9 Tasty Crops to Harvest in November
It's time to grab your basket and head out to harvest your cool-season crops. As the cold weather approaches, here are nine crops that you can finish or begin harvesting in November.
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The summer squash and tomatoes are long gone and the temperature is starting to drop. November is the time to start checking on those cool-weather crops to see what is ripe for the harvest.
Depending on when you started your cool-weather crops, you may have a bountiful crop to serve for Thanksgiving! Some greens need a frost or two to sweeten up. If you’ve had some cold weather already, they should be ready by now.
If you’ve been closely watching your garden lately, you’ll notice some things are booming. Grab your harvest basket and head out to check on your brassicas and leafy greens. Here are nine crops that you can harvest in November!
Spinach ‘Oceanside’
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botanical name Spinacea oleracea ‘Oceanside’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 4”-6” |
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hardiness zones 2-11 |
Tender spinach leaves pack a major nutrient punch and taste great, too! This cool-weather crop is one of the fastest to mature, especially if you want to harvest young leaves. ‘Oceanside’ is ready to pick in 25 days and fully mature in 40-60 days. The tender leaves are easy to clean and have a smooth texture.
You can plant spinach in late summer and early fall, depending on your climate. It’s frost-resistant and loses its bitterness after a frost or two, making it sweeter and more flavorful. It’s cold hardy to 20°F (-7°C), so you still have quite some time in most climates. The best time to harvest is between your first frost and first hard freeze dates.
In Zones 8 and 9, it might still be early, and a little too warm for spinach. It’s best to wait for a cold front. In Zone 7 you’re probably just about ready. North of that, get to the gathering and enjoy that delicious spinach!
Carrots ‘Cosmic Purple’
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botanical name Daucus carota ‘Cosmic Purple’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 6″-7″ roots |
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hardiness zones 2-11 |
If you planted some late summer carrots, they should be ready to pull up any day now. ‘Cosmic Purple’ matures in about 70 days, which falls right in the middle of most varieties. This beautiful purple carrot is sweet and crunchy and chock-full of healthy anthocyanins.
You can directly sow carrot seeds from spring through late summer for a continuous supply. They are frost tolerant, though the tops will die back. The roots are much more tolerant and can survive colder temperatures. However, you want to harvest them before the ground freezes.
In warmer climates, you can harvest now and sow more seeds, as they will overwinter just fine in Zones 8 and higher. Like leafy greens, carrots get sweeter with some cold weather. It’s best to pull them up after a frost or two. The cold weather converts starch into sugar, making them extra sweet and delicious.
Cabbage ‘Copenhagen Market’
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botanical name Brassica oleracea var. capitata ‘Copenhagen Market’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 12”-16” |
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hardiness zones 2-11 |
Cabbage is another cool weather crop to harvest as it gets better with November’s cold weather. A few nights between 20 and 32°F (between -7 and 0°C) will sweeten them up nicely. If you cover them, you may get them to last a bit longer, but November is a good time to bring them in. As long as they are mature, there is no time like the present.
Cabbage stores well, so go ahead and gather them all. ‘Copenhagen Market’ is the gold standard for cabbages. It’s quick to mature, so if you plant by September first, they should be mature by mid-November at the latest. The compact heads work well in smaller gardens. In warm climates, make sure to hold off until they get some cold weather.
Meyer Lemon ‘Improved’
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botanical name Citrus x meyeri ‘Improved’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 10’ |
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hardiness zones 8-11 |
I’ve been monitoring my Meyer lemon tree closely for the past few weeks, and they are just about ready. Most citrus fruits ripen in November. They take such a long time to mature that when I see them start to take on some yellow, I get excited.
Meyer lemons are a hybrid between a lemon and a mandarin. They’re extra sweet and mild but still have the tartness of their lemon parentage. They grow best in Zones 8-11, but they also make nice patio trees. You can keep them pruned to a manageable size and bring them indoors for a hard freeze.
I find that my tree produces a good crop every other year. We still get a few in the off years, but the good years bring about 40 lemons from my ten-foot tree. The fruits are not pithy, so they are great for infusing oil and making limoncello!
Cauliflower ‘Twister’
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botanical name Brassica oleracea var. botrytis ‘Twister’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 24”-30” |
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hardiness zones 2-11 |
Cauliflower is another cool-season brassica that matures about the same time as cabbage. Plant this hardy crop in late summer for a November harvest. In terms of flavor, it’s not greatly affected by frost, so as soon as it’s mature, go ahead and bring it in. However, it will tolerate frost, so don’t worry if you can’t get to it immediately.
‘Twister’ is a fun variety with medium-sized heads and twisting green leaves. The leaves wrap tightly around the heads, giving them extra protection from sun-scald. This variety is also heat tolerant, so it’s great for warmer climates. The leaves are also edible and have a flavor similar to chard.
Delicata Squash ‘Honey Boat’
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botanical name Cucurbita pepo ‘Honey Boat’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 9’-12’ vines |
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hardiness zones 2-11 |
If you wait until November, this crop is on the brink of being too late to harvest. Still, in warmer climates, this is a good time. Don’t wait until after a frost to bring in your delicata squash. These winter squash are a favorite at my house. We love to roast them with butter and honey—yum!
‘Honey Boat’ is quick to mature, so you can plant a crop of these in summer for a late fall harvest in mild climates. They have rich, golden flesh and thin but sturdy skin. This is the perfect squash, in my opinion. They store very well, so you’ll have them all winter, but the skin is tender enough to eat it with the rest.
Delicata squash is high in Vitamins A and C, folate, calcium, and potassium. They are a nutritional powerhouse, and the flavor is well-balanced with smooth, tender flesh.
Lettuce ‘Rouge d’Hiver’
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botanical name Lactuca sativa ‘Rouge d’Hiver’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 6”-10” |
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hardiness zones 2-11 |
Lettuce is another cool weather, leafy green that likes a bit of frost. You can harvest lettuce continuously over a long period, as it tolerates temperatures as low as 20°F (-7°C). Much like other greens, frost sweetens it, so it’s good to leave it in the ground until that happens. In Zones 8 and higher, hold off unless it’s been a cold season.
‘Rouge d’Hiver’ is a gorgeous French heirloom variety with some serious staying power. It’s been popular for more than a century, and it’s no wonder. This crisp romaine variety gets its name from its color and season, red of winter. The leaves are a stunning shade of bronzed red. You can harvest baby greens in as few as 20 days after planting.
Broccoli ‘Di Cicco’
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botanical name Brassica oleracea var. italia ‘Di Cicco’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 24”-36” |
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hardiness zones 2-11 |
Broccoli is a fan favorite and one I can be certain that my kids will always eat. There are so many ways to cook those crunchy little florets, and they are nutritionally dense. Broccoli freezes well and tolerates cold temperatures, similar to cauliflower. A bit of cold makes them more flavorful. The leaves are edible, and frost will sweeten them, too.
‘Di Cicco’ is a beautiful heirloom Italian variety that produces tons of medium-sized florets. The flavor is excellent, and it matures quickly, in about 48 days, and produces for a long period. Cut off the main floret when it reaches three inches in diameter. This will encourage branching, and more florets to form.
Radish ‘Cherry Belle’
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botanical name Raphanus sativus ‘Cherry Belle’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 1” roots |
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hardiness zones 2-11 |
Cute, crunchy, and quick to mature, radishes are a great cool-weather crop. You can plant them in October for a November harvest or start them earlier and succession grow for a continuous harvest. Radishes are great for growing with kids because they grow quickly. They are easy to care for and don’t mind cold weather. Similar to carrots, cold sweetens them, and the tops will die back in a frost, but the roots are much more tolerant.
‘Cherry Belle’ is a small and fast-maturing heirloom variety. The one-inch red radishes have a mild flavor and give a nice crunch to salads and sandwiches. It’s also an All-American Selections award winner. These pretty radishes make a lovely garnish and the flavor is mild enough to eat them raw.
