What to Sow in November for Winter Success

November might feel like the chilly end of the gardening year, but there are still plenty of seeds you can sow for harvests through winter and strong crops next spring. With a little planning—and sometimes a cold frame or windowsill—November sowings can keep you in greens, roots, and flavor while much of the garden sleeps.

Why Sow in November?

• Continuous harvests: Fill the “hungry gap” with salad, greens, and early roots.
• Earlier crops next year: Some overwintered veggies leap ahead once spring arrives.
• Productive indoor space: Windowsills and greenhouses are ideal for microgreens and tender herbs.

Top Seeds to Sow in November

1. Broad Beans (in mild, southern regions or undercover):
– ‘Aquadulce Claudia’ is the classic overwintering variety. – Sow direct in the ground, or start in pots in a cold frame or greenhouse.

2. Garlic and Shallots:
– Finish planting cloves for big heads and early harvest.

3. Hardy Peas (e.g., ‘Meteor’, under cover or in mild climates):
– Early sowings for the fastest spring peas.

4. Winter Salad Mixes:
– Lamb’s lettuce (corn salad), winter purslane (miner’s lettuce), land cress, claytonia. – Great for cold frames, greenhouses, or even indoor troughs.

5. Leafy Microgreens:
– Mustard, radish, beetroot, rocket, and pea shoots can be sown in trays on windowsills for a nutritious winter harvest.

6. Spring Onions:
– Overwintering varieties like ‘White Lisbon Winter Hardy’ sown now will be first to pick next spring.

7. Hardy Herbs:
– Parsley, chervil, and coriander do well in pots indoors or in a cold frame.

8. Green Manure Crops:
– Field beans, vetch, or winter rye sown now cover and enrich soil for next spring’s crops.

Sowing Tips for November

• Use protection: Cloches, cold frames, fleece, or unheated greenhouses shield seedlings from frost.
• Choose the right spot: South-facing beds or containers on patios get more warmth.
• Don’t overwater: Cooler, wetter weather means seeds may rot—keep just moist.
• Succession matters: Sow a pinch of salad seed every two weeks through winter for a constant supply.

Indoors/Under Cover

• Start pots of cut-and-come-again greens, pea shoots, or microherbs on your brightest windowsill.
• Use heated propagators for basil, coriander, and other soft herbs if you want a small windowsill jungle.

Sowing in November keeps your gardening hands busy, your windowsills green, and your kitchen stocked—even when the garden outside is shivering. Don’t hang up your trowel yet—success through the winter starts now!