Don't Shut Your Garden Down for November

The arrival of cooler or even colder weather does not mean it's time to throw in the trowel and wait to garden again until the spring. November is still a great month for planting in the garden, both for southern and, yes, northern gardeners. Keep reading to find out at least 5 things you can grow in November, whether you live in a cold climate, a hot climate, or somewhere in between.

What Can You Plant in Warmer Areas in November?

This section is for those of you who aren't expecting their first frost until December or even January. Your November temps will range from the 40s to the 80s. I know we definitely had highs of 85°F some days when I lived in Houston. November is your time to grow loads of greens, root crops, and peas now that your temperatures are finally starting to cool down a bit.

Leaves

November begins your prime time to grow all sorts of greens, everything from lettuces, romaine, and kale to arugula, spinach, and even Swiss chard. These plants grow best when planted directly by seed in the garden, and many are frost tolerant, if not frost resistant, particularly kale and spinach. So plant them now to have garden-fresh leaves all winter long.

Now is also a great time to plant chives to help protect all your leafy greens from pests.

Roots

You can plant beds of carrots, radishes, or beets, all of which should also be grown from seed. These plants need enough room for each seed to become the full-sized root, as well as at least six hours of direct sun. Radishes are one of the easiest things to grow, and you'll get your harvest before we even get to the holidays!

They're technically bulbs, but garlic and onions can be planted in the fall in warmer areas, as well. You'll want to select softneck garlic varieties (usually available at your local farmers' market) and onion sets that are used to growing in your climate.

These plants add flavor to your winter dishes but also protect your leafy green crops from pests.

Fruit

If you've got garden trellises, planting snow peas or sugar snap peas will yield beautiful green vines on your trellises and lots of sweet pods to harvest right around Christmas time. Your vines will continue to grow all winter long in your climate, so you can look forward to fresh peas in December, January, and beyond.

Make sure you can give your peas at least 6 hours of sunlight a day.

November is a favorite time for planting in warmer spots of the country as it's finally cool enough to enjoy being outdoors, yet still plenty warm to grow some of the best-tasting greens and peas possible.

What Can You Plant in Milder Areas in November?

This section is for those of you who are likely expecting your first frost this month. Your temperatures range from about 35°F to 65°F, maybe 75°F. The things you can plant in November need to be able to survive frost, so we'll focus on leaves and roots. Some of the plants I'll recommend below actually taste a little better after a light freeze.

Leaves

Spinach is a great frost-tolerant green to grow. It thrives in cooler temps and tastes most delicious after it gets hit with some frost. If you haven't had much success growing spinach in the past, try growing it now that you're really getting into colder temps.

Next up is red mustard, which I love growing when it's nice and cold. I've seen mustard plants bounce back from being snowed on and completely iced over. These leaves make for the most delicious stir fry in the dead of winter.

Lastly, you could plant cilantro. If you've been killing all your cilantro, it's because you're trying to grow it in the middle of the summer with your tomatoes. Cilantro loves it when it's cold. And here in my Nashville garden, cilantro thrives all winter long. November is the perfect time to plant some cilantro seeds.

Roots

There are at least two different root crops you can plant for this winter. The first is beets, which are frost-resistant. They can germinate in cooler soil and will continue to grow even when it's cold. If you sow beet seeds now, they may pause their growth if it dips below freezing in the middle of winter, but they'll bounce right back and finish up in the early spring.

The most important root to plant in November is technically a bulb. Garlic needs to be planted this month, ideally about 2 to 3 weeks after your first frost. Garlic cloves need to go in when the soil starts to cool down. They need about 10 weeks of temperatures below 40°F before they'll start to turn into bulbs in the spring. So do not—I repeat, do not—let November pass without planting some garlic in your mild-climate garden.

What Can you Plant in Colder Areas in November?

This last section is for my Northern friends. I hear you, I feel you, I have been you. If you live somewhere that's already gotten snow and you know that pretty much every day from here until—I don't know—Mother's Day is going to have the potential for ice or snow, there are still some delicious things even you can plant this month.

Leaves

You can still grow many of the leafy greens they're planting down South, as long as you have a frost cloth, cold frame, or glass cloche to protect your salad greens when frost or snow arrive. The more savoy (bumpy) the leaves of your greens are, the more resistant to frost they'll be, so it's safe to plant lots of kale, cabbage, and spinach too. Plants will slow down their growth, especially when sunlight hours decrease, but you'll be amazed at the greens you can harvest even when it's freezing outside. 

You can also grow tons of leaves indoors in November. Microgreens and sprouts will give you tons of fresh greens to toss on your salads every day throughout the wintertime. Even if you look out your window and all you can see is white, you can have green on your plate that you grew yourself. Plus, these tiny greens are packed with all the nutrition of their mature counterparts, so don't doubt the power of growing and enjoying your own sprouts and microgreens this winter, okay?

Roots

There's one root you can plant this month. Actually, it's a bulb. Now is actually the perfect time to plant garlic cloves in your garden. By planting garlic in November, you'll give the cloves time to establish roots, settle in for the winter, and start growing strong as soon as the snow melts in spring. You'll have big, beautiful bulbs around May or June of next year.

The best time to plant garlic is about 2 to 3 weeks after your first frost. Do not wait. I remember one December in Chicago, I was in my garden with an ice pick trying to get some garlic bulbs into the ground.

In colder areas, hard-neck garlic typically does best. Make sure to give each clove ample space to sprout in spring and grow into a full bulb by next summer.

Beyond that, you can be creative with your November plantings if you're willing to do a little bit of covering and add protection to your garden over the next few months.

Keep Growing in November

Even in November, my goal is to never stop planting or growing. In fact, November is a great time to make the most of the final season of the year and really stretch what you think is possible in the garden. When I plant late in the season, I always treat it like an experiment, like I'm a scientist in a lab coat coaxing nature out of its normal routine to see what's possible.

After all, what do you really have to lose by testing the limits of what the gardening books say you can do? A few wasted seeds?

But if something works, you have so much to gain, including overflowing salad bowls and lots of added experience as a gardener.

So, put on your coat, grab some winter boots if you have to, step outside, and dig in—one last time this year.