Herbs. Certain herbs don't mind the cold: Thyme, rosemary, parsley, chives, and cilantro actually prefer cool temperatures. Some herbs are perennial, so you'll plant once and enjoy for years. Plant transplants now so you'll have fresh herbs for all the upcoming holiday feasts.
Vegetables such as carrots, kale, and onions mature quickly (even from seed) and yield a healthy harvest before the first frost. There are also a few flower varieties that can last through the cold weather to add color and texture to your flower beds. November is still prime time to be sowing bulbs of foxglove as well.
The date that your ground actually freezes varies from year to year, of course, and some areas won't have frozen ground at all. If you're unsure, mid-November is a safe planting deadline for nearly everyone. - Get everything in the ground before the ground freezes.
November in Southern California USDA Zone 10b is the perfect time to start a variety of fall vegetables and flowers. You can either start directly from seed or buy ready to transplant from your local nursery.
Vegetables to plant in November: Beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, collards, kale, kohlrabi, onions (seed & sets), radishes, spinach and strawberries. Vegetables to plant in December: Beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, kale, onions (seed & sets) and radishes.
The latest time to plant for most vegetables would be the second week in June with a short harvest time. If planting crops that mature within 50 days, you could plant those as late as the last week in June, but keep in mind the weather will be turning cooler, especially at night. Cool crops are best for late plantings.
Some edible options for winter sowing include the classic cool-season crops – like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. Leafy greens – like lettuce, kale and bok choy – are also hardy annual options. Herbs like sage, oregano, dill, and mint are good winter sowing candidates too.
Tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, lettuce, onions, herbs, and many annual and perennial flowers can be started indoors during winter. Plant species, as well as the variety, will dictate which month is right. This information can be found on the back of or inside individual seed packets.
Fast-growing root veggies such as radishes, beets, and turnips also thrive in cool conditions and take less than two months to mature. Fall is also a good time to plant onion sets and garlic cloves for harvest in late spring or summer of the following year.
If you've missed that window, but you still want to conduct seeding practices this fall, my recommendation is to wait until November to seed. This practice is called “dormant seeding” and is certainly an effective way to introduce new species and/or varieties of turf into your existing lawn.
Planting flower seed in November/December is really easy. It is just like planting grass seed. Turn the area where you want to plant the seed carefully, and then rake the soil surface to flatten the area and remove all clumps of soil.
A complete listing of vegetables that can be planted in December and through the winter includes beet, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, Chinese cabbage, collard, endive, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, mustard, onion, peas (English and snow), radish, rape, rutabaga, shallot, Swiss chard and turnip ...
In Zones 5-7, lettuce should be started in early November and will need mulching. In Zones 8-10, start lettuce in late November.
The best time to begin planting trees and shrubs is six weeks before the first sign of hard frost. Roughly September through November ideally to allow the roots to become established before the ground freezes and winter sets in.
Winter sowing is the process of planting seeds outdoors in a container during the winter months. The container remains outdoors until the seedlings emerge in the spring. The container protects the seeds from animals and harsh weather, but the exposure to colder temperatures breaks dormancy and the seeds germinate.
Examples include: winter rye, hairy vetch, red clover, oats, buckwheat, forage rye, Italian rye grass (sown by October), field beans, and forage pea (sown by November). Cover crops literally make a living “cover” to sustain soil life until spring planting.
Quick-growing vegetables perfect for cool spring and fall growing conditions include leafy greens, carrots, beets, radishes, and peas. Started from seed, many are ready for harvest in just four to six weeks.
By midsummer you should be knee-deep in tomatoes, beans, zucchini, and peppers, so it can be hard to remind yourself to shop for seeds for your next season of vegetable gardening. However, July and August are the best time to get a start on fall and winter food gardening.
It's never too late. It just matters what you put into that garden. It's too late to grow tomatoes in your Chicago garden in September because you'll be getting cold weather soon, but you could still grow carrots, radishes, and lettuce plants.
Depending on your local climate, June or July is the latest possible date you can plant cucumbers in order for them to be able to yield any fruit. When planted in warmer weather, the plants will establish much more quickly than when planted in the spring.