What to Plant in December — Zone 5

December falls after zone 5's first frost (Oct 12) — the garden is winding down, which makes this a planning month.

Nothing goes in the ground (or under lights) in December in zone 5 — it's a planning month. Here's what's coming next:
Next upTaskWindow
🧅 Onions Start seeds indoors Feb 11 – Feb 25
🧅 Leeks Start seeds indoors Feb 11 – Feb 25
🥬 Celery Start seeds indoors Feb 11 – Feb 25

Use the quiet weeks well: order seeds before spring sellouts, size beds with the spacing calculator, and build a seed-starting schedule so nothing sneaks up on you.

Frequently asked questions

Can I plant anything in December in zone 5?

Not outdoors, and nothing needs starting indoors yet either — December sits in zone 5's off-season. The next task on the calendar: start seeds indoors for onions (Feb 11 – Feb 25).

What should a zone 5 gardener do in December?

Order seeds before spring sellouts, plan beds with the plant spacing calculator, and build your seed-starting schedule so trays are ready the moment the calendar turns. Off-season planning is why organized spring gardens look effortless.

December in other zones

Zone 1Zone 2Zone 3Zone 4Zone 5Zone 6Zone 7Zone 8Zone 9Zone 10Zone 11Zone 12Zone 13

Zone 5, month by month

← November January → All months

Zone 5 frost dates near you

Colorado Springs, COIdaho Falls, IDRockford, ILDes Moines, IACedar Rapids, IASioux City, IAPortland, MEBangor, ME