What to Plant in November in Zone 9
Here is what you can sow in November if you garden in USDA zone 9. Dates use typical zone 9 frosts, so your own microclimate may shift them by a week or two.
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| Crop | Window | Sow between |
|---|---|---|
| CilantroCalypso | fall | Sep 21 – Nov 4 |
| Lettuce, leafSalad Bowl | fall | Sep 21 – Nov 20 |
| Lettuce, romaineChalupa | fall | Sep 21 – Nov 20 |
| Lettuce, headButtercrunch | fall | Sep 21 – Nov 4 |
| SpinachBloomsdale | fall | Sep 21 – Nov 9 |
| ArugulaAstro | fall | Sep 21 – Nov 20 |
| RadishCherry Belle | fall | Sep 21 – Nov 4 |
| Onion, bulbTexas Legend | fall | Oct 10 – Nov 21 |
| GarlicMusic | fall | Oct 1 – Nov 30 |
| Fava Bean (Broad Bean)Broad Windsor | fall | Nov 4 – Dec 12 |
| SorrelProfusion | fall | Sep 21 – Nov 5 |
| WatercressCommon | fall | Sep 21 – Nov 5 |
| ParsnipHollow Crown | spring | Nov 28 – Jan 9 |
| LeekLincoln | spring | Nov 28 – Jan 9 |
| ShallotAmbition | fall | Nov 14 – Dec 19 |
| CeleriacPrinz | spring | Nov 14 – Dec 26 |
| Strawberry, day-neutralAlbion | fall | Oct 6 – Nov 5 |
| DillFernleaf | fall | Oct 3 – Nov 14 |
| ChervilCurled | fall | Oct 10 – Nov 21 |
| Strawberry, June-bearingHoneoye | fall | Oct 6 – Nov 5 |
| Lettuce | fall | Sep 21 – Nov 20 |
| Onion | fall | Oct 10 – Nov 21 |
| Calendula (Pot Marigold)Resina | fall | Sep 21 – Nov 4 |
| Mache (Corn Salad)Vit | fall | Oct 6 – Nov 25 |
| Cress, gardenCurled | fall | Sep 21 – Nov 20 |
Zone 9 in November
Zone 9 in November: garlic goes in as the direct sow window closes
Garlic, fava beans, and shallots start their long season
Garlic, fava bean, and shallot all begin their only planting window this month, and garlic in particular rewards planting into cooling soil: separate cloves the day you plant rather than days ahead, plant pointed end up about 2 inches deep, and space cloves 4 to 6 inches apart to give bulbs room to divide through winter.
Softneck garlic varieties generally handle zone 9's mild winters better than hardneck types, since hardneck garlic tends to want a longer, colder dormancy to form well defined cloves, and a mild winter can leave hardneck bulbs small or poorly divided at harvest.
The last direct sowing before frost arrives
Cilantro, lettuce, spinach, arugula, and radish are all making their final appearance of the year this month, since the first frost typically returns to zone 9 in the first half of December, and a seed sown in the last week of November may only get 2 to 3 weeks of growth before cold slows it to a stop.
Fast crops are the safer bet this late: radish and arugula can reach a harvestable size in as little as 25 to 30 days, while a lettuce head sown now is more of a gamble that depends on exactly how mild the coming December turns out to be.
Protecting what is already in the ground
Strawberry plantings from September and October are settling into dormancy now, and a 2 to 3 inch layer of straw mulch over the crowns helps buffer the handful of nights each winter that dip into the high 20s, without smothering the plants the way a thicker mulch layer can.
Check onion and shallot beds weekly for birds pulling up newly planted sets, a common nuisance in the first 2 weeks after planting; a length of row cover pinned down at the edges solves the problem without needing any repellent.
November in zone 9: common questions
What can I plant in November in zone 9?+
In November, USDA zone 9 gardeners can sow Cilantro, Lettuce, leaf, Lettuce, romaine, Lettuce, head, Spinach, Arugula, and more. Dates use typical zone 9 frosts, so your own microclimate may shift them by a week or two.
What USDA hardiness zone am I in?+
Zone 9 is one band of the map, but planting time is set by your local frost dates, not the zone number. Enter your ZIP code in the free planner and it uses your actual frost dates, which can differ by weeks within a single zone.
Are these November planting dates exact?+
They are typical zone 9 windows. Two gardens in the same zone can be a week or two apart because of elevation and local climate, so treat these as a starting point and tune them to your ZIP code with the free planner.