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.

Avalon is a very sturdy, yet flexible, late intermediate Spanish onion. This variety allows a smooth transition from intermediate to long day varieties. Growers enjoy the easy growth, the size potential, single centers, and the nice firm bulb that it produces. The grower also has the option of mechanical harvesting with Avalon.

Little SnowPea White produces dwarf-sized vines with beautiful purple flowers. This pea plant is tiny yet productive and does well in small gardens or containers. The pods mature early and have a crunchy bite. Plants will reach a maximum height of 24 inches. For pea shoots, matures in 10 days. Expect slender, tight greens with minimal side branching, upright habit, and ease of harvest and stack.

Perfect tomato for slicing and sandwiches. With a 4-5 week harvest window, these dark red fruits grow on a compact, uniform plant and offer good resistance to multiple diseases common to homegrown tomatoes.

White Stem Pak Choi, also known as Bok Choy or Pak Choi, is a versatile and popular Asian cabbage variety with origins in China. This leafy green vegetable has been cultivated for centuries, appreciated for its tender leaves and crisp, white stems. Characterized by its vibrant green, broad leaves and smooth, white stalks, White Stem Pak Choi is both visually appealing and nutritious. The flavor is mild and slightly sweet, making it a popular choice in stir-fries, soups, and salads. Harvesting typically occurs 45-60 days after planting, when the plants reach a height of about 12-18 inches, and can be done by cutting the entire plant or picking individual leaves. White Stem Pak Choi thrives in cooler weather, preferring well-drained soil and full sun, making it suitable for spring and fall planting. Its rapid growth and ability to produce multiple harvests, combined with its rich content of vitamins A, C, and K, make it a favorite among gardeners and cooks alike. Overall, White Stem Pak Choi is valued for its crisp texture, mild flavor, and adaptability in a variety of dishes.

The Early Cascade Tomato is an early maturing bright red saladette type of tomato that has a wonderful fresh taste in salads! This very productive variety produces little 4 ounce vibrant tomatoes in clusters of 5-8 fruits.

The Black Prince Tomato is an attractive dark red and black colored juicy Russian heirloom tomato that has a rich distinctive flavor! This dark variety produces beautiful, smooth 2" oval tomatoes. The Black Prince is truly royalty!

Green Zebra tomatoes are a unique and visually striking heirloom variety cherished for their distinctive appearance and vibrant flavor. These medium-sized tomatoes are easily recognizable by their green skin striped with darker green bands, giving them a zebra-like pattern. When fully ripe, they turn a rich, golden-green color. Known for their tangy, slightly sweet taste with a hint of citrus, Green Zebra tomatoes add a zesty flair to salads, salsas, and gourmet dishes. They typically reach maturity in about 75 to 80 days, and the plants exhibit a sprawling growth habit, producing an abundant harvest of fruit throughout the growing season. Their robust and resilient nature, coupled with their eye-catching appearance and exceptional flavor, makes Green Zebra tomatoes a favorite among both gardeners and culinary enthusiasts.

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

The Progress No. 9 Pea is a very prolific and early yielding shelling pea! This wrinkle-seeded pea is fast growing and produces plump dark green pods. Enjoy 7-9 delicious peas per pod that are perfect for soups or as a side dish. The Progress No. 9 holds well on the vine and is also disease resistant. Certified Organic. Learn more about our organic seeds.

The Red Bhut Jolokia (Ghost Pepper) is among the world's hottest pepper! In 2006, the Guinness Book of Records confirmed that New Mexico State University had discovered the world's hottest chile pepper, the wrinkled, scarlet Bhut Jolokia. At 1,001,304 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), the Red Bhut Jolokia is nearly twice as hot as Red Savina, the Chile pepper variety it replaced as the world's hottest. In comparison, a New Mexico Green chile contains about 1,500 SHUs and an average jalapeno measures at about 10,000 SHUs. Use with caution.

The Tabasco Pepper is a very hot pepper that is most known for its fantastic spicy flavor in hot sauces! This pepper variety turns green to red when mature and grows to a size of .5" x 1.5." Tabasco reaches 30,000+ Scovilles!

'White Solemacher' (Also known as Weiss Solemacher) is a white fruiting alpine strawberry cultivar that has been around for many years. It was discovered in Germany. The fruit is among the largest white fruit produced by alpines. It is a clumping type (few to no runners) and is day neutral which means it is not dependent on day length for flowering. The white fruit has the distinctive wild strawberry flavor and aroma expected from fraises des bois. The fruit has a hint of pineapple flavor typical of white alpine fruit. We like it that birds don't seem to know the fruit is ripe and so it Fools the Birds and a part of the collection by that name.

The Pepperoncini Italian is a popular Italian pepper that is a favorite for pickling, cooking or eating fresh. This small bushy plant produces 3-5" wrinkly fruits that have thin walls and a sweet, mild heat. This variety is a delightful all-purpose pepper that can be enjoyed in numerous ways! Pick this pepper at the yellow-green stage for pickling or allow them to ripen greenish-red for eating raw or cooking! This is one of the lowest heat "hot" peppers that we offer, as it has a very slight heat with a more sweet flavor. When the Pepperoncini Italian is pickled, they become addicting!

The Vitaverde cauliflower, or "broccoflower," is the famous cross of broccoli and cauliflower! The Vitaverde broccoflower grows up to 1 pound. This hybrid has a vibrant green head, is heat tolerant and cooks fast with a mild sweet taste.

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!

China Star is a high producing and uniform Chinese cabbage. Grows large heads with a dark green exterior and dark yellow interior. It is slow bolting. China Star performs well in all Chinese cabbage planting slots.

Little SnowPea Purple produces dwarf-sized vines with beautiful purple flowers. This pea plant is tiny yet productive and does well in small gardens or containers. The pods mature early and have a crunchy bite. Plants will reach a maximum height of 24 inches. For pea shoots, matures in 10 days. Expect slender, tight greens with minimal side branching, upright habit, and ease of harvest and stack.

The classic Burpee's Bush Big Boy Tomato is the same large, juicy favorite but has been made even better, especially for small-space gardeners. With this variety, you get the same number of tasty, big red tomatoes (10 to 11 oz. each), with the same sweet, aromatic, melt-in-your-mouth juiciness as the original, but the compact plants are only half the size!