What to Plant in December in Zone 9: Garlic, Greens, and Fruit
In USDA zone 9, December closes many cool-season windows early in the month while garlic and dormant fruit continue into mid-December and January.
Published by ThriveThyme
December Zone 9 December zone 9 fall planting cool-season crops
What to Plant in December in Zone 9
In USDA zone 9, early December still overlaps many cool-season catalog ends (about December 1). Garlic continues through about December 15. Peach, fig, blackberry, and rabbiteye blueberry keep late-fall windows into mid-December or January.
Typical first frost for zone 9 averages around December 10. Confirm with the first-frost lookup and the first frost guide. Also check the zone 9 December calendar and what to plant now.
Early December Cool-Season Crops
Sow or transplant only while the catalog window still includes early December:
- Greens: lettuce, spinach, arugula, kale, collards, Swiss chard, bok choy. Lettuce, spinach, kale.
- Roots: radish, beet, turnip, parsnip, carrot where the window still fits. Radish, beet.
- Brassicas: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts as transplants. Broccoli, cabbage.
- Peas, onions, and cool herbs such as parsley, dill, chives, and mint while October-December windows remain open.
- Flowers: pansy, snapdragon, sweet pea, and related cool-season flowers with December 1 catalog ends.
Garlic Through Mid-December
Garlic runs about November 1 to December 15. Plant cloves in cool, well-drained beds before that end date. Garlic and garlic timing by zone.
Fruit Notes
Peach (about December 1 to January 15), fig (through mid-December), blackberry, and rabbiteye blueberry have late-fall windows. Plant dormant stock when soil is workable. Check each crop on the zone 9 December calendar.
Next Steps
Fill remaining cool-season beds early in the month, finish garlic by mid-December, and plant dormant fruit. Compare November zone 9, December zone 8, and December zone 10.