What to plant in December in USDA zone 3

Maintenance in December — zone 3

• Check stored crops weekly
• Tend houseplants, force bulbs (amaryllis, paperwhites)

Prep and planning — zone 3

• Garden journal review and next-year plan
• Seed catalog browsing — order ramps up in January

Universal December tasks

These apply across most US and UK gardens in December, regardless of zone.

• Review this year's garden journal — what worked, what didn't, what to change.
• Start your seed list for next year while pleasure and pain are fresh.
• Check stored crops weekly for rot — winter squash, onions, garlic, potatoes.
• Force amaryllis and paperwhite bulbs for indoor color.
• Tend houseplants — many slow-grow now, so reduce watering by half.
• Prune dormant fruit trees and grapes on a dry, mild day.

Why this works for zone 3

Zone 3 has average annual minimum temperatures of -40 to -30°F (-40 to -34°C) and a frost-free window from late May to early September — about 110 growing days. Frost-tender vegetables need row covers and short-season varieties. Heat-loving crops (peppers, eggplant) require greenhouses or season extension.

Dates are zone-wide averages. Local microclimates (south-facing slopes, urban heat, lakeside warmth, elevation) can shift the window by 1-2 weeks within the same zone.

UK gardeners — December

December is the UK's quiet month. Harvest brussels sprouts, leeks, parsnips, kale, and overwintered chard. Plant bare-root fruit trees and bushes on mild days. Force rhubarb crowns indoors. Plan next year and order seeds.

Source and methodology

Frost-date averages from NOAA Climate Data Online within USDA zone 3. Hardiness boundaries from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023). Crop timing curated against US Cooperative Extension Service publications (UNL, UMN, NC State, Texas A&M, UF/IFAS, Oregon State) and cross-referenced against the RHS sowing calendar. Curated by the Growli editorial team.

Keep going

• ← November in zone 3
• January in zone 3 →
• All zones — what to plant in December
• USDA Zone 3 — frost dates and crop list
• Full 12-month planting calendar

Other zones — December

• What to plant in December in zone 4
• What to plant in December in zone 5
• What to plant in December in zone 6
• What to plant in December in zone 7
• What to plant in December in zone 8
• What to plant in December in zone 9
• What to plant in December in zone 10