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What to Plant in December (UK)

What to sow, plant and harvest in December in the UK โ€” a simple monthly job list for the vegetable garden, with links to the guide for every crop.

By The Farm Simple Team4 min read
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Part of: Gardening Month by Month in the UK

A productive vegetable garden
Photo: Andrew Curtis (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Wikimedia Commons

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The short version

  • Sow indoors only โ€” broad beans in pots under cover for an early crop, plus microgreens and pea shoots on a bright windowsill; skip outdoor sowing entirely.
  • Plant while dormant โ€” garlic in milder spots if the ground isn't frozen, bare-root raspberries, gooseberries and rhubarb, and rhubarb crowns, as long as the soil works freely.
  • Harvest the winter table โ€” Brussels sprouts, parsnips, leeks, kale, winter cabbage and stored crops; frost makes sprouts and parsnips sweeter, so don't rush to clear them.
  • Make it a planning month โ€” order seeds early before varieties sell out, plan next year's beds, force rhubarb and chicory, and clean and sharpen your tools.
  • Protect against winter wet, not just cold โ€” keep pots off the ground to drain, fleece tender plants, and never plant into sodden or frozen soil.

December is the garden's rest month โ€” and yours. Outdoors there's little to sow, but there's plenty to harvest, a Christmas crop to lift, and the quiet, satisfying job of planning next year. Here's your scannable list of what to sow, plant and harvest in December in the UK.

December in a nutshell

A planning month. Order seeds, force rhubarb and chicory, keep tools sharp and clean, and protect tender crops from frost. The big job is harvesting for the table โ€” sprouts, parsnips and leeks are at their best.

Sow indoors

Very little needs sowing now, but a couple of jobs reward the keen:

  • Broad beans โ€” a December sowing in pots under cover can give an early crop. See growing broad beans.
  • Microgreens and pea shoots on a bright windowsill for fresh winter greens โ€” handy if you're growing on a windowsill.

No rush

Most seed sowing waits until late winter. If a packet says "Januaryโ€“March", there's no benefit to jumping the gun in the cold and low light.

Sow outdoors

Nothing reliable to sow outdoors in the dark, cold soil of December. Hold off โ€” your seeds and your back will thank you. If your beds are bare, save the effort for spring and skip ahead to the jobs list below.

Plant out

  • Garlic โ€” there's still time to plant cloves in milder spots if the ground isn't frozen or waterlogged. Full timing in our garlic guide.
  • Bare-root fruit โ€” December is prime planting season for bare-root raspberries, gooseberries and rhubarb, as long as the soil works freely.
  • Rhubarb crowns for next year's stalks โ€” plant now while dormant.

Harvest now

The winter table is generous. Pick and lift as you need them:

  • Brussels sprouts โ€” the classic Christmas crop, sweeter after a frost.
  • Parsnips โ€” also improved by cold; lift as needed.
  • Leeks โ€” stand happily in the ground all winter.
  • Kale โ€” keep picking the young leaves.
  • Winter cabbage โ€” savoys and other hardy types.
  • Winter salad leaves from the greenhouse or cold frame.
  • Stored crops โ€” onions, squash, potatoes and apples from the shed.

Frost makes them sweeter

Don't rush to clear sprouts and parsnips before Christmas. A hard frost converts their starches to sugars, so the December-harvested ones genuinely taste better.

Jobs for December

This is the month to plan, tidy and protect:

  • Order seeds. Browse the new catalogues and get your order in early โ€” popular varieties sell out. New to it? Start with our easiest crops for beginners.
  • Plan next year. Sketch your beds and work out what goes where with the planting calendar and a crop rotation planner.
  • Force rhubarb and chicory. Cover a dormant rhubarb crown for tender early stalks โ€” see forcing rhubarb. Chicory roots forced in the dark give crisp winter chicons.
  • Mulch bare soil the no-dig way. Spread a layer of compost over empty beds and let the worms work it in โ€” no digging needed. More in our no-dig gardening guide.
  • Maintain your tools. Clean, sharpen and oil spades, hoes and secateurs so they're ready for spring.
  • Protect from frost. Fleece tender plants, move pots of Mediterranean herbs somewhere sheltered, and check the frost-date checker for your area.
  • Check stored crops for rot, and ventilate the greenhouse on milder days.

Watch waterlogging

Winter wet does more damage than cold for many plants. Keep pots off the ground on feet so they drain, and don't plant into sodden or frozen soil.

December asks little of you, so enjoy the breather. For the year-round picture and what comes next, see our month-by-month gardening guide, and if you're just beginning, our guide to starting a vegetable garden will set you up for a strong spring. Browse more in the getting started hub.

Useful tools for this

Frequently asked questions

What can I plant in December in the UK?
In December: A quiet, planning month: order seeds, force rhubarb and chicory, maintain tools, protect from frost.
Is December a good time to start a vegetable garden?
Every month offers something โ€” use this guide to pick the jobs that suit December, and see our guide to starting a vegetable garden for the bigger picture.

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