Orange County December Planting Guide

December 1
3 MIN READ
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365 days of growing in Southern California.

Our nights may be getting cooler (okay, they are cold by CA standards), but the temperatures during the day are warm enough to keep gardens growing. There are plenty of cool-season options to keep harvesting for the next few months.

As we wrap up the year, now is the time to sow your succession crops in the garden (second or third round of the same plants) to ensure a continual harvest. With spring only a few months away, it’s also time to reflect on the year and start planning for spring. Heirloom Potager is designing new garden installations for commercial and residential clients and will be planting again in the neighborhood community garden. Check out the Orange County CA December planting guide.

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Planning a Winter Garden with Cool Season Plants

Here are a some great options for your December planting list:

Artichoke, Asparagus, Beets, Bok Choy, Broccoli*, Cabbage*, Carrots, Cauliflower*, Daikon, Endive, Kale, Lettuces, Mustard Greens, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes, Radicchio, Radish, Scallions, Snow Peas, Spinach, Sugar Peas, Swiss Chard

Herbs: Arugula*,  Bronze Fennel, Chives, Cilantro, Dill, Fennel, Lavender*, Mint, Nasturtium, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary*, Sage, Seasoning Celery, Sweet Marjoram, Thyme*, Violas, Watercress, Winter Savory

*Transplant Seedlings

Orange County, CA December Planting List
Orange County, CA December Herb Planting List

Unique Heirloom Varieties to Plant this Season

Large Leaf Sorrel

from San Diego Seed Company

Green Luobo Radish sliced and whole plants

Chinese Green Luobo Radish

from Mary’s Heirloom Seeds

Purple Passion Asparagus

Purple Passion Asparagus

from Renee’s Garden

What are nasturtiums? Black Velvet (deep red) nasturtium flowers shown against green pad leaves

Black Velvet Nasturtium

from Botanical Interests

Practice Companion Planting for Your Fall Garden

Companion planting is a very old-world, organic gardening method rooted in creating a diverse ecosystem of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers grown int he same space. As a result of inter-planting, you’ll create a more habitable environment for plants, improve soil health, and reduce the resources needed to grow sustainable amounts of produce.

Consider inter-planting some herbs with your fruits and vegetables this year to attract more pollinators and help keep pesky bugs at bay.

With a long and tenured history, the practice of companion planning was primarily practiced by home gardeners who weren’t driven solely by efficient outputs. However, as the impact of climate change grows and concerns over the use of pesticides for health increase, more and more gardeners (both home and commercial) are starting to implement the practice of companion planting.

Other Planting Guide Resources

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