Zone 11a planting calendar

What to plant in December: zone 11a

Zone 11a averages its last spring frost around January 1 and its first fall frost around December 31. Everything below is timed from those two dates, so it stays useful whether you're planting for summer or for a fall harvest.

These are zone-average dates. Check an area-level frost estimate from thirty years of nearby weather history and this calendar retimes itself.
Last frost: January 1
First frost: December 31
Winter lows: 40 to 45 °F
Zone 11a Almanac. What growers here actually recorded: sowing weeks, days to first pick, and yields.

Garden care

Start indoors

  • Lettucearound Dec 4

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Succession sow every 2 weeks. Harvest outer leaves for a cut-and-come-again supply.

  • Swiss Chardaround Dec 4

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Cut outer stalks 2 in above the crown and the plant keeps producing from spring into hard frost. One planting can feed a household all season.

  • Okraaround Dec 4

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Okra wants hot soil, 70F+, or seed rots. Pick pods at 3-4 in every other day: one pod left to toughen tells the plant to stop producing.

  • Bok Choyaround Dec 4

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Bolts fast once days lengthen past 14 hours. Grow it as an early spring or fall crop, not a summer one.

  • Peanutaround Dec 4

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Flowers self-pollinate then push a stalk (peg) into the soil to form the pod underground: keep soil loose around the base.

  • Bitter Melonaround Dec 4

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Pick fruit while still green and firm; left to yellow and split, it turns bitter to the point of inedible.

  • Luffa (Vegetable Sponge Gourd)around Dec 4

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Pick young for eating like a squash, or leave on the vine until the skin browns and dries for a bath sponge.

  • Endivearound Dec 4

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Blanch heads by tying outer leaves shut 2 weeks before harvest to mellow the natural bitterness.

  • Escarolearound Dec 4

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Broader and milder than curly endive; a light frost sweetens the outer leaves before harvest.

  • New Zealand Spinacharound Dec 4

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Soak seed 24 hours before sowing to soften the hard seed coat; it thrives in summer heat that bolts true spinach.

  • Bulb Fennel (Florence Fennel)around Dec 4

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Bolts fast in heat or from a check in growth; keep it evenly watered and harvest the bulb once it's baseball-sized, before it flowers.

  • Cucumberaround Dec 11

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Trellis vertically to double yield in the same footprint and cut mildew.

  • Zucchiniaround Dec 11

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). One plant feeds a family. Pick at 6-8 in for the sweetest fruit.

  • Winter squasharound Dec 11

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Cure 10 days in a warm dry spot after harvest. The skin toughens and storage doubles.

  • Watermelonaround Dec 11

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Ripe = tendril nearest the fruit is brown and the ground spot has turned buttery yellow.

  • Cantaloupe / Melonaround Dec 11

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Ripe fruit slips off the vine with a gentle tug. The smell alone tells you.

  • Pumpkinaround Dec 11

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Count back 100 days from your first frost to time a Halloween harvest. Cure cut pumpkins in the sun for 10 days and leave 3 in of stem so they store for months.

  • Honeydew Melonaround Dec 11

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Unlike cantaloupe, honeydew doesn't slip from the vine when ripe; judge by a faint sweet smell and a slight give at the blossom end.

  • Butternut Squasharound Dec 11

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). One of the best keepers: cure in the sun 10 days, then store at 55F and it holds for 3-6 months.

  • Acorn Squasharound Dec 11

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Ripe rind resists a fingernail poke and the ground spot has turned orange; harvest before frost damages the skin.

  • Spaghetti Squasharound Dec 11

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Rind should be uniformly pale yellow, not white or green, before harvest; underripe fruit shreds mushy instead of stringy.

  • Hubbard Squasharound Dec 11

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Needs the most space of any winter squash; give it a full corner of the garden or let it run into the lawn edge.

  • Kabocha Squasharound Dec 11

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Cure 1-2 weeks after harvest; the starchy flesh actually sweetens in storage over the following month.

  • Delicata Squasharound Dec 11

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). The skin is thin enough to eat, so skip the long cure other winter squash need; use it within a month or two of harvest.

  • Patty Pan Squasharound Dec 11

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Pick at 2-3 in across, like a baby zucchini: past golf-ball size the skin toughens fast.

Direct sow

  • Lettucearound Dec 4

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Spinacharound Dec 4

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Radisharound Dec 4

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Turniparound Dec 4

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Arugulaaround Dec 4

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Mizunaaround Dec 4

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Tatsoiaround Dec 4

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Mustard Greensaround Dec 4

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Broccoli Raabaround Dec 4

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Shallotaround Dec 4

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Endivearound Dec 4

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Escarolearound Dec 4

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Orach (Mountain Spinach)around Dec 4

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Carrotaround Dec 11

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Kalearound Dec 11

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Beetaround Dec 11

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Onionaround Dec 11

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Broccoliaround Dec 11

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Chivesaround Dec 11

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Kohlrabiaround Dec 11

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Bok Choyaround Dec 11

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Scallion (Green Onion)around Dec 11

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Parsniparound Dec 11

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Salsifyaround Dec 11

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Lentilaround Dec 11

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Sorrelaround Dec 11

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Flax (Seed)around Dec 11

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Potatoaround Dec 18

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Cilantroaround Dec 18

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Parsleyaround Dec 18

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Swiss Chardaround Dec 18

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Collardsaround Dec 18

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Burdock (Gobo)around Dec 18

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Watercressaround Dec 18

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Bulb Fennel (Florence Fennel)around Dec 18

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Chamomile (German)around Dec 18

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Carawayaround Dec 18

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Chickpea (Garbanzo)around Dec 25

    Soil is ready -1 weeks before last frost.

  • Quinoaaround Dec 25

    Soil is ready -1 weeks before last frost.

Transplant out

  • Asparagusaround Dec 4

    Goes out 4 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Horseradisharound Dec 4

    Goes out 4 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Kalearound Dec 11

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Broccoliaround Dec 11

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Chivesaround Dec 11

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Strawberryaround Dec 11

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Kohlrabiaround Dec 11

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Bok Choyaround Dec 11

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Scallion (Green Onion)around Dec 11

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Lettucearound Dec 18

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Onionaround Dec 18

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Parsleyaround Dec 18

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Mintaround Dec 18

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Cabbagearound Dec 18

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Caulifloweraround Dec 18

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Swiss Chardaround Dec 18

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Collardsaround Dec 18

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Leekaround Dec 18

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Napa Cabbagearound Dec 18

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Romanescoaround Dec 18

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Endivearound Dec 18

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Escarolearound Dec 18

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Radicchioaround Dec 18

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Sorrelaround Dec 18

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Bulb Fennel (Florence Fennel)around Dec 18

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Chamomile (German)around Dec 18

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

Sow cover crop

Direct sow for fall

  • Spinacharound Dec 2

    Counts back 40 days from your first frost. Frost-hardy: light freezes sweeten it.

  • Radisharound Dec 12

    Counts back 30 days from your first frost. Frost-hardy: light freezes sweeten it.

Plant to overwinter

  • Onionaround Dec 3

    In zone 7+ onion sets planted before frost overwinter for an early summer bulb.

  • Garlicaround Dec 17

    Cloves go in about two weeks before first frost. They root now, sleep, then bulb next summer.

Turn this into your own calendar

Want this calendar emailed to you?

Get the full 12-month version for your ZIP area. Every sowing, transplant, and harvest window, with reminders you can add to your calendar.

Build my free plan Find my zone & frost dates