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 King of the North Pepper is the most reliable bell pepper for northern gardeners. These sturdy plants produce heavy yields of blocky, thick walled, 3-4 lobed peppers that ripen from green to red. This pepper variety is excellent cooked in any recipe or raw for fresh eating. King of the North is sure to be the new KING in your garden!

Chile de Arbol peppers are a distinctive variety renowned for their fiery heat and striking appearance. These small, slender peppers typically mature to a vibrant red color, although they can also be harvested green. Known for their sharp, intense heat with a slightly smoky undertone, Chile de Arbol peppers are a popular choice for adding a bold kick to sauces, salsas, and dishes. They generally take about 80 to 90 days to reach full maturity, and the plants are characterized by their upright growth habit, producing an abundance of peppers on relatively compact bushes. The plants are quite resilient, thriving in warm, sunny conditions and well-drained soil. Their vibrant color and potent flavor make them a standout addition to any garden or culinary repertoire, providing both visual appeal and a significant heat boost.

The California Wonder is not just any bell pepper, its the best of class. By far, this variety is America's favorite variety of pepper! The California Wonder pepper is a standard bell pepper that is widely adapted. These pepper plants produce very sturdy frames that are easy to grow. This pepper always produces well formed, juicy, crunchy, large pepper fruits. Familiar to all vegetable gardeners for ages, this classic heirloom pepper has set the standard since the late 1920s. This pepper was developed by the eccentric plant breeder, Carrol Briggs, in his grow years. The California Wonder contains high amounts of vitamin A and C and is disease resistant to tobacco mosaic virus. This pepper variety is very popular, and much preferred by many market growers and home gardeners!

Mortgage Lifter tomatoes are a legendary heirloom variety with a rich history and exceptional qualities. Originating from the 1930s, this tomato was famously developed by M.C. "Radiator Charlie" Byles, a farmer who sold the plants to pay off his mortgage, hence the name. These large, beefsteak-style tomatoes are known for their deep pink to reddish color and meaty texture, with fruits often reaching up to a pound or more. The flavor is renowned for its sweet, rich taste with a balanced acidity, making it ideal for slicing, sandwiches, and sauces. Mortgage Lifter tomatoes typically take about 80 to 85 days to mature and feature an indeterminate growth habit, meaning they continue to produce fruit throughout the growing season. The plants are vigorous and sprawling, requiring staking or caging to support the heavy, abundant fruit. Their historical significance, combined with their impressive size, flavor, and productivity, makes Mortgage Lifter tomatoes a prized addition to any garden.

The Sweet Banana is a delightfully tangy and colorful sweet pepper. This elongated, thick-walled pepper turns scarlet when fully ripe, but will stay sweet and mild. This pepper variety is a longtime favorite for its sweet flavor that is exquisitely pungent when pickled. Sweet Banana's prolific plant produces high yields.

The Dragon carrot is a refined purple carrot that is perfect for home gardeners and market growers! The reddish purple color on the outside contrasts with the bright orange interior when peeled or sliced. The Dragon has a delicious sweet, slightly spicy, carrot flavor that is delicious roasted or in soups and stews.

The rainbow mix is a blend of our favorite bright heirloom carrots!  Mix of every imaginable carrot color, purple, red, white, even some orange. Purple has smooth skin, coreless orange flesh and is sweet and tasty. Yellow holds its sunny hue inside and out, is crunchy, sweet and juicy. White is mild and delicious, and Red has high lycopene levels as well as a crispy texture that is great cooked. Enjoy these delicious carrots cooked or raw.

The Taiwan Sugar Pea is known as the queen of the Orient, making it the ultimate sugary sweet pea for stir fries and salads. These crisp pods are delicious cooked or raw and will just melt in your mouth! These large sweet pods originated in Taiwan and like cooler temperatures to give it its fresh sweet flavor. Certified Organic. Learn more about our organic seeds.

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.

A deep burgundy flesh with rich flavor! Black Truffel is rich in both sugars and acid, which helps create a sweet, strong, complex flavor that is hard to beat. The 6-8 oz. pear-shaped fruits are just large enough for slicing into salads. Once you try the Black Truffel you will grow it for years in your garden!

These tiny ornamental pumpkins are great for market sellers but also has excellent edible qualities. Bumpkin F1 has a semi bush plant habit with excellent yield potential. Fruit are 2" x 3" and weight about 1/4 lb. with dark orange color and strong dark green handles. An excellent pumpkin for novelty sales.

Green Magic is a great summer and fall broccoli that is consistent performer. This broccoli matures mid-early and has wide adaptability to gardening zones. It has a semi-domed, tight head with medium-small bead size and a good plant habit.

Blue Vantage produces dense and large heads with short cores. A mid-season maturity that is ideal for fresh eating or coleslaw. Great resistance to Fusarium yellows race 1 resistant and tipburn tolerant.

The Patio Pride Pea is the perfect variety for a container or small garden and it looks stunning among other ornamental combinations. This pea plant produces uniform, sugary sweet pods that are tender when harvested early. This variety is perfect for succession planting, as it yields a consistent harvest over many weeks. You can grow Patio Pride with other cool-season flowers for a gorgeous display right on your patio! Certified Organic. Learn more about our organic seeds.

The Time Bomb Pepper is a slightly hot pepper with an excellent flavor! This pepper is a dark-green to bright-red hot cherry pepper for pickling. Its fruits are globular to pointy and measure 4 cm x 4 cm. The Time Bomb Pepper has a slightly less pungent flavor than the Cherry Bomb.

The Super Chili is an AAS Pepper Variety Winner! A real super chili pepper, bred for compact, 15" inch plants cover with fruits. These hot peppers can reach upwards of 37,500 Scovilles. Great for spicy cuisine like Thai or Asian dishes.

The Chocolate Bell Pepper is a Chocolate colored bell pepper with a very sweet flavor. This early maturing bell pepper turns dark brown on the outside and a deep red on the inside when fully ripened. This Bell Pepper is beautiful raw in salads and roasted in other dishes. The Chocolate Bell is the perfect bell pepper for gardeners with short seasons.

The Green Sprouting Calabrese produces large dark green heads bursting with flavor. This broccoli with is a favorite, that now is available as organic seed! Good in short season areas with cool nights. It will produce many lateral or side shoots over a long season. It is slow bolting with a flavor that can't be beat.