What Can I Plant in Texas in December 2026?

Wondering what you can plant in Texas in December 2026? Your options depend on where you garden, how cold your soil is and whether you can protect young plants. Some warmer Texas gardens still have opportunities for cool-season sowing, while colder locations are better suited to protecting established crops and planning for spring.

December is not a statewide planting green light. Check your local planting calendar and the current forecast before sowing seeds or setting out transplants. A warm afternoon does not mean a young plant is ready for the next hard freeze.

Start With Your Part of Texas

• Panhandle and colder North Texas locations: Focus on protecting established crops. New outdoor plantings may need a greenhouse, cold frame or other protected growing space, and even covered beds can become too cold for growth.
• North and Central Texas: Protect established hardy greens and use your local calendar to decide whether any new planting is worthwhile. Do not assume November recommendations carry over into December.
• East Texas: Watch both freeze risk and drainage. Avoid planting into cold, waterlogged soil, and protect young crops during cold fronts.
• South Texas and the Gulf Coast: Milder locations may still have planting windows for selected cool-season vegetables. Check regional recommendations and stay ready for sudden freezes.
• West Texas: Elevation, cold nights and drying winds can limit December planting. Protected growing conditions may be more practical than open beds.

Vegetables to Consider Planting in December

The following are possibilities for suitable mild locations or protected growing spaces, not recommendations to plant every crop throughout Texas. In colder areas, caring for an established crop is often a better choice than starting a new one.

• Radishes: Direct sow only where your regional calendar still recommends it. Cold weather can lengthen the time to harvest.
• Spinach: A cool-season option in suitable locations. Expect slower germination and growth in cold soil.
• Leaf lettuce: Consider sowing or transplanting where local guidance allows. Containers can make protecting small plantings easier.
• Mustard greens: Consider these in mild areas with an appropriate planting window. Protect tender seedlings from freezing weather.
• Kale: Established plants are more useful for winter harvests than a late sowing that has little time to grow. Use transplants only where local recommendations support December planting.
• Collards: Warmer locations may still offer a planting opportunity. Give young plants protection and time to establish.
• Swiss chard: Consider planting in suitable mild locations, with protection available for young plants.
• Carrots: Some warmer regions still have a sowing window. Sow directly into loose soil and keep the seedbed evenly moist.
• Beets: Direct sow where your regional calendar permits. Thin seedlings so developing roots have room.
• Turnips: A possible December sowing in suitable warmer regions. Allow for slower winter growth.
• Broccoli: Healthy transplants may be an option in some mild locations. Starting seed outdoors in December is not a reliable statewide recommendation.
• Cabbage: Check your local transplanting window before planting. Protect young transplants during freezes.
• Garlic: December may still fit planting guidance in some warmer regions. Confirm your local timing, variety suitability and any chilling requirements before planting cloves.

Save tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers and beans for their appropriate warm-season planting windows. Indoor seed starting should also follow a local schedule rather than an arbitrary December date.

Can I Plant Onions in December?

Onion planting depends on your region and whether you are using seed, sets or transplants. Check those schedules separately. Many Texas gardeners choose short-day onions, while intermediate-day varieties suit some locations. Match the variety and planting date to your area before planting onion starts.

Herbs for a Cool-Season Garden

• Cilantro: Consider planting in suitable mild locations. Protect young plants from severe cold.
• Parsley: Transplants can provide a head start where planting is still recommended. Seed germination can be slow.
• Dill: Plant only where local timing and conditions are suitable. Young plants may need protection during freezes.
• Basil: Keep this warm-season herb indoors with adequate light or wait for warmer weather. It is not a frost-tolerant outdoor December crop.

Flowers to Consider

• Pansies: Consider established transplants where regional planting guidance allows. Newly planted flowers need time to settle in before severe cold.
• Violas: A cool-season transplant option for suitable locations, with protection as needed.
• Snapdragons: Use transplants where your local calendar recommends them. Avoid assuming all varieties tolerate the same cold conditions.
• Bluebonnets: Fall sowing is common, but December may be later than the preferred window in your area. Check local guidance before sowing rather than treating December as an ideal statewide planting time.
• Wildflower mixes: Check the mix's species and regional sowing instructions. Not every mix is suitable for December planting.

Help Your December Garden Through Winter

• Keep frost protection ready: Support frost cloth over vulnerable plants and secure the edges. Keep plastic from resting directly on foliage.
• Vent covered growing spaces: A sunny day can warm a cold frame or covered bed quickly. Monitor conditions rather than leaving everything sealed.
• Water according to soil moisture: Cool weather usually slows drying, but wind and containers can still cause moisture loss. Avoid leaving roots in saturated soil.
• Expect slower growth: Short days and cold soil can extend harvest times. Seed-packet maturity estimates are not a guarantee of a quick winter harvest.
• Protect established crops first: A healthy bed planted earlier may provide more winter food than a new December sowing.
• Check regional guidance: Review the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Fall Vegetable Gardening Guide for Texas and consult your county planting calendar.
• Find planting dates for your ZIP code: Visit the Almanac Planting Calendar and type in your ZIP code for information on when to plant in your area.

What About December 2026 Weather?

This article provides seasonal gardening guidance, not a forecast for December 2026. Check current forecasts and actual soil conditions before planting. If a hard freeze is approaching, protecting existing plants or postponing a new planting may be the better choice.

Keep Your Texas Garden Growing This December

Choose seeds for your region, protect your winter crops and plan ahead for your next planting window. A little preparation now can help keep your garden moving into the new year.

Grow something beautiful. Grow something delicious. Grow with David's Garden Seeds®.