What to Grow in December

It’s all happening in December, they don’t call it the silly season for nothing! Amidst all the madness of wrapping up the work and school years, Christmas parties, present buying, long days and steamy nights, our gardens are really starting to swing into gear. In temperate climates you’re still in peak planting season, in arid climates the heat is starting to bite hard and in the tropics, the humidity is starting to wreak havoc in your garden. Wherever you are in Australia, there’s still plenty that can be planted in the garden this month, so scroll on down and check out what’s best to plant in your climate this month!

Cool Temperate

Where? Much of Tasmania, ACT/Canberra, Ballarat, inland Victoria and NSW highlands, cool parts of SA & SW WA.

December in cool temperate and alpine zones is surprisingly flexible: frosts are mostly done, soils are warm, and you can still plant a huge range of crops, from fast summer salad greens to winter brassicas for next year.

Veg to sow or plant now

• Salad & leafy greens:
  Lettuce, rocket, Asian greens (pak choy, tatsoi, mizuna), silverbeet/swiss chard, kale, warrigal greens/NZ spinach.
  
• Roots & tubers:
  Carrots, beetroot, radish, turnips, parsnips, swedes, seed potatoes for late summer/autumn harvest.
  
• Summer fruiting veg (go for quick/compact types):
  Bush & climbing beans, sweet corn, cherry and other early tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, smaller pumpkins and squash.
  
• Winter brassicas (sow now for winter harvest):
  Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi.
  

Herbs & edible flowers

• Herbs: basil (in warm, sheltered spots), parsley, coriander, dill, chives, mint, oregano, thyme, sage, lemon balm.
  
• Companion flowers: nasturtiums, marigolds, borage, calendula, zinnias and sunflowers to bring in pollinators and beneficial insects.
  

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Warm Temperate

Where? Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, coastal VIC & NSW, much of SA, parts of WA’s southwest.

Warm temperate gardens can keep sowing classic summer crops right through December. Think tomatoes, corn, beans and zucchini, plus another wave of salad greens before peak heat really kicks in.

Veg to sow or plant now

• Summer staples:
  
  • Tomatoes (especially cherry/medium-fruited; choose advanced seedlings now)
    
  • Capsicum and chillies
    
  • Eggplant
    
  • Zucchini and squash
    
  • Cucumbers (bush or climbing)
    
  • Pumpkins, rockmelons and watermelons (if you still have space and a long warm season)
    
  • Bush & climbing beans
    
  • Sweet corn
    
• Salad & leafy greens:
  Lettuce (cos and loose-leaf types cope best), rocket, Asian greens, silverbeet.
  
• Roots & alliums:
  Beetroot, carrots, radish, spring onions, leeks, onions (sets/seedlings), later potatoes in cooler spots.
  

Herbs & edible flowers

• Herbs: basil, coriander (morning sun/afternoon shade), dill, chives, mint, oregano, parsley, lemongrass.
  
• Flowers & companions: nasturtium, French marigolds, cosmos, zinnias, sunflowers, all great selections for encouraging for pollinators and other beneficial insects.
  

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Arid

Where? Much of inland WA, SA, NT, QLD and NSW – e.g. Alice Springs, Broken Hill, Kalgoorlie.

In arid zones, December is hot, often brutally so – 30–40°C days are common. You can still sow heat loving crops, but success depends on smart timing (ie planting early/late in the day), soil moisture and shade.

Veg to sow or plant now

• Heat-tough fruiting crops:
  Beans (bush & climbing), capsicum, chillies, eggplant, okra, zucchini, squash, cucumbers, pumpkins, rockmelon and watermelon, sweet corn, sweet potato.
  
• Leafy & salad greens:
  Silverbeet/swiss chard, amaranth, warrigal greens; lettuce only with good shade and moisture.
  
• Roots & bulbs:
  Carrots, beetroot, radish, daikon, shallots, spring onions, seed potatoes (with reliable water).
  

Herbs & flowers

• Herbs: basil, chives, oregano, thyme and other Mediterranean herbs that love dry heat.
  
• Flowers: sunflowers, zinnias, marigolds and borage. Tough, bee friendly and happy in hot, bright spots with water.
  

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Subtropical

Examples: Brisbane, Gold Coast, Northern Rivers & Coffs, Sunshine Coast, parts of coastal QLD & northern NSW, some coastal WA.

December in the subtropics is hot, often humid, and still very productive. Growth is fast… but so are pests and diseases. Focus on crops that love warmth and can handle humidity.

Veg to sow or plant now

• Fruit & summer staples:
  Tomatoes, capsicum, chillies, eggplant, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, pumpkins, sweet corn, watermelon, rockmelon.
  
• Beans & other legumes:
  Bush and climbing beans, snake beans/cowpeas in hotter spots.
  
• Leafy & salad greens:
  Heat-tolerant lettuce (cos/oakleaf), salad mixes, rocket, Asian greens, silverbeet, amaranth and mustard greens.
  
• Roots & tropical staples:
  Beetroot, radish, carrots (in deeper, mulched beds), sweet potato, taro, ginger and turmeric (rhizomes).
  
• Subtropical favourites:
  Rosella, cape gooseberry, luffa.
  

Herbs & flowers

• Herbs: basil (all the basils!), parsley, coriander (for flowers & seed as much as leaves), chives, oregano, lemongrass.
  
• Flowers/companions: marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers and sweet alyssum to support beneficial insects and distract pests.
  

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Tropical

Examples: Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Broome and much of far northern Australia.

In the tropics, December is usually hot, wet and steamy. Heavy rain and intense sun can scorch or rot tender seedlings. Many growers treat it as maintenance time, but there are a few reliable crops you can plant now – especially hardy perennials and tropical staples.

Safe bets to plant now

• Real tropical workhorses:
  
  • Sweet potato (slips or cuttings)
    
  • Cowpeas / snake beans
    
  • Rosella
    
  • Basil and other warm-loving herbs
    

These are specifically recommended for tropical December calendars and handle heat, humidity and heavy rain well.

Extra options if conditions allow (good drainage & not too extreme)

With raised beds, solid mulch and decent airflow, many gardeners in tropical and very warm coastal areas also plant:

• Capsicum and chillies
  
• Eggplant
  
• Cucumber
  
• Tomatoes (cherry types do best)
  
• Lettuce and Asian greens under 50% shade cloth
  
• Beetroot and radish
  
• Shallots and spring onions
  

Herbs & flowers

• Basil (Thai, lemon, sweet), lemongrass, and other aromatic herbs that enjoy heat and humidity.
  
• Marigolds and zinnias to attract pollinators and lighten up the beds visually.