What to Plant in December in San Francisco — Sowday

Vegetables

48 in season

Start indoors · seedlings need a cold snap to set buds in year one

Plant crowns · resist harvesting until the second or third spring

Direct sow · soak seed clusters overnight to speed germination

Start indoors · harvest young and green — riper fruit turns bitter

Direct sow · fall crops resist bolting better than spring ones

Herbs

17 in season

Start indoors · loves heat, don't rush it outside before frost

Direct sow · prefers cool shade, bolts quickly once hot

Start indoors · perennial clumps, snip leaves for repeat harvests

Direct sow · bolts fast in heat, sow small batches often

Direct sow · taproot resents transplanting, sow direct

Fruit

7 in season

Plant canes · thornless varieties are easiest for small gardens

Plant bushes · needs acidic soil and a second variety to pollinate

Plant canes · prune out canes older than three years each winter

Plant canes · mind the thorns; pick slightly underripe for pies

Ground Cherries

Transplant seedlings · let ripe fruit drop; husks turn tan and papery