What to Plant in November (UK)

November is the quiet, tidy-up month. Most sowing is over, frosts arrive across much of the UK, and the real work is planting for next year and protecting what you've got. Here's your scannable job list — pair it with the planting calendar to plan ahead.

Sow indoors

Very little to sow now, but a couple of options under cover keep things ticking over.

• Microgreens and pea shoots — quick, easy and perfect on a bright kitchen windowsill. See windowsill growing.
• Winter salad leaves — sow in trays in a greenhouse or porch for cut-and-come-again pickings. More in our winter salad leaves guide.

Sow outdoors

Outdoor sowing is mostly done, but two hardy crops can still go in if your soil isn't waterlogged or frozen.

• Autumn broad beans — sow a hardy variety like 'Aquadulce Claudia' now for an early crop next spring. See sowing broad beans in autumn.
• Garlic — still fine to plant outdoors; it actually needs a cold spell to form good bulbs. Full method in the garlic guide.

Plant out

This is November's main event. Bare-root planting season is in full swing — plants are cheaper than potted ones and establish well while dormant.

• Garlic (if you haven't already) — plant cloves now for a summer harvest. See garlic.
• Bare-root fruit bushes — raspberries, gooseberries and blueberries all go in well now while dormant.
• Bare-root fruit trees — apples, pears and cherries establish brilliantly planted in the cool, damp soil.
• Rhubarb — plant new crowns now for years of spring stalks. See rhubarb.
• Autumn broad beans — plug-grown plants can be set out under cover.

Harvest now

The veg patch is still feeding you — and a frost makes some crops taste better.

• Parsnips — sweeter after the first frosts; lift as you need them. See carrots for the related root method.
• Leeks — standing well through the cold. See leeks.
• Kale — picking through winter; the cold improves the flavour. See kale.
• Brussels sprouts — pick from the bottom of the stem upwards.
• Winter cabbage — firm, frost-hardy heads. See cabbage.
• Celeriac — lift before the hardest frosts, or mulch and leave in the ground.

Jobs for November

A handful of jobs now save you a lot of grief in spring.

• Mulch your beds — spread a thick layer of compost or well-rotted manure to feed the soil and protect it over winter. This is the heart of no-dig gardening.
• Tidy and clear — pull spent crops, weed, and stack debris. Save fallen leaves to make leaf mould.
• Protect tender plants — wrap pots, move containers to a sheltered spot, and fleece anything borderline-hardy.
• Clean and store — wash pots and tidy the greenhouse so it's ready in spring. See greenhouse growing.
• Check your frost dates — use the frost date checker to know how cold your patch gets.

What to get for November jobs

November is bare-root and mulching season, so a few basics make the work easier. As always, only buy what you'll actually use.

That's November — short, but it sets up your whole next year. For the full year at a glance, see the month-by-month gardening guide, and if you're just beginning, our guide to starting a vegetable garden and the easiest crops for beginners will get you going.