December Garden Jobs: Seed Ordering, Tool Care and the Winter Prep That Pays Off in March
December is the garden’s planning month — review the year, order seed catalogues before the best varieties sell out, protect tender plants, and set up next year’s garden for success. Complete zone-by-zone checklist for US gardeners.
December is unlike any other month on the garden calendar. Most beds are bare, the growing season is behind you, and the main outdoor work amounts to a short, focused checklist rather than a full schedule of active growing. But that is precisely what makes December so valuable: it is the month when experienced gardeners get ahead of everyone else.
The gardeners who produce the best results each year are not necessarily the ones who work hardest in July. They are the ones who spend December reviewing what went wrong, ordering seeds before heritage varieties sell out in January, and sketching the bed plans that will prevent soil depletion and disease build-up the following season. If you have an hour each week in December, you have enough time to set up a genuinely better growing year than the one you just finished.
This guide covers the complete December checklist for US gardeners across all USDA hardiness zones — from the cold-dormant gardens of Zone 3 to the subtropical warmth of Zone 10 where real planting is still possible through winter. Whether your priority is getting the most from your indoor plants during the festive season, protecting what is outside, or planning the most productive growing year you have ever had, this is your December roadmap. For a complete month-by-month growing calendar covering every zone and plant category, see our year-round planting guide.
The December Garden Checklist at a Glance
| Task | Who | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Review garden journal | All zones | Early December |
| Order seed catalogues | Zones 3–8 | First week of December |
| Order seeds online (before sell-out) | All zones | Mid-December |
| Check frost-heaved perennials | Zones 3–7 | After hard frosts |
| Clean and oil tools for storage | All zones | Any dry day |
| Check stored bulbs and tubers | All zones | Weekly throughout |
| Winter-prune apples and pears | All zones | Frost-free days |
| Plant cool-season vegetables | Zones 9–10 | All month |
| Replenish bird feeders | All zones | Daily during frost |
| Prevent birdbath from freezing | Zones 3–7 | Sub-freezing nights |
Planning for Next Year
The best use of December is not outdoor labour — it is thinking time. Most experienced gardeners treat December as a planning month that directly determines how well next year goes. These four habits, done once in December, pay dividends every month of the coming season.
Review Your Garden Journal
If you kept notes during the season, December is when they pay off. Work through the year month by month and ask: which varieties performed beyond expectations? Which failed to thrive? Where did pests hit hardest, and is there a pattern — the same bed, the same plants, the same time of year? Which areas of the garden were underused, overcrowded, or poorly sited?
If you did not keep a journal this year, start one now. Even a basic notebook noting sowing dates, first harvests, and any pest or disease problems gives you a growing database that compounds in value every year. The NC State Cooperative Extension recommends recording soil test results, amendment applications, and planting dates as the minimum for effective garden record-keeping — all data that is quickly lost without a system.
Transfer your best-performing variety names directly onto your seed order list while they are fresh in your mind. And note any beds that need amending — heavy feeders like brassicas deplete nitrogen rapidly, and the beds they occupied this year will need compost or a nitrogen-rich amendment before planting again.
Order Seed Catalogues
This is the December task that most beginner gardeners skip — and it is the one that limits their results most noticeably. The best seed selection is in catalogues, not garden centres. Specialist growers stock heritage tomato varieties, unusual sweet peas, and rare pepper cultivars that simply do not reach retail shelves. By the time these varieties appear on a garden centre shelf, they are the most popular options, which also means they are the most overplanted in your neighbourhood.
The key catalogues to request or bookmark now are:
- Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds — the gold standard for heritage tomatoes and unusual vegetables. Some varieties sell out before February.
- Seed Savers Exchange — a non-profit seed library with thousands of varieties preserved from extinction, including many regionally adapted cultivars.
- Johnny’s Selected Seeds — professional grower quality, particularly strong for market-garden and succession sowing varieties. Excellent germination data.
- Territorial Seed Company — Pacific Northwest focused but excellent for cool-season crops and short-season varieties that work well in Zones 3–6.
Request physical catalogues where available — the act of browsing a printed catalogue, marking pages, and comparing varieties leads to better planting decisions than clicking through a website. Many experienced gardeners read their catalogues in December with a hot drink and a notepad, treating it as a form of garden planning rather than shopping.
Plan on Paper
A garden plan drawn on graph paper — one square per foot — is one of the most valuable tools a vegetable gardener can use. It takes twenty minutes and prevents months of mistakes. Map out your existing beds, note their dimensions, and plan crop rotation before you place a single seed order.
Crop rotation is not optional for productive vegetable gardens. The Penn State Extension recommends a minimum four-year rotation for solanaceous crops (tomatoes, peppers, aubergines) to break disease and pest cycles in the soil. Map where your tomatoes, brassicas, alliums, and root vegetables grew this year, and mark where each group will move to next year. Where rotation is constrained by space, plan to add compost heavily and consider solarising problem beds in summer.
Note any areas that need structural improvement: raised beds that need repairing, paths that became muddy, trellises that were not tall enough. December is the time to order materials and schedule construction before the season starts.
Map Your Companion Planting
If you struggled with pest pressure this year, companion planting offers one of the most evidence-supported non-chemical solutions available to the home gardener. December is the time to design these relationships into your bed plan rather than improvising them in spring.
Draw out which crops will share beds and plan companions deliberately: marigolds among tomatoes, nasturtiums at bed edges as aphid traps, borage among squash to attract pollinators, and basil interplanted with any brassica that suffered from cabbage white butterfly. Map these relationships now so that when you place your seed order in January, you already know how many companion plants you need for each bed.
Outdoor Garden Jobs in December
The outdoor December checklist is shorter than any other month — but each task genuinely matters. Most are about protecting what you planted earlier in the year and preserving the tools and infrastructure that support next season.
Check for Frost Damage and Heaved Perennials
After the first hard frosts of the season, walk the garden and assess damage. Frost heaving — where the freeze-thaw cycle pushes perennial roots partly out of the ground — is the most common and least expected problem for gardeners in Zones 4–7. Newly planted perennials and any plants with shallow roots are most vulnerable. Firm any heaved plants back into the ground with your boot, then mulch around them heavily with straw or shredded bark to stabilise soil temperature and reduce future heaving cycles.
Check all evergreen shrubs for brown or damaged foliage after the first hard freeze. Some browning is normal on tender evergreens, but widespread damage on established plants may indicate poor siting or a lack of winter protection. Note these plants for relocation or additional winter wrapping next year.
Check Ties on Trees and Climbers
Winter winds cause more tree and climber damage than cold alone. Walk the garden on a calm day and check every tie on trained climbers, espalier fruit trees, and staked young trees. Ties that were correct in spring may now be too tight — girdling the stem as the plant grew. Replace with proper tree ties that allow slight movement, which encourages trunk strength, while still preventing wind rock.
Clean and Oil Tools for Storage
A December tool maintenance session protects a significant investment and means tools perform correctly next spring. Remove soil from all hand tools with a stiff brush, then wipe metal surfaces with an oily rag — linseed oil or a purpose-made tool oil are both effective. Sharpen hoe blades and spade edges with a sharpening stone; a sharp hoe cuts weeds cleanly at the root rather than knocking them over to re-root.
Clean secateurs with isopropyl alcohol to prevent spreading any fungal or bacterial disease from plant to plant next season. Check wooden handles for cracks or splinters and sand them smooth. Store tools hanging vertically if possible — leaning on their heads deforms metal over winter.
Check Stored Bulbs and Tubers
Dahlias, cannas, gladioli, and other tender tubers should be in storage now. Check them weekly throughout December. Any soft, mushy, or visibly mouldy sections should be cut away immediately with a clean knife, and the cut surface dusted with garden sulphur before returning the tuber to storage. One rotting tuber can spread disease to an entire tray within days in damp conditions. Store in barely damp compost, peat, or vermiculite in a frost-free location — a garage or unheated basement is ideal if it stays above 35°F.
Winter Pruning of Apples and Pears
December through February is the window for pruning apple and pear trees while they are fully dormant. Dormant-season pruning reduces disease risk compared to summer pruning because fungal spores are less active in cold conditions. Remove dead, diseased, and crossing branches first, then step back and assess the overall shape. The University of Minnesota Extension recommends maintaining an open canopy structure that allows light to penetrate to all fruiting spurs — this is the single biggest factor in consistent cropping.
Do not prune on frosty days when wood is brittle and can shatter rather than cut cleanly. Wait for a mild, dry day when temperatures are above 35°F. Sterilise pruning tools between trees if any showed fire blight or canker symptoms during the season.
Stop missing your zone's planting windows.
Select your US zone and month — get a complete checklist of what to plant, prune, feed, and protect right now.
→ View My Garden CalendarIndoor Plant Care in December
December is peak season for indoor plants: low light levels, central heating, and festive houseplant gifts all create new care challenges. The most common problems — poinsettia leaf drop, orchid failure to rebloom, and citrus yellowing — all have straightforward causes that are easy to prevent once you know what to watch for.
Poinsettia Care
Poinsettia is the most widely bought Christmas plant in the US — and the one most frequently killed within weeks of purchase. The most common mistakes are cold drafts from doors and windows, waterlogged compost, and positioning near radiators. Poinsettias need warmth (above 55°F consistently), bright indirect light, and to dry slightly between waterings. Never let the pot sit in standing water — root rot is the most common cause of premature leaf drop.
Remove the decorative foil wrapping when you get the plant home. It traps water around the base and prevents drainage. Check the compost by pressing your finger into the top inch — water only when that surface layer is dry. Poinsettias kept in these conditions will hold their bracts (the coloured leaves) for six to eight weeks. For a comprehensive guide to growing euphorbia and poinsettia care, including reblooming techniques for the following year, see our dedicated article.
Amaryllis Care
Amaryllis bulbs potted in autumn are typically in active growth through December, with the flower spike appearing before or alongside the leaves. Keep the pot in the brightest spot available and turn it a quarter turn each day to prevent the stem from leaning toward the light. Once in flower, move it back from direct sun to extend the bloom period. Feed with a high-potash liquid fertiliser every two weeks once the flower bud is visible — this supports flower colour and encourages the bulb to store energy for next year.
Paperwhite Narcissus Forcing
Paperwhite narcissus are among the easiest bulbs to force indoors and one of the few that requires no chilling period. Plant them in a glass vase or shallow bowl with pebbles and water — with the base of the bulb just touching the water surface, not submerged. They typically flower in three to five weeks from planting. For Christmas flowers, plant in late November to early December. Oregon State University Extension notes that keeping forced paperwhites in cooler conditions (55–60°F) once the stems emerge significantly extends the flowering period and reduces the tendency to flop over.
Christmas Cactus
Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) flowers in response to shortened day length — a process called photoperiodism. If your plant did not flower this year, it likely received too much artificial light during the critical October–November induction period. For reliable flowering, move the plant to a room that receives no artificial light after sunset during October and November, keep it on the cool side (55–65°F), and reduce watering. Once buds form and begin to colour up, you can return the plant to its normal position.
Orchid Winter Care
Most phalaenopsis orchids are in a resting phase in December. Reduce watering to once every ten to fourteen days, and drop night temperatures to 55–65°F for four to six weeks — this temperature drop is the trigger for the next flower spike. Without this cool period, many orchids will not rebloom. Keep daytime temperatures at 65–80°F and maintain bright indirect light. Avoid misting the leaves or crown — water sitting in the crown causes rot. For a complete guide to year-round orchid care including repotting and reblooming techniques, see our orchid growing guide.
Citrus Indoors
Citrus trees brought indoors for winter need the brightest possible spot — a south-facing window is essential. Central heating dramatically reduces indoor humidity, which causes leaf yellowing and makes spider mite infestations much more likely. Inspect the underside of leaves weekly for the tell-tale fine webbing of spider mites, especially during extended dry heating periods. Raise humidity around the plant using a pebble tray filled with water placed beneath the pot, or group it with other plants. Avoid misting the foliage directly, as this can encourage fungal issues on the fruit.
December Planting in Zones 9 and 10
While gardeners in Zones 3–7 are fully dormant, those in Zones 9 and 10 have one of the most productive planting windows of the year. December in Southern California, Arizona, Florida, Texas, and Hawaii is the equivalent of April in Zone 6 — cool enough for superb vegetable growth without the bolting risk of warmer months.
For full planting details across all cool months, see our what to plant in winter guide, which covers zone-specific sowings and variety selection for cool-season growing.
Refrigerated Tulip Bulbs (Zones 9–10)
Tulips require a cold period to bloom and will not flower in the consistently mild winters of Zones 9–10 unless pre-chilled. Purchase bulbs that have been pre-chilled, or refrigerate your own for eight to twelve weeks before planting. In Zone 9–10, plant them in December after chilling and treat them as annuals — most gardeners in these zones buy fresh bulbs each year rather than attempting to force stored ones into another year of chilling.
Cool-Season Vegetables
December is prime planting time for cool-season vegetables in Zones 9 and 10. Broad beans, peas, and all the brassica family — broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts — thrive in December conditions with minimal pest pressure compared to warmer months. Lettuce, spinach, arugula, radishes, and Swiss chard can be planted in succession every two weeks for a continuous winter harvest.
Garlic planted in November should be showing its first green shoots by December — no intervention needed beyond keeping the bed weed-free. Onion sets and transplants can still go in early in the month in Zone 10.
Winter Wildlife Garden Care
A garden that supports wildlife through winter is not just ecologically important — it is also pragmatically valuable. The birds that visit your feeders in December are the same ones that will eat aphids, scale insects, and vine weevil grubs from your plants next spring. December is the month to make your garden as hospitable to wildlife as possible.
Spring and fall planting each have advantages — july garden jobs covers both.
Leave Seed Heads Standing
This is the single most impactful decision a winter gardener can make for local wildlife. Echinacea, rudbeckia, sunflower, and ornamental grass seed heads provide direct food for finches, sparrows, and other seed-eating birds throughout the coldest months. The hollow stems of many perennials also shelter solitary bees and beneficial insects. Resist the impulse to cut everything back in autumn — leave at least a portion of the garden “untidy” through until March.
Ornamental grasses left standing through winter serve double duty: food source and windbreak. Their movement in winter wind creates a kinetic display that is one of the most beautiful garden sights of the season — especially on frosty mornings when the seed heads catch the low winter light.
Top Up Bird Feeders in Frost
Bird feeders become critical during extended cold snaps when natural food sources are locked under ice or snow. Fill feeders with high-energy foods during these periods: sunflower hearts (no husk mess), nyjer seed for finches, and suet blocks for woodpeckers and nuthatches. Check feeders daily during hard frosts — birds can exhaust a feeder in a few hours during cold weather when they are burning maximum calories to stay warm.
Provide an Unfrozen Water Source
An unfrozen water source is often more important to winter birds than food. In sustained freezing weather, birds can become dehydrated when all water sources are locked under ice. The simplest solution is to float a small rubber ball or ping-pong ball in the birdbath — its movement in the wind prevents the surface from freezing completely. Alternatively, pour boiling water over the birdbath each morning to melt ice. Never use antifreeze or salt, which are toxic to birds.
Protect Hedgehog Hibernation Sites
Hedgehogs typically enter hibernation in November and sleep through until March or April. Leave undisturbed any leaf piles, log stacks, or compost heap corners that may be hosting a hibernating hedgehog. Check before turning compost heaps and be careful with strimmers near overgrown corners. A hedgehog that is disturbed mid-hibernation in December may not have time to build up the fat reserves needed to survive re-hibernation, which can be fatal in prolonged cold.
New Year Gardening Resolutions: Five Improvements Worth Making
Rather than general good intentions, here are five specific, achievable improvements that will measurably change your gardening results next year. Each can be planned in December and implemented before the season starts.
1. Soil Health: Get a Soil Test
Most gardening problems — yellowing leaves, poor fruiting, stunted growth — trace back to soil pH or nutrient imbalance. A professional soil test from your state’s Cooperative Extension service costs around $15–30 and tells you exactly what your soil needs, in what quantity. Order a test in December, collect your samples, and you will have results and amendment recommendations in time to act before spring planting. This is genuinely the highest-return investment in gardening.
2. Water Harvesting
Installing even one rain barrel captures several hundred gallons of free water per inch of rainfall from a standard roof. December is the time to plan installation before spring water demand starts. The University of Minnesota Extension recommends a minimum 50-gallon capacity for a standard garden; larger setups with two or three barrels linked in series can supply most of a vegetable garden’s irrigation needs through dry spells.
3. A Pollinator Strip
A dedicated pollinator strip — even a single 18-inch-wide border along a fence or path — can dramatically increase pollination rates in vegetable beds within the same garden. Plant it with phacelia (a bee magnet from late spring to autumn), borage, echinacea, and late-season rudbeckia to provide continuous bloom across the whole season. Plan the strip now and include seeds in your January order.
4. A Succession Sowing Calendar
Most gardeners get one glut and one gap. Succession sowing — planting the same crop in small amounts every two to three weeks rather than all at once — gives continuous harvests instead. Write a simple succession calendar now: note the crops you want to succession sow, the interval between sowings, and the date to stop (to avoid plants that mature after first frost). Lettuce, radishes, salad leaves, beans, and carrots all benefit enormously from this approach.
5. A Cut Flower Garden
Cut flower growing is one of the most underrated additions to a garden. Even a 4×8 foot raised bed devoted to sweet peas, cosmos, zinnias, dahlias, and lisianthus can supply months of home-grown flowers and save significant money on purchased bouquets. Plan the bed now, order specialty dahlia tubers from specialist growers in December (they sell out fast), and order sweet pea and lisianthus seed while the best varieties are still available.
What to Order Now Before It Sells Out
Experienced gardeners know that some items are exhausted by February. These are the categories to order in December, before the January rush depletes the best selection:
- Heritage tomatoes — Cherokee Purple, Brandywine, and Black Krim from Baker Creek and Seed Savers Exchange sell out earliest every year.
- Specialty peppers — unusual sweet and hot varieties, including many Eastern European and Mexican cultivars, are only available from specialist seed companies and disappear quickly.
- Unusual sweet peas — old-fashioned strongly scented varieties (Spencer types from heritage growers) are rarer than modern varieties and sell out by late January.
- Dahlia tubers from specialist growers — new introductions from specialist dahlia growers are listed in December and sell to waiting lists. If you want a specific dinner plate or decorative variety, order now.
- Garlic varieties — if you want to grow from certified disease-free stock rather than supermarket bulbs, the best specialist garlic stocks from growers like Keene Organics and Southern Exposure are limited.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do in the garden in December?
In Zones 3–8, December garden work focuses on planning, protecting, and maintaining rather than planting. Key tasks include reviewing your garden journal and placing seed orders, firming frost-heaved perennials, checking stored bulbs and tubers for rot, cleaning and oiling tools, and winter-pruning apple and pear trees on frost-free days. December is also the best month to draw bed plans and map crop rotation for next year. In Zones 9–10, active planting continues with cool-season vegetables, broad beans, peas, and refrigerated tulip bulbs.
What plants can I buy in December?
December is excellent for buying bare-root roses, fruit trees, and hedging plants, which are available from nurseries and mail-order suppliers from December through February. Bare-root stock is significantly cheaper than container-grown plants and establishes better, as transplanting while dormant causes minimal root disturbance. In Zones 9–10, cool-season vegetable transplants (broccoli, kale, lettuce) are available at garden centres. Indoors, poinsettias, amaryllis kits, and forced hyacinth and paperwhite bulbs are widely available and make excellent low-maintenance houseplants through the festive season.
How do I keep a poinsettia alive?
The four rules for keeping poinsettia healthy: keep above 55°F consistently (no cold drafts from doors or windows), give it the brightest spot available, water only when the top inch of compost is dry, and never let the pot sit in standing water. Remove the decorative foil sleeve as soon as you get the plant home — it prevents drainage and causes root rot. Avoid placing the plant near radiators or heat vents, which dry out the foliage rapidly. A poinsettia kept in these conditions will hold its coloured bracts for six to eight weeks.
References
- NC State Cooperative Extension — Extension Gardener Handbook
- Penn State Extension — Vegetable Production and Crop Rotation
- University of Minnesota Extension — Apple Trees in the Home Garden
- Oregon State University Extension — Growing Bulbs in the Home Garden
- University of Minnesota Extension — Rainwater Harvesting
- Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds — Heritage Variety Catalogue
- Seed Savers Exchange — Heirloom Seed Library
