December Landscaping Purchases: Why Winter Is the Smartest Time to Buy

December is the best month of the year to buy trees, shrubs, and landscaping supplies. Garden centers slash prices 30% to 50% once foot traffic drops after Thanksgiving. Bare root season starts in January. If you do your shopping and site prep now, you’ll plant better stock for less money than the people who wait until April.

I’ve done this for twenty years in Northern California. The math works out every single time. And December isn’t just about plants. It’s the month to service your tools, stock up on supplies at year-end prices, and plan your spring projects while everyone else is watching football.

Why do nursery prices drop in December?

Garden centers are sitting on inventory they grew or bought back in spring and summer. Those trees, shrubs, and perennials cost money to water, fertilize, and maintain on the lot. Every week without a sale is a loss. By December, most nursery owners would rather move product at deep discounts than carry it through two more months of low traffic.

The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) recommends fall and winter as planting seasons in mild climates. Nurseries know this, but their customers don’t. That gap between good planting weather and low consumer demand creates the window you want to exploit.

I’ve bought $80 Japanese Maples (Acer palmatum) for $40 in December. Five-gallon shrubs for $12 that were $25 in September. The plants aren’t damaged or second-rate. They’ve just been sitting there too long, and the nursery needs the space and the cash flow.

What should you buy in December?

Trees. Container-grown trees are available year-round, and December prices reflect the total lack of demand. This is a great time to buy shade trees like Chinese Pistache (Pistacia chinensis), ornamentals like Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica), and fruit trees like semi-dwarf apple and pear varieties. The roots will have all winter and spring to establish before summer heat hits, which is exactly what the ISA’s tree planting guidelines recommend. If you’re looking for specific recommendations, our best trees for shade and sun guide covers which species pull double duty on energy savings.

Bushes and shrubs. Deciduous shrubs are dormant and handle transplanting well in winter. Evergreen shrubs are fine to plant as long as the ground isn’t frozen. In Northern California (zones 8b-9b), the ground almost never freezes, so December planting works perfectly. Dwarf Nandina, Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), and Manzanita are all good December buys in our area. They’re California natives that thrive with minimal summer water once established.

Bulbs. Spring-blooming bulbs like tulips, daffodils, and alliums should already be in the ground by now in most zones. But if you’re in Zone 8 or warmer (that’s most of Northern California’s valley floor, from Redding down through Sacramento and into the Bay Area), you can still plant them through the end of December. Nurseries will mark down remaining bulb stock 50% or more. Daffodils are the best bargain because deer and gophers leave them alone.

Indoor plants. Houseplants sell cheap this time of year. Nurseries stock up on tropicals and indoor plants for fall gift-giving, and whatever doesn’t sell by mid-December gets discounted. A fiddle leaf fig that costs $65 in June might be $35 in December. Our best indoor trees guide ranks the 10 best species by light needs, care difficulty, and pet safety. If you picked up a live Christmas tree this year, don’t toss it. Read about recycling your Christmas tree into mulch or garden material.

How much can you actually save?

Here’s what I’ve tracked over the years on December purchases versus spring prices in the Sacramento area:

• 15-gallon shade trees: $85-120 in spring, $50-75 in December (30-40% savings)
• 5-gallon shrubs: $22-30 in spring, $10-15 in December (40-55% savings)
• 1-gallon perennials: $8-12 in spring, $3-6 in December (50-60% savings)
• Bare root fruit trees (January): $25-40 versus $55-80 for the same tree in a 5-gallon container
• Bulb packs: $12-18 in October, $5-8 in December (50%+ savings)

The best deals are at independent nurseries, not the big box stores. Independent nurseries have more overhead and more incentive to clear inventory before year end. Build a relationship with the owner. Ask what they’re trying to move. I’ve gotten entire flats of ground cover for $1 per pot just by asking.

Bare root season is right around the corner

If you’re planning to add fruit trees, roses, or deciduous shade trees, January through early March is bare root season. Bare root stock costs roughly half what a container-grown tree costs, and it often establishes faster because the roots aren’t circling in a pot. The ISA notes that circling roots from container stock can girdle the trunk years later, which is a $2,000+ removal problem down the road. Our guide to planting bare root trees covers the step-by-step process.

December is the right time to plan your bare root purchases. Figure out what species and varieties you want. Here’s what sells out fastest at Sacramento-area nurseries:

• Fruit trees: ‘Fuji’ and ‘Honeycrisp’ apple, ‘Blenheim’ apricot, ‘Elberta’ peach, ‘Santa Rosa’ plum, ‘Bartlett’ pear (see our fast-growing fruit trees guide for which species produce the quickest)
• Shade trees: Chinese Pistache, Valley Oak (Quercus lobata), Red Maple
• Roses: David Austin English varieties, hybrid teas, climbing roses

The Sacramento Tree Foundation (sactree.org) runs a shade tree program that distributes free trees to Sacramento residents. They typically start accepting applications in late fall for January/February distribution. Check if your city has a similar program. Free trees are free trees.

Measure your planting sites now. Amend the soil if it needs it. When bare root stock hits the nurseries in January, you want to be ready to grab the best selections before they’re picked over. The popular varieties go in the first two weeks.

Prep your planting sites now

The ground in most of Northern California is soft and workable in December thanks to early-season rain. Take advantage of it. Dig your planting holes now while the soil is cooperative. A hole that takes 20 minutes to dig in moist December soil will take an hour in dry August hardpan.

The ISA’s planting guidelines call for a hole two to three times wider than the root ball but no deeper. Dig it bowl-shaped, with sloping sides so roots can spread outward. Don’t amend the backfill soil unless your native soil is truly terrible (heavy clay with zero drainage). Research from UC Davis and other extension programs shows that roots establish better in native soil than in an amended pocket that acts like a bathtub.

Remove grass in a 4-foot circle around each planting spot so new trees don’t have to compete with turf roots for water and nutrients. Spread 3 to 4 inches of mulch over the prepared area to suppress weeds and retain moisture. Keep mulch 6 inches away from where the trunk will be. Piling mulch against the trunk causes rot. While you’re prepping for winter, it’s also a good time to protect your trees from frost if a cold snap is coming.

Stock up on supplies at end-of-year prices

December is the month to buy everything you’ll need for spring in bulk. Prices on consumables drop because home centers need to clear warehouse space before year-end inventory counts.

Mulch and amendments. Bags of compost, steer manure, and bark mulch stack up on pallets at Home Depot and Lowe’s all winter. A 2 cubic foot bag of premium compost runs $6-8 in spring. In December, you can find them for $4-5. Buy 10-20 bags now if you have dry storage space. The stuff doesn’t expire.

Drip irrigation kits. Rain Bird and DIG brand kits go 25-30% off from November through January. If you’re adding fruit trees or a new hedge row, get the irrigation roughed in now while the ground is soft. A basic drip system for five trees runs about $45 on sale versus $65 in April.

Landscape fabric and staples. 30% off is common. Stock up for spring bed preparation. A 300-foot commercial roll that costs $40 in March goes for $25-28 in December.

Tree care essentials. TreeGator watering bags run about $28 each. Buy a few now for any trees you’ll plant in January or February. They deliver 20 gallons slowly over 6-8 hours, which is exactly what newly planted trees need. Our winter tree care guide explains the full watering schedule for new and established trees through the cold months.

Tree wrap. Dewitt tree wrap costs about $8-10 per roll and protects young trunks from sunscald and frost cracking. Pick up 2-3 rolls. You’ll need them for any bare root trees you plant in January, and wrapping young trunks for their first 3-5 winters prevents the kind of bark damage that shortens a tree’s life by decades. See our sapling protection guide for the full wrap-and-guard protocol.

Don’t overlook hardscape and tools

December sales aren’t limited to plants and consumables. Paving stones, decorative gravel, and hand tools all go on sale at home centers and garden shops during winter. If you know you’ll need a soaker hose or a new pair of bypass pruners come spring, buy them now at 20% to 40% off.

Specific deals I look for every December:

• Bypass pruners: Felco F-2 pruners run $55-65 normally. December closeouts at independent shops drop them to $40-45. Worth every penny. They last 20 years with nothing more than an annual blade sharpening and a new spring every five years.
• Folding saws: The Silky GomBoy 240mm cuts through 3-inch branches like butter. It runs $35-40 year-round, but you can sometimes find last year’s model discounted to $25-28 in December. Every homeowner with trees needs a folding saw.
• Wheelbarrows and garden carts: Seasonal markdowns hit in November and December. A steel wheelbarrow that costs $110 in spring sells for $75-85 now.
• Raised bed kits: If you’re planning a spring vegetable garden alongside your tree projects, December is when cedar raised bed kits drop 30-40% at Costco and home centers.

If you’re planning a bigger project, December and January are also the cheapest months to book a landscaping contractor. Their schedules are wide open and they’ll negotiate on price.

Winter tool maintenance

December is the perfect time to service your tools for the year ahead. The work takes a Saturday afternoon and saves you from dull blades and seized handles in spring.

Pruners and loppers. Disassemble your bypass pruners. Clean the blade with rubbing alcohol to remove dried sap. Sharpen the cutting blade with a fine diamond file at the factory bevel angle (about 23 degrees on Felcos). Replace the spring if it’s lost tension. Wipe all metal parts with a light coat of camellia oil or 3-IN-ONE oil. Total cost: maybe $5 in supplies. A properly maintained pair of Felcos cuts as cleanly in year 15 as it did in year 1.

Shovels and spades. Sharpen the edge with a mill file. Sand wooden handles lightly and rub in boiled linseed oil to prevent cracking and splinters. Check for loose heads and tighten or re-seat them. Replace any handle that’s cracked more than halfway through.

Saws. Clean the blade with a wire brush and mineral spirits. Silky and other Japanese pull-saws have replaceable blades. If yours is dull after a full season, swap in a new blade for $15-20 instead of buying a whole new saw.

Power tools. Drain old fuel from gas-powered equipment or add fuel stabilizer. Change spark plugs and air filters on chainsaws, leaf blowers, and mowers. Sharpen or replace mower blades. A chainsaw with a sharp chain and clean air filter starts on the first or second pull. A neglected one doesn’t start at all when you need it in a February storm.

Gift ideas for tree lovers

If you’ve got a gardener on your holiday shopping list, skip the generic gift cards. Practical tree and garden gifts get used constantly and the recipients remember them for years.

Under $20: A soil moisture meter ($12-15) takes the guesswork out of watering. Copper plant labels ($10-15 for a 25-pack) look sharp in any garden bed. A hand-forged hori hori knife ($15-18) works for planting, weeding, and digging.

$20-50: Felco F-2 pruners at $40-45 on December sale are a gift that lasts two decades. A Silky GomBoy folding saw at $35 is the kind of tool people don’t buy themselves but use every month once they have one.

$50-100: A bare root fruit tree (available starting in January, but you can write up a “voucher” for the holidays) makes a gift that produces for 30+ years. A gift certificate to a local independent nursery for $50-75 lets the recipient pick their own species.

Books: Michael Dirr’s “Manual of Woody Landscape Plants” ($50-60) is the reference that every serious tree person keeps on the shelf. “The Pruning Book” by Lee Reich ($20) is the clearest pruning guide I’ve read.

What NOT to buy in December

Not everything is a good December purchase. Skip these:

Warm-season annuals. Petunias, marigolds, and zinnias won’t survive winter planting. Wait until after your last frost date (mid-March in Sacramento, mid-February along the coast).

Tropical plants for outdoors. That bargain citrus or bougainvillea will freeze if you plant it in December and a cold snap rolls through. Citrus can handle brief dips to 28-32F once established, but a newly planted one has zero cold tolerance. Wait until March.

Sod and grass seed. Cool-season grasses like tall fescue can technically be seeded in fall, but December is too late. The seed won’t germinate in cold soil. Wait until September for fall seeding or March for spring.

Regional timing differences

Not everyone gardens in Northern California’s mild zone 9b. Here’s how December buying strategy shifts by region.

Pacific Northwest (zones 7b-8b). Portland, Seattle, and the Willamette Valley have wetter, colder Decembers than Sacramento. Nursery discounts are similar, but plant in January or February when rain eases up. The ground stays workable all winter because it rarely freezes hard. Focus December shopping on container stock you can hold for a few weeks.

Midwest and Northeast (zones 4-6). The ground freezes by late November in most years. You can’t plant in December, but you can buy supplies, plan bare root orders from mail-order nurseries, and take advantage of tool sales. Stark Brothers, Raintree, and Trees of Antiquity all open bare root pre-orders in November and December. The best varieties sell out by January. Order early, and they’ll ship at the right planting time for your zone.

Southeast (zones 7-9). December is a solid planting month across most of Georgia, the Carolinas, Alabama, and north Florida. Nurseries discount just like they do in California. Take advantage. The ISA’s planting research shows fall and winter plantings in the Southeast outperform spring plantings because roots get established before the brutal summer heat and humidity. For more on optimal timing by zone, see our best time to plant trees guide.

Southwest desert (zones 9-10). Phoenix, Tucson, and Las Vegas have ideal December planting weather. Daytime temps in the 60s and cool nights are perfect for root establishment. Desert nurseries don’t always discount as heavily because winter is their peak planting season, but you’ll still find deals on leftover fall stock.

Planning ahead for spring

December is when smart homeowners map out their spring projects. Grab a notebook and walk your property. Note which trees need pruning, which beds need refreshing, and where you want to add new plantings. Sketch out a rough plan.

Figure out your spring budget now. If you know you’ll spend $500 on trees and $200 on supplies, buy the supplies in December at a discount and save the remaining budget for bare root stock in January. You’ll stretch that $700 roughly 25% further than someone who buys everything at full price in April.

Call your arborist in December if you need tree work done. Arborists are slammed from March through October. Book your dormant pruning or removal work now for a February or March date. You’ll get on the schedule and often get a better rate during the slow season.

If you have hedges that need attention, December is a fine time to do a light shape-up on most evergreen hedges. Check our hedge trimming guide for species-specific timing so you don’t cut at the wrong point in the growth cycle.

December planting checklist

If you’re buying and planting this month, here’s the sequence:

1. Scout deals at two or three local nurseries the first week of December
2. Measure your planting sites and check sun exposure (winter sun angles are different from summer)
3. Dig holes 2-3x wider than root balls, bowl-shaped
4. Buy your trees and shrubs at the best price you find
5. Plant the same day you buy, or within 48 hours
6. Water deeply at planting, then once a week through winter if it doesn’t rain
7. Mulch 3-4 inches deep, 6 inches away from the trunk
8. Wrap young tree trunks with tree wrap to prevent sunscald
9. Start planning your bare root purchases for January
10. Service your pruning tools so they’re sharp and ready for dormant pruning in February

Once spring tree care season arrives in March, your December plantings will already have two to three months of root growth. That head start makes a real difference when July hits 105F.

The bottom line

Most people think of spring as planting season, and it is. But the buying season starts in December. Do your shopping now, prep your sites, service your tools, and have everything ready so you’re planting instead of scrambling when January hits. The homeowners who get the best-looking yards aren’t the ones with the biggest budgets. They’re the ones who buy smart and plant on time.