December Sowing & Transplanting
What to Plant this Month
December Planting Guide - Summer Rainfall Regions
Hot summer and cold winter with frost in some parts. Includes most of Gauteng and Limpopo Province, the Free State highveld, Mpumalanga highveld, North West and Northern Provinces, and the KZN Midlands.| Plant Name | Sow or Transplant |
|---|---|
| Angelica | Sow Seed |
| Asparagus | Plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Asparagus Pea (also Winged bean) | Sow Seed |
| Basil | Sow Seed |
| Beans - Bush Beans and Runner Beans | Sow Seed |
| Beetroot | Plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Borage (also Burrage, Bugloss) | Start in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Burdock (also Gobo (Japanese Burdock)) | Sow Seed |
| Cabbage | Start in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Carrots | Sow Seed |
| Cauliflower | Plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Celery | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Chives (also Garden chives) | Sow Seed |
| Cowpeas (also Black eye peas, Southern peas) | Sow Seed |
| Cucumber | Sow Seed |
| Dill | Sow Seed |
| Eggplant (also Aubergine) | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Jerusalem Artichokes (also Sunchoke) | Plant tubers |
| Lemon Balm (also Sweet balm, ) | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Mint | Sow Seed |
| Mustard greens (also gai choy) | Sow Seed |
| New Zealand Spinach | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Okra | Sow Seed |
| Oregano (also Marjoram) | Sow seed |
| Parsley (also curly leaf parsley or flat leaf (Italian) parsley) | Start in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Rosemary | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Sage (also Common Sage) | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Savory - Winter and Summer Savory | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Spinach and Chard | Sow Seed |
| Strawberries (from seeds) | Sow Seed |
| Sunflower | Start in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Sweet corn (also maize) | Sow Seed |
| Sweet Marjoram (also Knotted marjoram) | Sow Seed |
| Sweet Potato | Plant Slips |
| Tarragon | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Thyme | Sow Seed |
| Tomato | Sow Seed |
| Watermelon and Cantaloupe | Sow Seed |
December Planting Guide - Humid Sub-Tropical Regions
Warm temperate region including most of the East coast, the Garden Route, and Eastern lowveld. Typified by the humid KZN coastal region, which is very hot and humid in summer (average 18 degrees C).| Plant Name | Sow or Transplant |
|---|---|
| Angelica | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Basil | Sow Seed |
| Borage | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Brussels Sprout | Sow Seed |
| Cape Gooseberry(also Golden Berry, Inca Berry ) | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Cauliflower | Plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Chilli peppers (also Hot peppers) | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Chives | Sow Seed |
| Choko/Chayote (also Chayote squash, christophene, chouchou, mirliton) | Plant tubers |
| Coriander (also Cilantro, Chinese parsley) | Start in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Cowpeas (also Black eye peas, Southern peas) | Sow Seed |
| Dill | Sow Seed |
| Lemon Balm (also Sweet balm, ) | Sow Seed |
| Mint | Sow Seed |
| Mustard Greens | Sow Seed |
| New Zealand Spinach | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Okra | Sow Seed |
| Oregano (also Pot Marjoram) | Sow Seed |
| Parsley | Start in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Rosella (also Queensland Jam Plant, Roselle) | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Rosemary | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Sage | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Savory (Winter & Summer Savory) | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Strawberries (from seeds) | Sow Seed |
| Sunflower | Start in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Sweet Marjoram (also Knotted marjoram) | Sow Seed |
| Tarragon | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Thyme | Sow Seed |
| Tomatillo | Sow Seed |
| Watermelon | Sow Seed |
December Planting Guide - Dry Summer Sub-Tropical Regions
Warm temperate, typical Mediterranean-type climate with dry,warm sub-tropical summer (normally above 10 degrees C). Cool, wet winter. Confined to the South Western Cape and western part of the Southern Cape.| Plant Name | Sow or Transplant |
|---|---|
| Angelica | Start in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Artichoke | Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks |
| Asparagus | Plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Basil | Sow Seed |
| Beans | Sow seed |
| Beetroot | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Borage | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Broccoli | Start in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Brussels Sprouts | Sow Seed |
| Cabbage | Start in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Cauliflower | Sow Seed |
| Chilli Peppers | Sow Seed |
| Chives | Sow Seed |
| Choko/Chayote (also Chayote squash, christophene, chouchou, mirliton) | Plant tubers |
| Coriander (also Cilantro, Chinese parsley) | Start in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Corn Salad (also Lamb's lettuce or Mache) | Sow Seed |
| Cow Peas | Sow Seed |
| Dill | Sow Seed |
| Eggplant | Start in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Lemon Balm | Sow Seed |
| Marrow | Sow Seed |
| Mint | Sow Seed |
| Mustard Greens | Sow Seed |
| New Zealand Spinach / Warrigal greens | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Okra | Sow Seed |
| Onions | Sow Seed |
| Oregano(also Pot Marjoram) | Sow Seed |
| Parsley | Start in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Pumpkin | Sow Seed |
| Rockmelon(also Canteloupe) | Sow Seed |
| Rosella(also Queensland Jam Plant, Roselle) | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Rosemary | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Sage | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Salsify (also Vegetable oyster) | Sow Seed |
| Savory (Winter & Summer Savory) | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Strawberries(from seeds) | Sow Seed |
| Strawberry Plants | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Sunflower | Start in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Sweet corn (also maize) | Sow Seed |
| Sweet Marjoram (also Knotted marjoram) | Sow Seed |
| Sweet Potato (also Kumara) | Plant Slips |
| Tarragon | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Thyme (also Common thyme) | Sow Seed |
| Tomatillo | Sow Seed |
| Watermelon | Sow Seed |
| Zucchini (also Courgette/Marrow, Summer squash) | Sow Seed |
December Planting Guide - Semi-Arid Regions
Dry and hot in summer. Cold, often with frost in winter. Includes most of the northern part of the Eastern Cape, including the Klein Karoo, the Great Karoo and Northern Cape, as well as some of the northern West Coast towards Namibia.| Plant Name | Sow or Transplant |
|---|---|
| Angelica | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Asparagus | Plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Basil | Sow Seed |
| Beans(pole, runner, climbing, french & bush beans) | Sow Seed |
| Broccoli | Sow Seed |
| Cabbage | Start in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Cauliflower | Plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Chilli Peppers | Sow Seed |
| Coriander (also Cilantro, Chinese parsley) | Start in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Cowpeas (also Black eye peas, Southern peas) | Sow Seed |
| Cucumber | Sow Seed |
| Mint | Sow Seed |
| New Zealand Spinach/ Warrigal greens | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Okra | Sow Seed |
| Onions | Sow Seed |
| Pumpkin | Sow Seed |
| Rosemary Seeds | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Sage | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Spinach | Sow Seed |
| Squash(also Crookneck, Pattypan, Summer squash) | Sow Seed |
| Sunflower | Start in seed trays or plant out (transplant) seedlings or sow seed |
| Sweet Potato | Plant Slips |
| Thyme | Sow Seed |
| Tomato | Plant out (transplant) seedlings |
| Watermelon | Sow Seed |