgeously ribbed pepper. The Pimento is great for long time storage and has an excellent crispy flesh with a delicious zesty flavor. Originated in Ohio, the Pimento is a vigorous producer in northern climates.

The Marconi Red Pepper is an Italian sweet pepper. This pepper variety is a very sweet thin-skinned pepper that changes from green to red with maturity and has 3-5 lobes.

The spicy flavor, attractive purple stems, and green leaves of the Hong Vit Radish makes it a favorite among many growers! This radish variety is also a very fast growing microgreen. The Hong Vit grows straight with hairless attractive purple stems. Micro Hong Vit's leaves add a spicy flavor, visual appeal, and bulk to mixes!

The Little Marvel Pea is a well known old time home garden favorite, that is really a marvel! This pea is an excellent choice selected for its high yield potential and excellent sweet flavor making it the most satisfactory pea in the home garden. This variety's plants are very productive and compact and will grow up to 30" tall. Little Marvel produces small bright green pods with luscious, sugary peas that stay tender and sweet even when fully ripe!

The Golden Pascal celery stalks grow to be 18-20 in. tall. This celery blanches easily to a beautiful golden-yellow. Both the stem & heart of the Golden Pascal are very tender, very delicious and free from string.

The Self Blanching cauliflower is known for its bright white curds with a delicious flavor! The Self Blanching cauliflower has self-wrapping leaves that help protect the white curds from sun, thus the name Self Blanching Cauliflower. Remember cauliflower likes cool weather plant seed early spring or fall for best crops.

The Minowase Daikon Radish has a crisp firm flesh is pure white. This Daikon radish, produces long tapered white radishes that are mostly used as winter radishes. The Minowase has a great, mild taste that is excellent in many Oriental dishes. This radish variety is great for spring or late summer planting.

Dating back to the 1700's, the Connecticut Field is one of the oldest American pumpkin varieties around! This large variety can grow 15 to 20 pound globes that are flattened on the ends. This old favorite will usually average 12 inches in height and diameter. The Connecticut Field's rind is hard but thin and slightly ribbed with a sweet, thick and course flesh.

The Wisconsin Lakes Pepper is a beautiful heirloom bell pepper with a bright red flesh. This pepper variety is an early maturing bell pepper that turns from green to red. This pepper is a great choice for Northern gardeners. Wisconsin Lakes was bred by Wisconsin University in the1960s and it produce a good reliable harvest of early bell peppers.

The Spring Pea is the sweetest pea pod you can grow in the garden! This variety is a very early maturing medium sized pea plant that produces super sweet peas. Spring bears large crops of pods that hold 6 to 7 plump peas that are delicious in soups and stews.

Bull's Blood beet, scientifically known as Beta vulgaris, is a striking and versatile variety of beetroot that has gained popularity for its unique characteristics. This heirloom variety has a fascinating history, dating back centuries to Europe, where it was initially cultivated for its edible leaves rather than the root. Its name, "Bull's Blood," is derived from the deep burgundy-red color of its leaves, which resemble the color of ox blood. Over time, its sweet and earthy flavor profile has made it a favorite among chefs and home gardeners alike. In terms of appearance, Bull's Blood beets typically grow to a medium size, roughly 2-3 inches in diameter, and have a round to slightly flattened shape. The seeds of this variety are easy to come by and can be sown directly in the garden or started indoors. Bull's Blood beets are relatively quick to mature, taking about 50-60 days from seed to harvest. The leaves are a deep red, while the root itself is a dark purplish-red, making it visually appealing on the plate. Bull's Blood beets exhibit some resistance to common beet diseases like Cercospora leaf spot and Downy Mildew, although specific resistance levels may vary depending on growing conditions. When properly cared for, they can yield a plentiful harvest. To ensure optimal growth, it's recommended to space the beet plants about 2-4 inches apart in well-drained soil with full sun exposure. Adequate moisture and consistent watering are essential for healthy growth. Whether you're looking to add a pop of color to your garden or enhance your culinary creations, Bull's Blood beets are a delightful choice with a rich history and vibrant character.

The Orange Oxheart Tomato is an oxheart variety that has vigorous vines that produce plenty of beautiful, orange tomatoes. These tomatoes have a sweet and juicy flavor that will have you growing them for years and years to come! The Orange Oxheart weighs around 16-32 ounces and is just perfect looking!

The Ugly Duckling is the "ugly" sister to our Cinderella pumpkin, but this variety produces multiple colors. This pumpkin is an antique French heirloom that, despite its name, is beautiful and great for ornamental purposes!

Organic - Anaheim is a meaty hot pepper that is great for stuffing. This pepper variety has a mild to medium heat for a chili pepper. Each of these plant produce an abundance of spicy chili peppers that are 5-8" long. Anaheim Chili is great for roasting, stuffing, stews, sauces and eaten raw! A farmer back in the early 1900s bought some of these pepper seeds in Anaheim, California thus giving them the name they have today. Anaheim Chili peppers can be harvested while green or for more spiciness let them turn deep red. Conventional seed available.

The Ghost Mix is a blend of some of the world's hottest peppers! Use with caution! This mix is a wonderful blend of red, yellow, purple, white and chocolate Bhut Jolokia (Ghost) pepper seeds that can reach over 1,000,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU).

Daikon Radish has a crisp firm flesh is pure white. This Daikon radish, produces long tapered white radishes that are mostly used as winter radishes. The Minowase has a great, mild taste that is excellent in many Oriental dishes. This radish variety is great for spring or late summer planting.

The Yellow Scotch Bonnet, aka the Jamaican, produces an abundance of little yellow peppers with an extremely hot flavor! Some say that this pepper's flavorful taste is rivaling that of many Habanero's. This hot variety has an excellent flavor making them popular for hot sauces. The Yellow Scotch Bonnet produces well-yielding, compact plants.