What to Plant in Winter: December to February by Region

Winter gardening is really three different jobs depending on your climate. In the warmest parts of the country it is the main growing season. In the middle, it is a short window for a few hardy crops. In the North, the garden itself rests, but the calendar for spring starts now.

Florida, the Gulf Coast and the low deserts

Where frost is rare or light, winter is the season for crops that bolt or struggle in summer heat. University of Florida IFAS lists, by region:

The University of Arizona's planting calendar for Maricopa County (the Phoenix area) is similar: from December through February it lists crops such as beets, bok choy, carrots, chard, lettuce, mustard, green onions, peas, radishes, spinach and turnips, with broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower into early January, bulb onion sets through February, and potatoes in January and February. Monthly UF and UA calendars are the place to check exact windows for your area.

Texas and the Gulf South

• Onions: Texas A&M AgriLife plants short-day onion transplants or sets from mid-January to early February, about ¾ inch deep and 3 inches apart. See when to plant onions.
• Hardy greens and roots: kale, collards, spinach, mustard, turnips, radishes and carrots sown in fall usually keep producing through mild winters, and more can go in during warm spells.
• Late winter: as your last frost approaches, cabbage-family transplants, peas and potatoes can go in a few weeks before it. Our planting calendar gives the windows from your frost date.

Cold-winter areas: start seeds indoors

Where the ground freezes, the first planting of the year happens inside. Counting back from your average last spring frost:

These are the same windows our planting calendar uses. Starting tomatoes too early is the most common mistake: plants that wait too long indoors get leggy and set back after transplanting.

Winter sowing: seeds outdoors in containers

Winter sowing is a low-cost way to start hardy plants without grow lights. You sow seeds in clear or translucent containers with drainage holes, such as milk jugs cut almost in half, set them outside, and let natural freeze and thaw cycles and lengthening days tell the seeds when to sprout. Penn State Extension describes the method for hardy plants from December through March, and University of Missouri Extension suggests winter-sowing cool-season vegetables in late winter but holding warm-season crops such as tomatoes until spring. Open the tops on warm days so seedlings don't overheat, and water if the soil dries out.

• Good candidates: cool-season vegetables such as lettuce, kale, cabbage-family crops, spinach and onions, plus many hardy flowers and herbs.
• Wait on: tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers and melons, which need warmth and are better sown in spring.

Overwintering crops you already have

Spinach, kale and some other hardy greens sown in late summer or fall can often ride out winter under a row cover, low tunnel or cold frame and start growing again in late winter. Garlic planted in fall should be mulched. See when to plant spinach and kale in fall and when to plant garlic. Beds with nothing in them do best under mulch or a cover crop; see cover crops for vegetable gardens.

Winter planning jobs

• Map the beds. Note where each family grew this year so you can rotate tomatoes, cucurbits, brassicas and onions to new spots.
• Check your pairings. Run your spring list through the companion checker before you order seeds.
• Order seeds and onion transplants early. Popular varieties and onion plants sell out by late winter.
• Test the soil. A soil test in late winter gives time to adjust pH before planting.

Frequently asked questions

What vegetables can I plant in winter?

In mild-winter areas such as Florida, the Gulf Coast and the Arizona low desert, cool-season crops like lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, kale, carrots, beets, radishes, peas and onions. In cold-winter areas, winter is for starting seeds indoors and winter sowing in containers rather than planting in the ground.

What can I plant in December?

In Florida and the Arizona low desert, December is good for cabbage-family transplants, chard, beets, carrots, radishes, turnips and onions, plus collards and kale in Florida. In cold areas, December is for planning, ordering seeds and winter sowing hardy plants in containers.

What can I plant in January and February?

In Texas and the Gulf South, onion transplants go in from mid-January to early February. In Florida, cool-season crops continue, and tomato and pepper transplants start in January in Central Florida and February in North Florida. In cold areas, start onions indoors in late January or February and peppers soon after.

When should I start seeds indoors in winter?

Count back from your last spring frost: onions about 12 to 14 weeks before, peppers, eggplant and cabbage-family crops 8 to 10 weeks before, and tomatoes 5 to 7 weeks before.

What is winter sowing?

Sowing seeds in clear or translucent containers with drainage holes, such as milk jugs, and leaving them outdoors. Freeze and thaw cycles and longer days trigger germination. It suits hardy plants and cool-season vegetables; warm-season crops are better sown in spring.

Can vegetables survive winter outside?

Some can. Spinach, kale, collards and garlic are among the hardiest, and row covers, low tunnels or a cold frame help greens survive cold spells in many areas. Tender crops such as tomatoes and peppers can't take frost.