What to Plant in December

Vegetables to Plant and Harvest in December

December is the quietest month in the vegetable garden for sowing, but it is far from idle. The focus shifts decisively to planning, protecting and harvesting. If you use this month well, you will hit the ground running in spring with clear plans, tidy beds and seeds ready to go.

Last Chance for Garlic

Garlic is the one crop you can still get into the ground in December — but do it before Christmas. Garlic needs a period of cold weather (vernalisation) to trigger the single clove to split into a full bulb of separate cloves. The later you plant, the less cold exposure it receives, and the smaller your bulbs will be at harvest time in July.

Plant individual cloves 2.5cm deep, pointed end up, 15cm apart in rows 30cm apart. Choose a well-drained spot — garlic hates sitting in waterlogged soil over winter. Autumn-planting varieties like Solent Wight, Messidrome and Picardy Wight are the best choices for December planting. Avoid supermarket garlic, which is often imported and unsuitable for UK growing conditions.

If your soil is heavy clay and waterlogged, plant garlic in modules or small pots and keep them in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse. Transplant into the ground in February when conditions improve. This way you still get the cold period without losing the cloves to rot.

Planning for Next Year

This is the single most valuable thing you can do in December. Sit down with a cup of tea, your seed catalogues and a notebook, and plan your growing year. Good planning in December saves weeks of indecision in spring.

Order seed catalogues from specialist suppliers — many release their new varieties in December and January, and popular varieties sell out fast. Prioritise ordering early for the best selection. Online catalogues from Thompson & Morgan, Suttons, and Mr Fothergill's are all excellent starting points.

Plan your crop rotation. If you grow vegetables in the same spot year after year, soil-borne diseases build up and yields decline. Divide your plot into four sections and rotate crops through them annually: legumes (peas, beans), brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, kale), roots (carrots, parsnips, beetroot), and potatoes. Sketch out which group goes where next year based on where they were this year.

Sketch your garden layout. Draw a rough plan of your beds and borders, mark what grew where this year, and decide where each crop will go next year. Note which areas get the most sun, where the soil drains poorly, and where shelter is best. This plan becomes your blueprint for the entire growing season.

Protecting Overwintering Crops

Crops that are overwintering in the ground — broad beans sown in autumn, garlic planted in October or November, and overwintering onion sets — need protection in severe weather. Cover with horticultural fleece if temperatures drop below -5°C for extended periods. Remove the fleece during milder spells to allow air circulation and prevent fungal problems.

Check stored potatoes in sacks or trays — remove any that show signs of rot before it spreads to the rest. Stored squash and pumpkins should also be inspected; a single rotting fruit can contaminate an entire batch. Keep stores cool, dark and well-ventilated.

Force Rhubarb

From late December, you can force rhubarb by covering an established crown (at least three years old) with a traditional rhubarb forcer or an upturned dustbin. The darkness and warmth cause the plant to produce pale pink, tender stems several weeks earlier than normal — typically ready to harvest by late February. Forced rhubarb is sweeter and more delicate than outdoor stems, and is considered a delicacy. Only force the same crown every other year, as the process weakens the plant.

Winter Digging

If you have heavy clay soil, December is the ideal time for winter digging. Turn over the soil in rough clods with a spade and leave it exposed to frost. Repeated freezing and thawing breaks the clay into a fine, crumbly texture by spring, making it far easier to work. Do not dig waterlogged soil — wait for a dry spell. Sandy or light soils do not benefit from winter digging and are better left undisturbed with a mulch layer on top.

Need to improve your soil before spring? Use our soil calculator to work out exactly how much topsoil or compost to order.

Harvesting Winter Crops

December provides a surprisingly generous harvest of hardy winter vegetables, many of which actually taste better after frost.

Brussels sprouts are the quintessential December vegetable. Pick from the bottom of the stalk upwards, snapping off individual sprouts when they are firm and the size of a walnut. A hard frost genuinely improves their flavour by converting some of the starch to sugar. Leave the top rosette — it can be cooked as a small cabbage.

Leeks are completely frost-hardy and can be lifted throughout December. Ease them out with a fork rather than pulling, to avoid breaking the stems. Leeks left in the ground continue to grow slowly through winter, so harvest as needed rather than all at once.

Parsnips develop their characteristic sweetness only after the first frosts. Lift them with a fork, working carefully to avoid snapping the long taproots. Parsnips left in the ground until needed will keep perfectly through to March.

Kale is one of the hardiest vegetables in the garden, tolerating temperatures well below freezing. Pick the lower leaves first, leaving the growing point to produce new leaves through winter and into spring. Curly kale is the most frost-resistant variety.

Winter cabbage, celeriac and swede round out the December harvest. All are completely frost-hardy and can be lifted as needed. Celeriac benefits from a thick mulch of straw around the crowns to make lifting easier in frozen ground.

Flowers and Ornamental Tasks in December

December may be short on daylight, but there is still important work to do in the ornamental garden. Focus on pruning while plants are dormant, protecting stored tender bulbs, and enjoying the surprisingly beautiful winter flowers that earn their place in every garden.

Pruning and Maintenance

Prune deciduous hedges now while the leaves are off and you can see the structure clearly. Beech, hornbeam and hawthorn hedges can all be trimmed in December. Cut back to the required shape, tapering slightly so the top is narrower than the base — this allows light to reach the lower branches and prevents the hedge becoming bare at the bottom.

Continue bare-root rose planting. December is an excellent month to plant bare-root roses — they establish better than container-grown plants and cost significantly less. Dig a hole wide enough to spread the roots fully, plant with the graft union (the knobbly bit) at soil level, and firm in well. Bare-root roses are available from specialist nurseries from November to March.

Winter prune wisteria — cut back the long, whippy side shoots that grew during summer to just 2-3 buds from the main framework. This is the second of two annual pruning sessions (the first is in summer). Winter pruning is essential for controlling the size and encouraging flower production next spring.

Plant bare-root hedging — this is the cheapest way to create new hedges. Bare-root whips of native species like hawthorn, blackthorn, field maple and hazel are available from woodland nurseries at a fraction of the cost of container-grown plants. Plant in a double staggered row, 30cm apart, for a dense, wildlife-friendly hedge.

Checking Stored Bulbs and Tubers

Inspect stored dahlia tubers and gladioli corms for signs of rot, mould or shrivelling. Remove any affected tubers immediately to prevent the problem spreading. If tubers are shrivelling, mist them lightly with water. If they are damp or mouldy, increase ventilation around the storage area. Healthy tubers should feel firm and dry.

Winter-Flowering Plants to Enjoy

Several plants bring welcome colour to the December garden. Hellebores (Christmas roses) begin flowering from mid-December, producing elegant white, pink and purple blooms that last for weeks. Winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) scrambles over walls and fences, producing cheerful yellow flowers on bare green stems. Witch hazel (Hamamelis) offers wonderfully fragrant, spidery flowers in yellow, orange and red. Snowdrops may begin to appear in late December in milder areas and sheltered spots. Winter-flowering heathers, cyclamen and mahonia also provide structure and colour when most other plants are dormant.

Fruit in December

Continue bare-root fruit tree planting. December is one of the best months to plant bare-root apple, pear, plum and cherry trees. The soil is still relatively warm from autumn, which allows roots to begin establishing before the tree breaks dormancy in spring. Choose varieties suited to your area — local heritage varieties often perform better than modern commercial types. Plant with the graft union above soil level, stake firmly, and protect the trunk with a spiral guard against rabbit damage.

Winter prune apple and pear trees while they are fully dormant and leafless. This is the one time of year when you can clearly see the branch structure and identify crossing, rubbing or overcrowded branches. Remove dead, diseased and damaged wood first (the three Ds), then open up the centre of the tree to allow light and air to reach all parts. Aim for a goblet or open-vase shape. Do not prune plum or cherry trees in winter — they are susceptible to silver leaf disease and should only be pruned in summer.

Prune gooseberry and currant bushes. Remove any branches that cross the centre of the bush, and shorten the previous season's growth by about one-third. The aim is an open, goblet-shaped bush that allows good air circulation — this reduces the risk of mildew, which is the most common problem with gooseberries.

Check fruit in storage. Apples and pears stored from the autumn harvest should be checked regularly. Remove any fruit showing signs of rot before it affects neighbouring fruit. The old saying "one bad apple spoils the barrel" is absolutely true.

Order new varieties from specialist fruit nurseries. December catalogues feature the widest selection of rootstocks and varieties. Choose rootstocks appropriate for your space — dwarf rootstocks (M27, M9) for small gardens, semi-vigorous (MM106) for larger plots.

Regional Planting Adjustments

In December, regional differences are primarily about weather severity and soil conditions rather than planting timing. The main tasks — pruning, planning and harvesting — apply everywhere, but ground conditions vary enormously across the UK.

Across all regions, the key December message is the same: harvest what you can, prune while plants are dormant, protect what needs protecting, and use the quiet weeks to plan your best growing year yet.

Common December Gardening Mistakes

1. Doing nothing at all. December feels like the off-season, but neglecting the garden now means missed opportunities. Pruning, planning, bare-root planting and soil preparation are all time-sensitive tasks that pay enormous dividends in spring and summer. Even 30 minutes a week keeps everything on track.
2. Pruning plums and cherries in winter. Stone fruit trees (plums, cherries, damsons, gages) should never be pruned in winter because they are highly susceptible to silver leaf disease, a fungal infection that enters through pruning wounds in damp, cool conditions. Prune these trees only in summer (June-August) when the risk is lowest.
3. Walking on frozen or waterlogged soil. Working on soil that is frozen or saturated destroys its structure by compacting air pockets that roots need to grow. Stay off beds when the ground is hard with frost or squelching underfoot. Use planks to spread your weight if you must access beds for harvesting.
4. Leaving Brussels sprouts too long. While a frost improves flavour, leaving sprouts on the stalk until they begin to yellow and open means they become bitter and unpleasant. Pick when they are firm, tight and walnut-sized. Once the lower sprouts are ready, work your way up the stalk over several weeks.
5. Not checking stored crops regularly. Potatoes, squash, apples and root vegetables in storage can rot surprisingly quickly if one fruit or tuber goes bad. Check stores every week or two throughout December and remove anything showing signs of decay, softness or mould before it spreads to the rest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where to Buy Seeds, Trees and Tools in the UK

Ready to plan ahead? These UK suppliers stock bare-root trees, seed catalogues and everything you need for December gardening and spring preparation.

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Useful Gardening Tools

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