What to sow and plant in the vegetable garden in November?
November is mainly for planting garlic. In mild areas or sheltered spots you can also sow hardy varieties of broad beans and peas. It's the month to get the soil ready, too: clear old crops, spread well-rotted compost and mulch any empty beds.
Garlic
Garlic needs a cold spell to form a good bulb, which is why it goes in between mid-autumn and early winter. Use named seed garlic and give it a sunny spot with free-draining soil. The garlic guide has the details.
Broad beans and peas
The RHS says broad beans can be sown in October or November only in milder areas or very sheltered sites, using a hardy variety and protecting young plants in cold spells. Peas can also be sown in autumn in pots and kept under cover through the winter. Timings and depths are in the peas and broad beans guide.
Jobs for the month
Clear spent and diseased plants, keeping the diseased ones off the compost heap so the problem doesn't stay in the garden. Spread compost or well-rotted manure on the beds you'll sow in spring, and mulch any bare soil. Have cloches or fleece ready for the coldest nights.
In the app
Every plant in the catalogue has its own sowing calendar, and weather alerts for your area help you judge whether to sow now or hold off.
Frequently asked questions
Can I plant supermarket garlic?
Better not. The RHS advises against it because it may not suit your climate and can carry disease. Use named seed garlic instead.
Will November-sown broad beans survive frost?
Hardy varieties are suited to autumn sowing, but in cold areas protect them or wait until late winter.