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 Imperator 58 is a Danver carrot that is a garden staple! This carrot variety grows to 9" long and 1 1/2" wide. It has a very sweet and tender flavor. This carrot has smooth, large, fine-grained, long, tapered roots. Imperator 58 carrot performs best in loose, friable soils.

Jack O'Lantern pumpkin seeds are specifically bred for growing pumpkins that are perfect for carving and decorating during the Halloween season. These seeds produce medium to large pumpkins, typically ranging from 8 to 18 pounds, with a classic round shape and bright orange skin. The flesh is thick and sturdy, making it ideal for carving intricate designs while maintaining structural integrity. Originating from traditional pumpkin varieties, Jack O'Lantern pumpkins are known for their vibrant color and relatively smooth surface, which allows for easy carving. The seeds usually germinate quickly and produce vigorous vines that can spread widely, requiring ample space in the garden. These pumpkins typically mature in about 90 to 100 days, thriving in warm, sunny conditions and well-drained soil. While primarily cultivated for Halloween decorations, the flesh is also edible and can be used in pies, soups, and other dishes, though it is not as sweet as some culinary varieties. Jack O'Lantern pumpkin seeds are a favorite among home gardeners, offering a fun and festive way to celebrate the fall season.

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.

Red Currant tomatoes are a charming heirloom variety renowned for their tiny, jewel-like fruits and exceptional sweetness. Believed to have origins in both Europe and North America, this variety has been cherished for its prolific nature and unique characteristics. The tomatoes are notably small, often the size of a pea, and grow in clusters reminiscent of currants, hence the name. They are bright red when ripe and possess a delightful, tangy-sweet flavor that makes them perfect for snacking, salads, and garnishes. Red Currant tomatoes typically reach maturity in about 60 to 70 days, making them relatively quick to harvest. The plants exhibit a vigorous, indeterminate growth habit, meaning they produce an abundant yield throughout the growing season and require staking or caging to manage their sprawling vines. With their vibrant color, sweet flavor, and impressive productivity, Red Currant tomatoes are a favorite among gardeners looking to add both beauty and a burst of flavor to their gardens.

The Cosmic Purple carrot is absolutely amazing! This beautiful purple carrot is bright yellow and orange inside! Cosmic Purple carrots have a tapered 7" shape and a very sweet taste, that has extra healthy anti-oxidants. This carrot is quite popular at farmers markets.

The SunSugar Tomato is an early maturing cherry tomato with a high sugar content that is a customer favorite for a reason! These beautiful cherry sized orange tomatoes will be the first tomato to harvest in early summer. Every 1/2 oz. fruit has 3 times more vitamin A found in most other red tomatoes. Not only does this variety contain more nutrients but it is sweeter than candy and impossible to eat just one! SunSugar is crack resistant with very vigorous, heavy yields and no need for staking!

The Ruby Queen is an excellent canning and fresh eating beet! A perfectly round beet that has a smooth buttery texture that is more tender than any other beet. An early maturing beet, 52 days, that grows well in any soil type throughout the country. Ruby Queen can be grown close because they hold their shape well. They can also be grown larger than most beets and still hold good flavor making it a great market beet. An All American Selection winner!

The Heirloom Collection is a mixture of some of our favorite and best tasting heirloom tomatoes. These old fashioned, great tasting heirloom tomatoes are sure to please your tastebuds! We have chosen the most popular, tried and true heirlooms around. These tomatoes have been passed down for generations because of their exceptional taste, growth habits, yield, disease resistance and more! The collection includes a packet of each of the following: Delicious - Once held the world record for largest tomato grown. A huge beefsteak that is large and fairly crack resistant. Black Cherry - One of the most delicious cherry tomatoes around! The only truly black cherry tomato. Chocolate Stripes - Mahogany color with dark brown stripes. A luscious bicolor tomato with a sweet earthy flavor. Cherokee Purple - A purple tomato that is a favorite heirloom amongst gardeners. Absolutely the best taste of any tomato around. Costoluto Genovese - An old Italian preserving tomato. Works great for sauces and paste. German Giant - A giant potato leaf heirloom tomato. A deep pink fruit that grows up to 30+ ounces.

The Micro Tom Tomato is the perfect little cherry tomato variety for growing in tight places, ideal for windowsills and patios! This unusual, tiny plant grows to be just 4" tall. This variety produces good yields of tiny sized red tomatoes that everyone will love, especially kids!

The Sweet Million has a delicious flavor with outstanding yields that keeps coming back! This hybrid produces large clusters of smooth, bright red fruits that come early and will produce all summer long. This variety is one of the most popular home garden tomatoes that always pleases. The disease resistant Sweet Million tomatoes are 1-1.5" long and produces high yields until the first frost if picked regularly.

The Fancy Nantes carrot gets its name for its very smooth skin and fancy cylindrical shape. These carrots can grow up to 8" long with a very sweet and crisp flesh. For smaller, "fancier" look and great flavor try harvesting at 45-50 days when 4" long! They can store for months and also do great being left in the ground over winter.

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.

The Sun Gold is a very sweet, tangerine-orange cherry tomato. Once you try this sugary treat, you will want to grow it for years and years! This variety produces beautiful little tomatoes early, often and throughout the entire season. The Sun Gold is the best tasting cherry tomato around that is great for home gardens.

The German Giant Tomato is a giant potato leaf heirloom type of tomato with a rich, sweet flavor! This variety is a deep pink hue that grows to be 30+ ounces. The German Giant tomato is favored for being very juicy.

The White Flat Boer Ford is a true white pumpkin that is perfect for autumn displays! This variety grows to be 3 to 5 inches high and spreads 8 to 12 inches wide. This flat pumpkin can weigh between 10 to 15 pounds! The White Flat Boer Ford has deep ribs that makes for an appealing autumn display, but it also has a delicious eating quality for its aromatic, succulent, and sugary flesh.

The Oregon Sugar Pod II Pea is a high yielding snow pea that has a high percentage of two pods per cluster! This variety grows to a height of 28" and bears 4 1/2" long pods that are disease resistant to pea virus, common wilt and powdery mildew. The Oregon Sugar Pod II produces delicious flat and tender pea pods that are superb for freezing!

The Jack Be Little is a small pumpkin that is popular in many floral arrangements! This new miniature pumpkin is ideal for small Jack'O Lanterns and other decorations. These easy to grow plants bear several small pumpkins per plant. The Jack Be Little pumpkins are edible, but are more highly valued for their decorative value and will last for months if properly cured!

The Premier Kale, or also known as Early Hanover, is a high yielding kale with delicious and nutritious green leaves. This kale is early maturing that produces high amounts of smooth, dark green leaves. Plant Premier in the fall so that it produces higher yields and resists bolting 4 weeks longer. This kale's taste is a favorite and is extremely high in antioxidants and beta carotene!