Best fruit and vegetables to grow in December – 6 options to plant now for a head start on the growing season

Looking for the best fruit and vegetables to grow in December? Despite the colder weather, there's plenty you can plant now for delicious harvests in 2025.

Whether you're wondering what to sow in December or you're hoping to learn how to plant bare root trees for the first time, this month is your perfect opportunity to start mapping out next year's garden.

'Winter crops can be fully grown in December in milder climates and greenhouses,' says Mark Dwelly, head gardener at Audley Villages. 'These tend to be green vegetables like kale, spinach and leeks – but root-based vegetables like radishes are also robust enough to grow.'

We've rounded up a list of the best fruit and vegetables to grow in December to give you a little grow-your-own inspiration.

The best fruit and vegetables to grow in December

A surprising number of fruit and vegetables can be planted in December.

'If you want to continue gardening throughout the winter season, December is a great time to plant some cold-hardy vegetables perfect for an early harvest next year,' says Claire Hooper, plant area manager at Hillier Garden Centre in Winchester.

With that in mind, then, here's our expert-approved pick of the best fruit and vegetables to grow in December for a bumper winter crop and spring harvests.

1. Garlic

Wondering how to grow garlic? We have excellent news for you: it's incredibly easy and it's one of the best fruit and vegetables to grow in December.

‘Garlic can be planted at any time between the middle of autumn and later in the winter season,' explains Petar Ivanov, gardening expert at Fantastic Services. 'However, it produces the best harvest if it’s planted before Christmas, and traditionally, it’s planted during the shortest day of the year.'

Better yet? A cold snap is just the thing garlic needs to develop.

'Frost splits garlic into cloves, which is another reason it is best to grow them over winter,' says Claire.

'Planting at this time of year allows the cloves to have an extended growing period which can improve its overall quality and taste.'

Where to buy garlic bulbs:

• Suttons: Plant garlic 'Solent Wight' this month
• Sarah Raven: Garlic 'Early Purple Wight' is another popular option

2. Rhubarb crowns

Rhubarb is counted among the best fruit and vegetables to grow in December for a reason – award-winning garden designer Zoe Claymore says now is a great time to learn how to grow rhubarb and plant the crowns (pieces of root with a bud at the top).

'Whilst you should leave them for a growing season or two to establish before you start harvesting, now is the time to put these into your garden,' she explains.

'In future, you will be rewarded with an early spring crop of delicious rhubarb.'

Where to buy rhubarb crowns:

• Thompson & Morgan: Rhubarb 'Goliath' is an excellent choice
• Crocus: A tasty selection of rhubarb crowns

Zoe Claymore

Zoe Claymore is a multi award-winning garden designer based in London. She focuses on creating outdoor places with emotional connection and ecological integrity for her private and commercial clients.

3. Broad beans

'Broad beans are one of the many fantastic vegetables that you can grow in December,' promises Morris Hankinson, director of Hopes Grove Nurseries.

Just don't confuse them with when to sow runner beans, which is around April and May-time.

Morris Hankinson

Morris Hankinson is the founder and managing director of Hopes Grove Nurseries Ltd, the UK’s only specialist grower-retailer of hedging plants, which he established after graduating with a Commercial Horticulture Degree from Writtle College, Essex in 1992.

'If conditions are particularly cold, try to sow your broad beans into pre-warmed soil and then cover them with a cloche from Amazon,' Morris continues.

'In more mild temperatures, though, you can sow them directly outdoors!'

Morris adds that the 'Aquadulce Claudia' variety is a 'very hardy broad bean variety, so absolutely perfect for sowing in December'. Consider us sold!

Where to buy broad bean seeds:

• Crocus: A good selection of broad bean seeds
• Thompson & Morgan: Many varieties of broad bean seeds
• Sarah Raven: Plenty more broad bean seeds to choose from

4. Bare-root fruit

Learning to plant bare root trees is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to grow your own fruit, and Zoe says now is the time to get to work – not least of all because the winter rains mean they won't need watering until at least early spring.

'We are in the dormant season, so not only will these trees and shrubs be cheaper, they are more sustainable, too,' she says.

'Bare-rooted plants also tend to be a bit hardier and establish better, so it's a win-win. I’m going to be planting a Malus tree on my plot this December as well as some fruit bushes.'

There's plenty of choice when it comes to buying fruit plants, whether you're looking for the easiest fruit trees to grow or the best fruit trees for a small garden.

Where to buy bare-root fruit trees and bushes:

• Thompson & Morgan: A wide variety of bare root fruit and fruit bushes, from blackcurrants to pears
• Crocus: A good selection of bare root fruit, including gooseberries and peaches

5. Winter greens

We're absolutely in winter mode, so it makes sense that winter greens are counted among the best fruit and vegetables to grow in December.

'Now is the perfect time to sow winter greens such as lettuce, mustard greens and corn salad (also called lamb’s lettuce),' says Morris.

'The 'Winter Gem' variety of lettuce is the best to sow in December,' he continues, adding that 'corn salad and 'Winter Gem' lettuce should continue to grow throughout colder weather.'

'Mustard greens may become dormant if the temperature gets too cold,' he adds, 'but don’t worry, because they’ll continue to grow once the cold spell is over.'

Where to buy winter greens:

• Thompson & Morgan: A good selection of lamb's lettuce seeds and 'Winter Gem' lettuce seeds
• Crocus: You can find mustard green seeds and 'Winter Density' lettuce seeds

6. Onions and leeks

As long as you choose the right varieties, December is a brilliant time to learn how to grow onions. You can how to grow leeks this month, too.

'If you want to sow onion and leek seeds in December, it’s best to sow them indoors and keep them on a windowsill with lots of sunshine,' says Morris. 'Once the colder weather has passed, you can then plant your onions into a sunny spot with well-drained soil.'

If you fancy a fun post-Christmas activity, Morris says that onions and leeks are traditionally planted on Boxing Day for the earliest crops and largest prize-winning specimens.

Where to buy onion and leek seeds:

• Thompson & Morgan: A wide variety of onion seeds and leek seeds
• Crocus: More onion seeds and leek seeds
• Amazon: A selection of winter onion sets

FAQs

What vegetables grow in winter in the UK?

Wondering what vegetables grow in winter? Well, there's plenty of choice, from garlic and onions to broad beans and winter greens like lettuce and mustard.

Winter cabbages like 'January King' also grow throughout the winter, although those are planted earlier in the year.

What fruit and veg can you grow all year round?

Once planted, fruit trees and bushes can stay put in the garden all year round. Of course, you'll only get harvests during the fruiting months, and the plants enter a dormant phase in the winter, but other than that, they're pretty sturdy residents in the garden.

Herb garden ideas are also fun to experiment with if you want to grow your own food all year round.

'If your space is limited inside, herbs tend to grow easily in small spaces,' says head gardener Mark from Audley Villages. 'Thyme, parsley and rosemary are amongst the less demanding varieties.'

So, there we have it: there are plenty of fruit and vegetables to grow in December!

Time to wrap up warm, then, and get planting: you'll be grateful you put the effort in come spring harvest time...