Zone 10 - What to Plant in December

Zone 10 - What to Plant in December

Zone 10 gardeners should be planting their gardens in December. With no risk of frost but the dog days of summer behind us, this is the perfect time to plant. See the vegetables below that are perfect for planting now.

The Scarlet Nantes is popular as a sweet baby, slicer, or fresh market variety. A sweet and tender carrot with a cylindrical shape and blunt-tip. Scarlet Nantes have a bright orange-red color throughout. Very popular variety of carrot for eating fresh or cooked. Slow bolting and very popular among gardeners.

The Sugar Snap Pea is a garden staple pea that has unmatchable taste! This variety has tall vines that with support can grow up to 6 feet plus! The Sugar Snap Pea plant produces 3" long pods that are a 1/2" across, and bear over a long picking period. This is pea is so tasty that people will eat it directly after picking! Sugar Snap yields well in both hot and cold weather.

The Lemon Drop is an excellent seasoning pepper from Peru with some heat! When mature it will ripen to be a bright yellow that occasionally turns a purple blush depending on maturity. The Lemon Drop's crisp and clean, uncomplicated flavor is hot with some citrus notes. Its Scovilles top out at 35,000 units.

The Red Petite Bell Pepper is a red mini bell pepper that is bursting with flavor! This high yielding mini bell pepper is sweet and ripens to a rich red when mature. This pepper variety grows to 2-3 ounces, which is the perfect snack sized pepper. The Red Petite Bell is an excellent pepper for market selling or fresh eating!

The Delicious Tomato is a World Record giant, bright red beefsteak tomato that can grow to be at least one pound or more. This variety is not only large, but it is also fairly crack resistant. The Delicious tomato gets its name for being very delicious of course!

A unique lemon color inside and out! These plants produce medium-sized fruits with beautiful and unique lemon yellow skin!

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 perfect size, shape and taste for a pickling pepper! This pepper variety is covered with thick-walled, sweet, 2-inch tapered peppers that grow in a variety of colors. The Sweet Pickle is one of the best picking peppers around!

The Kellogg's Breakfast Tomato is an heirloom variety that produces big, bright orange fruits that are meaty and juicy with only a few seeds! This large tomato can weigh 1 pound or more! This variety has thin skin and a sweet tangy flavor. Kellogg's Breakfast will brighten up your day!

The Big Beef Tomato is an All American Selection winner beefsteak tomato variety that has been a farm favorite for a reason! This tomato variety produces delicious 12 ounce, deep oblate to globe shaped red fruits. This high yielding, high quality tomato is crack and highly disease resistant.

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 Early Doll Tomato is a bright red, juicy tomato that is an improvement of the Quick Pick, making it a good slicing variety. This variety is a great tomato to grow in Northern areas where the season is short, however this tomato plant is also great for Southern locations where you can harvest the crop before insects and disease start to take over.

The Golden Acre is a tasty cabbage that arrives early and is suited for close spacing. This early round head cabbage is easily grown and versatile in use. Heads are about 6 to 7 inches in diameter on compact plants about a foot high. Its firm, medium green head is excellent cooked or raw in stews and salads.

Hillbilly tomatoes, also known as "Hillbilly Potato Leaf" tomatoes, are a unique and heirloom variety of tomato with a rich history dating back several decades. These tomatoes are renowned for their distinctive appearance and delicious flavor. The fruit size of Hillbilly tomatoes can vary, but they typically range from large to very large, often exceeding 1 pound (0.45 kg) per fruit. Their shape is irregular and somewhat flattened, with deep ribbing and prominent shoulders, giving them a rustic and charming aesthetic. The plants of Hillbilly tomatoes are known for their vigorous growth and can reach a height of 5 to 7 feet (1.5 to 2.1 meters). They have potato-like leaves, which is how they earned their "Potato Leaf" moniker. These tall and sprawling plants require ample space and support to accommodate their robust growth. Hillbilly tomatoes are indeterminate, meaning they continue to produce fruit throughout the growing season, making them a favorite among home gardeners. When it comes to growing conditions, Hillbilly tomatoes thrive in full sun with well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter. They prefer warm and consistent temperatures, making them suitable for summer cultivation in most regions. Adequate watering and regular pruning to encourage air circulation are essential for healthy plant development. Hillbilly tomatoes are cherished for their sweet and slightly tangy flavor, making them a popular choice for fresh salads, sandwiches, and canning due to their large fruit size and rich taste. Their unique appearance and historical significance make them a treasured addition to any garden or kitchen.  

The Siberian Tomato is a great variety for colder climates! This tomato variety matures fast and will produce heavy and early where shorter growing seasons prevail, like the norther states and Canada. This red oval, 2-4 ounce tomato grows on a compact plant that is fine for patio or container gardens.

Anaheim Chili 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. Organic seed available.

The Peter, aka Willy, Pepper gets it's name, well because of what it resembles! This variety is an old heirloom that is grown as much for its shock value as it is for for its culinary value. Peter is an excellent pepper for chili powder! Its pods are 4-6 inches long with blunt ends that resemble a mans private area, no joke!

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!