Los Angeles in December: what to plant
Over the last 5 years, December in Los Angeles has run 8.8–19.1°C with about 132 mm of rain across the month. Here is what weather like that will carry to harvest.
Everything above is a five-year average. In the game it is this — the weather Los Angeles is actually having, today.
Grow one in Los Angeles's weather right now →❄️ No sub-zero nights in December in the last 5 years — frost is not the limiting factor here.
🗓️ No night at or below 0°C in the last 5 years — frost is not a limiting factor here, and tender crops can stay out year-round.
☀️ About 7.7 h of sunshine a day this month. Within the month it cools by about 1.2°C from the first ten days to the last — the window for autumn sowings is opening.
Sow this month — when would you harvest?
Assuming you sow in mid-December, then adding up the warmth Los Angeles usually gets, one day at a time — which is why some of these run past the end of the month.
| Crop | Days | Harvest around |
|---|---|---|
| 🌿 Rocket | 40 | Jan 23 |
| 🌿 Spinach | 54 | Feb 6 |
| 🫛 Peas | 74 | Feb 26 |
| 🌿 Chrysanthemum greens | 51 | Feb 3 |
| 🌿 Coriander | 56 | Feb 8 |
| 🫘 Broad bean | 89 | Mar 13 |
| ⚪ Turnip | 57 | Feb 9 |
| ⚪ Daikon radish | 76 | Feb 28 |
| 🍒 Cherry Radish | 37 | Jan 20 |
| 🟣 Beetroot | 74 | Feb 26 |
| 🍓 Strawberry | 79 | Mar 3 |
| 🏵️ Marigold | 90 | Mar 14 |
Best crops to sow now
They are all ideal for this month — the only real difference is how long each one takes, so pick whatever you want to eat.
- 🌿 Rocket about 38 days to harvest Recent mean 13.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌿 Spinach about 51 days to harvest Recent mean 13.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🫛 Peas about 71 days to harvest Recent mean 13.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌿 Chrysanthemum greens about 47 days to harvest Recent mean 13.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌿 Coriander about 53 days to harvest Recent mean 13.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🫘 Broad bean about 87 days to harvest Recent mean 13.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- ⚪ Turnip about 54 days to harvest Recent mean 13.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- ⚪ Daikon radish about 73 days to harvest Recent mean 13.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🍒 Cherry Radish about 34 days to harvest Recent mean 13.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🟣 Beetroot about 71 days to harvest Recent mean 13.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🍓 Strawberry about 76 days to harvest Recent mean 13.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🏵️ Marigold about 87 days to harvest Recent mean 13.9°C — right in the sweet spot
Leave these for another month
- 🌶️ Okra — Recent mean 13.9°C is too cold (ideal 20–33°C)
- 🍆 Aubergine — Recent mean 13.9°C is too cold (ideal 18–32°C)
- 🍈 Winter melon — Recent mean 13.9°C is too cold (ideal 18–32°C)
Other months in Los Angeles
📍 Somewhere else? Look up your own city →
Temperature and rainfall come from Open-Meteo's historical observations for Los Angeles, averaged day by day over the last 5 years. Whether a crop finishes in time is worked out from its own starting temperature and heat requirement — those numbers are listed on each crop page if you want to check them.