What to Sow in December for a Tiny Garden
A practical December guide for small-space edible gardens: last garlic, bare-root fruit bushes, pea shoots and microgreens on the windowsill, protecting pots and planning next year.
Quick answer
December is the quietest month of the year in a tiny garden. Outdoors, you can still plant garlic in pots and bare-root fruit bushes while the compost is not frozen or waterlogged. Indoors, pea shoots, microgreens and windowsill herbs are the most reliable crops. The rest of the month is about protecting pots from frost, wind and wet, and planning what to grow next year.
Growing note: Only plant on mild days. If the compost in your pots is frozen or sodden, wait for a better spell. Nothing is lost by planting garlic or fruit a week or two later.
At a glance: what to sow and plant in December
| Best outdoor planting | Garlic cloves in pots, in mild spells |
| Fruit | Bare-root fruit bushes, while they are dormant |
| Best windowsill crops | Pea shoots and microgreens |
| Also worth growing indoors | Parsley, chives and small batches of salad leaves |
| Main caution | Frozen or waterlogged compost and hard frosts |
| Key job | Protect pots and plan next year's crops |
December is about resting and planning
December has the shortest days of the year. Outdoors, almost nothing grows, and seeds sown outside now would simply sit in cold compost. That makes December a month for a few last plantings, a little windowsill growing and plenty of planning.
If you planted garlic, broad beans or onion sets in October or November, they will grow very little until the days lengthen. That is normal. Your job is to keep their pots well drained and sheltered.
If you missed anything last month, our November guide covers the autumn planting that is still worth catching up on.
What to plant outdoors in December
Garlic
You can still plant garlic in December if the compost is not frozen or waterlogged. Push individual cloves in pointed end up, about 10cm apart, in a pot at least 20cm deep, and stand it in the sunniest spot you have. Garlic needs a spell of cold to form a bulb with separate cloves, so leave the pot outside rather than bringing it in. Garlic planted now will usually give smaller bulbs than cloves planted in October, but it is still well worth doing.
See the full guide: how to grow garlic in pots.
Bare-root fruit bushes
The bare-root season runs through winter while plants are dormant, so December is a good time to plant fruit bushes in mild weather. Plant them as soon as you can after they arrive and keep the roots from drying out. If the compost is frozen, stand the bush in a bucket of damp compost in a sheltered spot for a few days until you can plant it.
Use a large, stable, frost-resistant pot with plenty of drainage holes, spread the roots out, firm the compost gently and water in. Compact blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries and dwarf raspberries all suit a balcony or patio.
Onions and shallots
Autumn onion sets are best planted by November, so it is usually too late to start them now. Shallots and spring-planting onion sets are normally planted from late winter into spring. If you would like to grow them next year, December is a good time to choose varieties and find a sunny pot. See how to grow onions and shallots in containers.
Broad beans and peas
It is too late to sow broad beans or peas outdoors this year. Pots sown in autumn should be left to grow slowly in a sheltered spot. If you did not sow any, wait until late winter or spring. See how to grow broad beans in containers and how to grow peas in containers.
What to grow on a windowsill in December
Light is very limited in December, even on a south-facing windowsill. The best indoor crops are ones you eat young, before they need much light.
Pea shoots and microgreens
Pea shoots and microgreens are the most reliable crops this month. They grow in a warm room, and you cut them while they are small, so a tray can be ready in a few weeks even in winter. Expect them to grow a little more slowly than in spring, and turn the tray every day or two so the shoots do not lean towards the glass.
See how to grow pea shoots indoors and how to grow microgreens on a windowsill.
Herbs
A pot of parsley or chives on a bright windowsill gives small pickings through winter. Pick lightly, water only when the compost surface is dry and keep leaves away from very cold glass on frosty nights. See how to grow herbs on a windowsill.
Salad leaves
Cut-and-come-again salad leaves will grow slowly on a bright windowsill. Sow a small batch rather than a large tray, and treat any pickings as a bonus. Outdoors, a trough of hardy leaves sown earlier in autumn can still give occasional pickings in mild spells. See how to grow winter salad leaves in containers.
December jobs for a tiny garden
- Keep pots raised. Pot feet or bricks let containers drain through winter rain and stop them freezing to the ground.
- Group pots against a wall. Containers huddled together in a sheltered spot protect each other from wind and frost.
- Empty saucers. Standing water around pots in winter can rot roots.
- Wrap pots in hard frost. Hessian or bubble wrap around the pot helps protect the roots of fruit bushes and evergreen herbs like rosemary and bay during severe cold.
- Check new plantings after frost. Frost can lift garlic cloves and onion sets out of the compost. Gently push any back in.
- Water sparingly. Pots under eaves or on covered balconies can still dry out, so check them now and then, but water only when the compost is dry.
- Clean tools and empty pots. Wash out pots you are not using and store them under cover ready for spring.
- Plan next year. Look at what grew well in your space, then order seeds and plan which crops will go in which containers.
What not to do in December
Do not sow summer crops like tomatoes, chillies, peppers, courgettes or cucumbers yet. Without strong light and warmth, seedlings become weak and leggy long before it is warm enough to plant them out. Spring sowings catch up quickly and make stronger plants.
Avoid watering pots that are barely growing, and do not plant into frozen or waterlogged compost. In winter, too much water does more harm to container plants than cold.
Planning for spring
December is the best time to decide what you want from your tiny garden next year. Check how much sun each spot gets, measure your containers and pick a few crops that suit them. A short list of easy crops you will actually eat is better than a long list of seeds.
For ideas, see small garden layouts and container vegetables. When the season starts, our March sowing guide covers the first big round of spring sowing.
A simple December plan
If you only do three things this month: plant any garlic you still have on a mild day, start a tray of pea shoots on your brightest windowsill, and check that your pots are raised, grouped and draining freely. Then spend a dark evening planning what to grow next year.
Plan what fits your space
Use the free growing tools to check which crops suit your balcony, patio or windowsill before you order seeds.
FAQs
Can I still plant garlic in December?
Yes. Garlic can be planted in pots in December if the compost is not frozen or waterlogged. Bulbs may be a little smaller than from an October planting, but it is still worth doing.
Can I sow anything outside in December?
Very little. Growth outdoors has almost stopped, so seeds sown outside now are slow and unreliable. Plant garlic and bare-root fruit instead, and sow on a windowsill.
What can I grow indoors in December?
Pea shoots and microgreens are the most reliable choices. Parsley, chives and small batches of salad leaves will also grow slowly on a bright windowsill.
Can I plant bare-root fruit bushes in December?
Yes, as long as the compost is not frozen or waterlogged. Plant them in a large, frost-resistant pot as soon as you can after they arrive.
Growing note: In December, a little care goes a long way. Keep pots sheltered and well drained, grow a tray of something green indoors, and use the quiet weeks to plan.
