What to Plant in November USA
On this page
- November planting by region
- When to plant garlic: the November picture
- Can you still plant vegetables in November?
- Hot band (zones 8-10): what extension guides list for...
- Cover crops in November: a risky window
- Frost protection: what row cover and low tunnels real...
- Which vegetables handle fall cold?
- November garden jobs
- Common November mistakes
- More USA planting guides
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Plan your November beds
What to plant in November in the USA depends entirely on your zone — this page answers it for every band. November is cleanup and protection in the cold and mild bands, and continued planting in the hot band. Mulch garlic, protect overwintering crops, finish bed preparation and plan next season.
Updated 29 September 2026 for November.
November planting by region
| Band | Sow outdoors | Start indoors | Plant out | Harvest now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cold band USDA zones 3-5 |
Nothing. | Nothing. | Nothing. | Stored crops; kale and leeks under cover. |
|
Mild band USDA zones 6-7 |
Broad beans and hardy peas in the mildest spots. | Nothing. | Garlic if not yet planted. | Kale, leeks, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, winter greens. |
|
Hot band USDA zones 8-10 |
Root crops, greens, peas, brassicas. | Nothing. | Winter brassica transplants. | Fall greens, brassicas, carrots, beets, citrus. |
When to plant garlic: the November picture
November is the tail end of garlic planting in the colder bands and the peak in the milder ones. These are the published extension recommendations:
| Region | Extension guidance | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Plains (South Dakota) | Two to three weeks after the first frost, or about mid-October; soil around 50°F at four inches deep is ideal | South Dakota State Univ. Extension |
| Midwest (Illinois) | Four to six weeks before the ground freezes, so cloves root before dormancy | Univ. of Illinois Extension |
| New England (New Hampshire) | October at northern sites, November at more southern sites | Univ. of New Hampshire Extension |
| Mid-Atlantic (Maryland) | Mid-to-late October, so cloves grow roots and a few leaves before cold weather | Univ. of Maryland Extension |
| North Carolina (zone 7) | Mid-October to early November | NC State Extension |
| Georgia | Late September through November | Univ. of Georgia Extension |
Both directions carry a risk. South Dakota State says garlic planted too early may be more susceptible to winter damage, and planted too late its roots will not have time to establish (SDSU Extension); Ohio State likewise warns that early planting gives above-ground growth that is vulnerable to winter damage (Ohio State Extension).
Mulch timing is where extension sources genuinely differ, and it tracks winter severity. In the colder north, South Dakota State says to add six to eight inches of straw or leaf mulch once the soil has frozen (SDSU), and New Hampshire likewise says to mulch once the ground is frozen to prevent frost-heaving (UNH). Ohio State and NC State instead mulch straight after planting, with four inches of clean straw (Ohio State) or four to six inches of straw or leaves (NC State). Follow the guidance for the climate closest to yours.
Can you still plant vegetables in November?
In the cold band, garlic (see above) is the main thing still going in, plus hardy seed sown just before the ground freezes. In the mild band, cool-season crops under cover and garlic; in the hot band, November is still an active planting month. The method behind every date on this page is the same: work backward from your average first frost (Iowa State Extension).
Hot band (zones 8-10): what extension guides list for November
North Florida (UF/IFAS): November transplants that establish easily include arugula, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collards, kale, kohlrabi and Swiss chard (UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions). South Florida still lists warm-season transplants alongside cool-season ones — eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and tomatillo (UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions). Arizona: keep frost cloth ready in case of a sudden freeze (Univ. of Arizona Cooperative Extension).
Cover crops in November: a risky window
Tennessee's extension calls November sowing risky, and says that if cover-crop planting slips into November, rye or wheat with vetch are good combinations (Univ. of Tennessee Extension). Vermont notes winter rye sown as late as the first light frost can still give some protection, at a high seeding rate (Univ. of Vermont Extension).
Frost protection: what row cover and low tunnels really give
Extension figures vary with fabric weight and source. Maryland lists heavyweight row cover as giving up to 8°F of frost protection (Univ. of Maryland Extension); Colorado State says floating row covers can provide up to 10°F depending on material (Colorado State Univ. Extension). Treat 2-10°F as the realistic range and check the grade printed on the pack. Hardy vegetables tolerate temperatures down to the mid-to-lower 20s°F (Iowa State Extension); under a low tunnel kale will tolerate 20°F or lower (Univ. of Illinois Extension), and spinach and cilantro are the hardiest (Iowa State Extension).
Which vegetables handle fall cold?
Virginia Cooperative Extension lists kale, turnip, mustard, broccoli and cabbage as cool-season crops that grow well during cool fall days and withstand light frosts (Virginia Cooperative Extension). Extension services do not publish a single ranked "easiest winter vegetable" list, so use the hardy crops they name and check days-to-maturity against your first-frost date.
November garden jobs
- Mulch garlic once the surface has chilled, not before.
- Put low tunnels or row cover over anything you want to keep harvesting.
- Clean, sharpen and oil tools before storing them.
- Take soil tests now — labs are quiet and you have time to act on results.
- Write up what worked and what did not while it is still fresh.
Common November mistakes
- Mulching garlic before the ground has cooled, which encourages rot and voles.
- Storing tools dirty and damp.
- Leaving the season's records until spring, by which point the detail is gone.
- Assuming nothing can be harvested — hardy greens crop all winter under cover.
- Relying on frost-tender crops to finish after a fall frost — they are killed or injured below 32°F.
Turn November's jobs into a written plan. The USA Vegetable Garden Planner (printable PDF) has frost-date planning pages, bed layouts, crop rotation, a sowing log and a harvest tracker — 74 printable pages.
More USA planting guides
- What to plant in October USA
- What to plant in December USA
- Vegetable Planting Calendar USA
- Vegetable Growing Guides for the USA
Frequently Asked Questions
What vegetables can I plant in November?
Garlic in the cold and mild bands; cool-season transplants and seeds in zones 8-10 (see the hot-band section above); hardy greens under row cover or a low tunnel almost anywhere.
What vegetables can I plant in fall and winter?
The hardy crops extension services name: kale, turnip, mustard, broccoli and cabbage (Virginia Cooperative Extension), with spinach and cilantro the hardiest under low tunnels (Iowa State Extension).
Is it too late to plant garlic in November?
Not in the milder half of the country: New Hampshire's ideal window runs into November at southern sites (UNH Extension), North Carolina's to early November (NC State Extension) and Georgia's through November (Univ. of Georgia Extension). Where the ground is already frozen, wait for spring.
What should you not plant in the fall?
Extension services do not publish one universal list. They do agree that frost-susceptible crops, which are killed or injured below 32°F, should not be relied on to finish (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension), and that woody trees and shrubs should not be pruned in fall (Iowa State Extension).
Should I mulch garlic before or after the ground freezes?
It depends on your winters: colder-climate extensions say after (SDSU, UNH), while Ohio State and NC State mulch right after planting (Ohio State, NC State).
Sources checked for this page (extension services and land-grant universities)
- Iowa State University Extension — yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/fall-planting-vegetables
- UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions — gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/infographics-collection/text-version-o
- University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Pima County — extension.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/2025-12/october-monthly-gard
- University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture — rutherford.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/200/2022/05/W235-I-F
- University of Vermont Extension — uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/winterrye.html
- University of Maryland Extension — extension.umd.edu/resource/row-covers
- Colorado State University Extension — extension.colostate.edu/resource/frost-protection-and-extending-the-gr
- University of Illinois Extension — extension.illinois.edu/blogs/green-speak/2017-11-06-extend-your-growin
- Iowa State University Extension — yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/using-low-tunnels-extend-se
- Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech — pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-334/426-334.html
- Iowa State University Extension — yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/faq/what-proper-way-harvest-and-st
- Iowa State University Extension — yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/storing-winter-storage-vege
- South Dakota State University Extension — extension.sdstate.edu/planting-garlic
- University of Illinois Extension — extension.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/growing_garlic_infosheet.pd
- University of New Hampshire Extension — extension.unh.edu/resource/growing-garlic-new-hampshire-fact-sheet
- University of Maryland Extension — extension.umd.edu/resource/growing-garlic-home-garden
- NC State Extension, Henderson County — henderson.ces.ncsu.edu/2025/10/its-time-for-garlic/
- University of Georgia CAES Extension — fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/publications/C854/garlic-production-for-the-g
- Ohio State University Extension — cfaes.osu.edu/fact-sheet/growing-garlic-garden
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service — agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Fall-Vegetable-G
- Iowa State University Extension — yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/fall-garden-tasks
Plan your November beds
Turn this month's list into a layout: sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner, then follow the whole season with the USA Vegetable Garden Planner (printable PDF, 74 pages). For the full year, see the USA vegetable planting calendar, browse every crop in the USA growing guides, or use the USA site directory.
Last updated 29 September 2026
Turn This Month's Jobs Into A Plan
Month-by-month advice works best when it becomes a written sowing list, bed plan, and follow-up task list.
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Plan the next step
Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.