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 size of the First Prize Pumpkin will range from 50 lbs. to a whopping 150 lbs. with a bright color superior to the Atlantic types. Truly a first prize, this pumpkin variety will be a great addition for those who want the biggest and best. The First Prize matures in 120 days from planting on vigorous vines. This pumpkin is compared to Prizewinner F1.

In the early stages of fruit development, the Indigo Rose Tomato develops a dark purple pigment in its skin where exposed to direct sunlight. It is one of the darkest varieties on the market! This vigorous tomato starts out green when unripe and then develops into its known purple-red hue when ripe. The small tomatoes can each weigh about 1-2 ounces and have good flavor with 'plummy' overtones. The Indigo Rose's famous dark color looks great when added to any dish.

The Great White Tomato is an award winning white beefsteak tomato! This unique variety has a creamy inside that grows up to 12 ounces. The Great White is an excellent big multi-purpose slicer with an unique color and a great taste that is low in acid.

The Big Rainbow is one of the most beautiful tomatoes to watch grow to maturity. This tomato turns from green, to a yellow-centered, red-bottomed young fruit and then to a gold-and-red sunset color when mature. The Big Rainbow is a very beautiful and absolutely large tomato that has an over-the-top flavor that you just can't get enough of!

The Pink Summercicle Radish will bring you an endless summer with its bright pink color, sweet taste and popsicle-like shape! These 5-6 inches long roots have a crisp white inside with an extra sweet flavor. This very adaptable variety is best when grown in the early spring or fall. Enjoy the Pink Summercicle in salads or stir-fries!

The Oregon Giant Pea plant has excellent yield potential. This variety is a home garden favorite that offers a great flavored pod if eaten while young and its peas have a great sugar flavor!

The Oxheart Carrot is a small variety weighing just only 1 pound and is named for its unique short shape resembling a heart. This carrot might be tiny, but its crisp, sweet flavor is mighty making it the perfect juicing carrot! This variety is very adaptable and thrives in either heavy or shallow soils. Oxheart will store very well and can be frozen to add to soups and strews!

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 Mushroom Basket is a large, uniquely shaped tomato with a delicious juicy sweet flavor, originating from Russia. This plant produces enormous 8-16 ounce ruffled tomatoes that are colored bright pink. These plants are Indeterminate and do require a sturdy trellis. The Mushroom Basket tomatoes are the perfect tomatoes for slicing!

The Marglobe Supreme Tomato is great for home and market growing as it is the highest producing tomato plant that we have ever seen! The Marglobe Supreme tomato plant was originally released by the USDA in 1925 and was first developed in 1917 from a cross between 'Marvel' and 'Globe'. Marglobe Supreme has been in demand for several generations while many other varieties have come and gone. This high yielding tomato plant is stocky, vigorous, and has excellent disease tolerance. Its vine growth is uniform and provides good protection from sun scald. The Marglobe Supreme produces high yields of crack resistant  4-6 ounce, smooth and round shaped tomatoes that are perfect for canning.

The Chocolate Pear is a super productive variety that produces little chocolate-brown colored pear tomatoes that are the perfect size for snacking! This pear shaped variety has a rich tomato flavor that is excellent for adding to salads, pastas or even just to eat by the handful! The Chocolate Pear is a nice tomato for market growing and is perfect to mix with other colored tomatoes.

The Purple Petite Bell Pepper is a mini bell pepper variety with a flavor explosion! This sweet mini bell pepper is high yielding and will ripen to a rich purple when mature. This pepper plant produces 2-3 ounce pepper that are perfect for a snack sized pepper. This little purple pepper is excellent for market selling or fresh eating in salads!

The White Stem cabbage or Bok Choy is a great tasting cabbage that is enjoyed cooked or raw. Bok Choy is a Chinese white cabbage. Bok Choy is grown for its stalks which are used in different oriental dishes. Can be grown as a spring and/or fall crop.

The Golden Jubilee Tomato has a meaty, thick, golden-orange skin with a mild flavor and is an All American Selection winning tomato! This medium sized beefsteak has low acidity and high Vitamin C content, making it a great choice for fresh eating and perfect for home gardens! This tomato variety's fruits are produced in a heavy yield from upright and uniform indeterminate vines, which makes this variety easy to manage. The Golden Jubilee was first introduced in 1943 by the Maule Seed Company of Philadelphia and has a flavor that is not too strong and pairs well with other ingredients.

The Halloween Mix contains a "spooky" mix of purple, yellow, black and white radishes. These radishes are mildly spicy and only 5 centimeters in diameter. Everyday can be a scary fun holiday if you succession plant this mixture every two weeks throughout the spring and fall! This radish mix will bring lots of colors to your dishes.

Matt's Wild Cherry tomatoes have a bright red color with bursting flavor and high sugar content. A moderate yielder that goes great in salsa, salads and fresh eating. Some resistance to early blight and late blight.

The Alaska Pea is a super-early variety that thrives in colder temperatures! This pea is a semi-dwarf variety that grows to an average height of 3' and is a decent producer once flowering begins. Alaska's pods produce 5-7 peas per pod that offers a sweet and delicious flavor.

Early maturing cabbage with tight heads! Stonehead is a fast grower with 6" heads that average between 4-6 lbs. when mature. Good texture and flavor. This hybrid resist yellow and black rot very well. A great market variety that matures early, won't split and holds well after harvest. Grows well throughout the United States. An All American Selection winner in 1969.