Winter gardening is more about prep for very early spring crops. Sowing in November will take the pressure off in spring.  Getting as much planted as you can in November, will save you time when temperatures rise again.  There is another advantage though: The roots of your plants will help to keep the soil together and stop it being eroded by harsh weather.  Soil can really degrade if left bare during harsh winter storms and planting helps to prevent this.

Bare root trees

Avoid disappointment by appreciating that most of the crops will not be ready for eating in the winter months and spring is when you’ll get your reward. However, some, like winter salads, take a matter of weeks and pak choi, as a cut and come again, can be ready for eating in little over a month.

Fruit & Vegetables to be sown directly in November

There are many fruits and vegetables which enjoy growing during cold weather it

is a perfect time of year for planting cool-season vegetables and bare-root fruit trees, which are dormant when planted, but then have the full season to grow as soon as temperatures increase in spring.

10 Fruit to plant outdoors in November

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Steel Fruit Cage plant protection protects soft fruit from birds
  1. Apple
  2. Pear 
  3. Cherry
  4. Damson
  5. Blackcurrant
  6. Raspberry
  7. Blueberry
  8. Gooseberry
  9. Strawberry 
  10. Rhubarb crowns

Plant fruit trees now while they are dormant and take the opportunity to plant a variety of fruit bushes tooso these can get established as soon as temperatures rise.

Fruit bushes like blueberries and gooseberris do well in containers and strawberry plants are fantastic in patio planters.

Prepare the soil with lots of organic matter for planting rhubarb crowns.

10 Vegetables to Plant outdoors in November

  1. Kale
  2. Endive
  3. Winter salad such as Mustard Spinach
  4. Broad Beans
  5. Peas 
  6. Swiss chard
  7. Spring onions
  8. Pak Choi
  9. Shallots 
  10. Garlic

Look out for hardy seed varieties to ensure that they are suitable to over winter.  

Some crops such as winter salads, like winter gem and lambs lettuce, can be grown now but will need to be sown under cloches or cold frames for protection from harsh weather.

Hardy peas and  broad beans can be sown directly in autumn which will bring your harvest forwards by a few weeks.  

Hardier varieties of spring onion such as ‘Performer’, can be sown in autumn for winter and spring harvests. They do well in patio planters and can be protected with cloches.

Pak choi can be planted as a cut and come again crop with leaves being picked for stir fries in a few weeks.  

For onion, shallots and garlic choose sets now rather than seeds.  And how about trying elephant garlic which huge bulbs with a mild flavour?

Vegetable seeds to sow indoors in November

Don't forget a few indoor plants too.  Herbs such as basil, parsley, dill, and chives as well as chilli peppers can be sown all year round, to be grown indoors on a bright windowsill.

Enjoy whatever you plant in November! To see what to plant in December look here December Planting.