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.

Yellow Sweet Spanish onion seeds grow into a classic heirloom variety that dates back to the early 20th century, prized for its large, globe-shaped bulbs and mild, sweet flavor. These onions typically reach 4–6 inches in diameter and feature golden-yellow skin with crisp, white flesh inside. They thrive in full sun and loose, well-drained soil rich in organic matter, requiring consistent moisture and a long growing season of about 110 days. Seeds can be started indoors 8–10 weeks before the last frost or sown directly once the soil warms. The resulting onions are excellent for fresh eating, caramelizing, or adding a subtle sweetness to soups, salads, and sandwiches.

Pineapple Crush alpine strawberries are a unique and delightful variety known for their vibrant yellow to orange-hued berries and exceptional sweetness. These compact plants produce fruit that not only boasts a striking color but also offers a tropical flavor reminiscent of pineapples, making them a favorite for fresh eating and culinary creations. Thriving in various growing conditions, Pineapple Crush strawberries are hardy and require minimal care, making them ideal for home gardens and containers. Their attractive foliage and charming white flowers enhance any garden setting, while their continuous harvest throughout the growing season ensures that gardeners can enjoy a delicious bounty of unique berries.

Ancho peppers are dried poblano peppers, commonly used in Mexican cuisine. These peppers are deep red-brown in color and have a mild to medium heat level, making them versatile in a variety of dishes. They have a rich, smoky flavor with subtle hints of sweetness, and their earthy taste is often described as slightly raisin-like. Anchos are typically rehydrated in water before being blended into sauces, salsas, or marinades. They are a key ingredient in mole sauces, contributing to their complex depth of flavor. Ancho peppers are also packed with antioxidants and vitamins, making them both a flavorful and nutritious addition to many recipes.

Purple Sun produces Uniform roots with smooth shoulders. Dark purple carrots that grow up to 10" in length. A great production carrot for fields, bunching and mechanical harvest.

Big Max pumpkin seeds are celebrated for producing some of the largest pumpkins available, making them a favorite among growers aiming for impressive, eye-catching results. These seeds produce pumpkins that can reach weights of 50 to 100 pounds or more, with their vibrant orange skin and smooth, rounded shape. The Big Max variety is known for its robust, sturdy vines that support the hefty fruit, and it generally requires a long growing season to achieve its full potential. Ideal for autumn decorations, Halloween displays, and giant pumpkin contests, Big Max pumpkins offer a dramatic presence with their substantial size and striking color. The seeds are relatively easy to cultivate, making them accessible to both seasoned gardeners and enthusiastic novices eager to grow a standout pumpkin.

The Sugar Magnolia Pea is a beautiful deep purple colored sugar snap pea that is the result of over 15 years of development! This spectacular beauty has a very sweet flavor and is best before the pods get too fat. Make sure that this climbing variety has a trellis, as its sturdy vines reach to be 6-7 feet tall. Add the Sugar Magnolia to fresh salads or as a steamed side dish for a pop of color!

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.

Green Zebra tomatoes are a unique and visually striking heirloom variety cherished for their distinctive appearance and vibrant flavor. These medium-sized tomatoes are easily recognizable by their green skin striped with darker green bands, giving them a zebra-like pattern. When fully ripe, they turn a rich, golden-green color. Known for their tangy, slightly sweet taste with a hint of citrus, Green Zebra tomatoes add a zesty flair to salads, salsas, and gourmet dishes. They typically reach maturity in about 75 to 80 days, and the plants exhibit a sprawling growth habit, producing an abundant harvest of fruit throughout the growing season. Their robust and resilient nature, coupled with their eye-catching appearance and exceptional flavor, makes Green Zebra tomatoes a favorite among both gardeners and culinary enthusiasts.

The White Russian Kale is a delicious dark green oak leaf cut kale with white stems that is amazing when cooked or eaten raw. This variety has a crisp sweet flavor that only intensifies when it is cooked. This popular kale is also disease resistant.

The fine smooth texture of the Nantes carrot makes it perfect for fresh eating, freezing or juicing! This bright orange carrot is a garden favorite. Nantes has an excellent sweet flavor as an early baby carrot. It can be over-wintered or grown in high tunnels for a spring harvest. Certified Organic. Learn more about our organic seeds.

The Aunt Ginnys Purple Tomato is a highly productive, beautiful oxheart shaped, heirloom with German origins that has a delicious flavor. This tomato variety produces large, indeterminate, potato-leaf tomato plants with high yields. This tomato can reach to be 1 pound with a deep pink-purple flesh that is crack resistant. The Aunt Ginnys Purple Tomato is one of our favorite heirloom tomatoes.

The 7 Pot Douglah is one of the hottest and rarest of the 7 pod strains available! This pepper variety is characterized by a dark brown flesh that has wrinkles all over the surface. 7 Pot Douglah starts out green and matures to the dark brown. When you slice a fresh Douglah open, you will immediately see pools of liquid capsaicin oils that give this chili so much heat and has an excellent flavor fresh or as a powder! Use with caution, extremely hot!

The Jay's Ghost Scorpion pepper has an immediate burn that slowly lingers to the sinuses. This pepper ranked 900,000 Scoville heat units! This peachy colored pepper is lined with bumps and twists and can have a scorpion-like tail. The Jay's Ghost Scorpion's taste has a slightly sweet floral taste, with a punch!

The San Marzano Tomato is an easy to grow, heirloom that is known as one of the best tomato 'sauce' varieties in the world! This tomato has a plum shape and is considered by many chefs to be the best sauce and cooking tomato types in the world. These heritage tomatoes are named after the region of San Marzano near Naples, Italy. This variety is low acidity, indeterminate and grows on vigorous vines that offers a good cover. Its plants produces clusters of tasty, intensely red fruit that holds well on the vine or in storage. The San Marzano resists cracking and is excellent for paste, puree, or canning due to high solids.

The Taxi Tomato is an attractive, sweet flavored, vibrant lemony-yellow tomato that grows to be the size of a baseball! This popular variety produces smooth, blemish-free globes with a rich, meaty flesh that are perfect for market and home growers alike. The easy to grow tomatoes thrive anywhere throughout the United States. Taxi is a low acid tomato.

The Heinz 2274 Tomato is a customer favorite for being the perfect variety for making delicious, juicy, homemade ketchup! This 6 ounce tomato is smooth and slightly flattened with a juicy and tangy flesh. The Heinz 2274 is a great tomato for making purees, sauces and of course, ketchup!

The Yellow Brandywine Tomato is a customer favorite heirloom tomato with an attractive bright yellow-orange skin and flesh. This Brandywine is a large, beefsteak-shaped tomato that grows upright on large leaved plants. This favorite tomato has a delicious sweet taste and meaty flesh with only a few seeds! This indeterminate tomato will ripen later than most, but will produces 10-20 ounce tomatoes until the first frost of fall.

The Orange Banana Tomato is one of our favorite paste tomato varieties for home and market growers to dry, can and make pastes. This tomato variety is an orange colored, banana-shaped paste tomatoes that have a wonderful fruity sweetness. The Orange Banana Tomato is delicious and fresh, making it great for specialty markets.