What to Plant in Texas in December

November 10, 2026

What to Plant in Texas in December: four climates

What to plant in Texas in December changes from the Panhandle to the Rio Grande Valley because the state spans USDA Zones 6b through 9b. One border holds four frost calendars. Zone 6b averages a first fall frost on October 5, while Zone 9b holds until November 22. Plant to your zone’s soil temperature and frost dates, not a single statewide list.

Garlic and onions: the statewide December crop

Garlic cloves and onion sets are the December crop that works across Texas when soil is still workable. Cloves go in point-up, about two inches deep, in beds that drain after winter rain. Onion sets sit an inch deep with the tip exposed. Both establish roots in cool soil, then sit through short days and push hard when light returns in late winter.

For the full month-by-month Texas calendar by region, use our Texas vegetable gardening guide.

Softneck types suit most of the state; hardnecks hold better flavor in the colder north if you already have them bedded. Skip fresh plantings only where the top few inches of soil are frozen solid and will not thaw enough to close around a clove.

December work on garlic already in the ground is mulch depth and wind check, not a second planting pass. A two-to-three-inch layer of leaves or straw buffers freeze-thaw heaving. Reset fabric after northers so bare crowns do not sit exposed on the coldest nights.

Central Texas (Zone 8a)

Central Texas sits in Zone 8a, with a first fall frost around October 23 and roughly 190 frost-free days. December is still an active sowing month. Soil often stays open enough for seed, and cool-season crops prefer the short days.

Direct-sow spinach, lettuce, kale, carrots, radishes, beets, and cilantro while daytime highs stay moderate. Spinach and kale take light freezes without collapsing. Lettuce wants steady moisture and a bit of afternoon shade if a warm spell spikes into the 70s. Carrots and beets need loose soil free of clods so roots run straight; thin early so shoulders do not crowd. Radishes finish fast enough for a sowing every two weeks. Cilantro likes this window and holds longer before bolting than it does in spring heat.

Keep the list practical. Freeze timing, succession intervals, and variety picks for this zone belong in the dedicated Zone 8a December guide in related reading. Use that post when you need cultivar names and tighter windows; this hub stays at the state view.

Water newly sown beds deeply once, then watch the surface so fine seed does not dry out on windy days. A light row cover buys a few degrees on nights that dip harder than the monthly average.

Gulf Coast and South Texas (Zone 8b to 9a)

The Gulf Coast and much of South Texas fall in Zone 8b, where first fall frost averages October 29 and frost-free days run about 205. Zone 9a pushes first frost to November 6 and stretches the cool season further inland from the water.

The same cool-season set applies: spinach, lettuce, kale, carrots, radishes, beets, and cilantro. The longer mild stretch also opens brassica room that tighter inland freezes pinch. Transplant cabbage, broccoli, and collard greens in December while nights stay cool enough for firm heads later. Collards shrug off freezes that stop tender lettuce. Broccoli forms cleanly before spring heat arrives. Cabbage wants consistent moisture so outer leaves do not toughen early.

Coastal beds often stay workable all month. After a cold front, overnight lows can still drop into the 20s on clear nights, so keep row cover ready for fresh brassica transplants. Sandier Gulf soils dry fast on windy afternoons; check moisture at finger depth rather than trusting the surface crust.

If a warm week wakes aphids on tender greens, hose them off early. Cool-season production here runs for months when you succession-sow radishes and leaf lettuce instead of planting once and waiting.

Rio Grande Valley (Zone 9b)

Zone 9b in the Rio Grande Valley averages a first fall frost on November 22 and logs about 259 frost-free days. December is a planting month and a second-season continuation. Treat empty bed space as production ground, not a pause until spring.

Keep sowing cool-season greens and roots. Spinach, lettuce, carrots, beets, and radishes establish well in cool soil with short days. Brassicas set out earlier keep sizing up; December cabbage and broccoli transplants still have runway before late-winter heat climbs. Cilantro thrives in this window and is one of the cleaner herb fits for Valley winters.

Succession sow radishes and lettuce every couple of weeks so harvests stay staggered. A single large sowing peaks together and leaves a gap. Mulch paths to cut dust and hold soil moisture when dry northers move through. Freeze risk is lower than inland Zone 8, but a rare hard night still justifies cover on the newest transplants.

North Texas and the Panhandle (Zone 6b to 7a)

North Texas and the Panhandle sit in Zones 6b and 7a. Zone 6b averages a first fall frost on October 5 and about 147 frost-free days. Zone 7a follows with a first frost near October 9 and about 156 frost-free days. By December, open-ground sowing is limited and honesty matters more than a long crop list.

Do not force crops that will not establish in cold soil. Frozen or near-frozen ground stalls most seed. Spend the month on protection: row covers on hardy greens already up, cold frames over low beds, and mulch thick enough to blunt freeze-thaw cycles on garlic and onions planted earlier in fall.

Garlic and onions already bedded get a maintenance pass only. Check mulch after wind, reseat loose fabric, and leave cloves buried. Pulling mulch during a brief warm spell invites heaving when the next hard freeze arrives. In a cold frame, vent on sunny days so trapped air does not cook spinach or lettuce, then close before dusk to hold heat.

If frames are empty, sow only what you can shield. Outdoor December direct-sows without cover are a thin bet against hard freezes. Save most seed for late-winter sowing once soil thaws and nights moderate. The goal in 6b and 7a this month is holding live plants and prepared beds, not matching the Gulf Coast sow list.

Related reading

• When to Plant Vegetables in Texas: Zone-by-Zone Guide
• What to Plant in December in Zone 8a

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