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 Orange Dream cauliflower performs like a dream in outdoor and greenhouse growing conditions. This cauliflower is a medium-large plant. Orange Dream is a pastel orange cauliflower that exhibits great tolerance to heat and stress.

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 Cubanelle Pepper is a great frying pepper. This 3 lobed pepper is tapered with a blunt end. Its slightly irregular and roughened, medium-thick waxy flesh matures from yellow-green to red, and it has a crispy distinct flavor.

Ruegen is an heirloom cultivar that is still as good today as it was when it was first selected. Several cultivars on the market today have been selected from Ruegen. Also known in various European countries as 'Rügen', 'Rujana', 'Rjugen', and 'Rugia'.

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.

El Eden (F1) Guajillo pepper is for Mexican mole. Pepper is a high yielding hot pepper of smooth, 7-8" fruit. Slightly hot peppers that turn from green to an orange-red-brown color when mature. This pepper is also excellent for drying and making powder. Skins are tough so not recommended for fresh eating.

The Chocolate Habanero is an extremely hot chocolate-colored habanero! Currently, the Chocolate Habanero is recognized as the world's 4th hottest pepper! This variety is a favorite pepper in the Caribbean to make barbecue sauces and marinades. The Chocolate Habanero Pepper has a unique rich flavor that is un-duplicated by any other pepper. This beautiful chocolate brown pepper can be dried and smoked like the Chipotle, to produce an exquisite flavored sauce!

Orange King is a deliciously sweet and tangy orange pepper. This blocky, thick skinned pepper turns from green to a bright orange when mature. Its plants produce average yields of 4-5 lobed block peppers that mature to 4x6." This pepper variety is the sweetest bell pepper we have tasted to date! Orange King is perfect for fresh eating, dips, salads, stuffing, stir fries and sandwiches.

Atomic Red carrots are rich in vitamins and minerals! Bright red root, tapered 1.5 x 11" long, super healthy high lycopene, crispy, intense color even when cooked. Atomic Red carrots are very healthy and unique-looking. The bright red is sure to add color to your garden. Atomic Red is especially high in the anti-oxidant lycopene, which is also found in tomatoes.

The Italian Heirloom Tomato is an old heirloom that is one of our most tasty tomatoes we offer, as it is just bursting with flavor! These bright red tomatoes can grow to over 1 pound per fruit! This productive variety will give you a continual harvest of these delicious fruits into fall. The Italian Heirloom is an excellent variety for cooking, eating fresh or canning.

The Comet Radish is an old All-America Selection winner that has proven its quality! This variety has been popular since it won AAS in 1936. This variety has a ruby red skin with a crisp snow white flesh. Its globed and almost perfectly round shape, made the Comet a popular supermarket variety for years.

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.

The Pink Girl Tomato produces beautiful, smooth, juicy and high quality pink tomatoes that can be enjoyed all summer long! This low acid tomato yield 3.5" round fruits weighing 6 to 8 ounces.

Large, freeky looking pumpkin! Knuckle Head pumpkin is great for halloween. Warty skin that gives a spooky appearance.

The Whopper Pepper produces high yields of huge sweet bell peppers! This pepper plant produces huge yields of large 4" long by 4" wide bell peppers that will turn from green to red when ripe and ready to be picked. Whopper is one of the best bell peppers for home gardens and is excellent for salads, stuffing, sauteed, or fried. This tasty pepper also freezes well.

The Cinderella is an excellent pumpkin for canning or baking pies and pumpkin bread as it has a great eating quality! This pumpkin variety is an heirloom variety from France that was selected out of the older variety, Rouge vif d'Etampes. Cinderella has deep ridges and exceptional flatening, making it a beautiful decoration for Halloween and other other fall festivities. This variety's vines are very productive with pumpkins that have grooved, thick walls.

The Redskin Sweet Pepper is a dwarf sweet pepper that is great for containers and patio pots! This pepper variety grows to about 4" all summer long. The Redskin Sweet Pepper is the perfect pepper for people with little room.