What to Plant in November: Complete Mediterranean Cool-Zone Planting Guide

Our Mediterranean garden rests and regenerates — November’s planting rhythm in full swing.

November may sound like a time for rest, but in a Mediterranean garden it’s the quiet builder of next spring’s success. Soil still carries the last whispers of summer warmth, rains return in earnest, and every small task — from sowing hardy greens to protecting brassicas — adds resilience for the months ahead.

On our own Portuguese hillside (Zone 8a), November is when the rhythm slows just enough to notice details: mulch depth, root spacing, and whether fleece is ready for the first frost alert. If you’ve been following our September and October guides, this is the natural continuation of your seasonal cycle.

Ready to keep growing? Let’s map out what to plant, protect, and harvest this November. And don’t miss Herman’s Tough Kraut Fixes at the end for real-world troubleshooting.

Mediterranean Zones 8–11 in November

Mediterranean climates divide neatly by rhythm, not by calendar. In Zones 8–11, November brings shorter days and longer dew hours, yet the soil rarely freezes. That means you can still plant — if you choose species that value cool roots and gentle light.

• Zone 8: Expect first frosts by mid-month; use fleece on greens.

• Zone 9: Mild nights, perfect for garlic, onions, and winter spinach.

• Zones 10–11: Grow almost continuously — focus on greens and herbs while avoiding heat-loving crops that attract aphids in humid air.

Observation remains your best tool: watch where frost lingers, where rain pools, and where mulch stays damp. Each clue refines your microclimate map for next year.

Best Vegetables to Plant in November (Zones 8–11)

• Spinach ‘Matador’ or ‘Giant Winter’: Sow directly; harvest baby leaves in 30 days.

• Broad Beans (Fava): Ideal for nitrogen-fixing and overwintering; sow 2–3 cm deep.

• Garlic & Onions: Finish planting by mid-month before heavy rain cools the soil.

Bright orange bounty — proof that November planting pays off in flavor-packed roots for our kitchen.

• Carrots & Beets: In warmer microclimates (Zones 9-10), continue staggered sowings for spring harvest.

• Lettuces & Asian Greens (Mizuna, Pak Choi): Under cover or fleece, they provide crisp harvests until January.

Tough Tip: Water newly sown beds deeply before a forecasted rain. Moisture plus oxygen equals fast germination — mud suffocates, drizzle revives.

Herbs & Perennials to Start Now

Even in cool months, Mediterranean herbs thrive on restraint:

• Parsley & Coriander: Direct sow into moist soil; mulch lightly.

• Thyme & Sage: Transplant young potted starts; protect from prolonged wet feet.

• Chives & Garlic Chives: Divide and replant clumps for spring flavor.

• Perennial Greens like Sorrel & Chard: Continue cut-and-come-again harvests; feed with compost tea mid-month.

Lush parsley thriving through cool weather — our go-to November herb.

Tough Tip: Clip herb cuttings and root them indoors on a bright windowsill — free insurance for spring restocking.

Ornamentals & Bulbs — Color Through the Cool Season

• Bulbs: Plant remaining tulips, daffodils, freesias, and anemones early this month before soil drops below 10 °C (50 °F).

• Hardy Perennials: Divide and replant irises, daylilies, or agapanthus if autumn warmth lingers.

Resilient marigolds — still flowering strong as cooler Mediterranean days settle in.

• Shrubs for Structure: In frost-free zones, add lavender, rosemary, or santolina — they’ll root quietly through winter.

Tough Tip: If bulbs rot in clay soil, mix in sand or perlite and plant slightly raised. Drainage beats depth every time.

Key Timely Garden Chores

Harvest and Store: Lift carrots, radishes, and beetroot; store in cool, dark boxes with dry sand. Protect tender spinach or lettuce with fleece on frost nights.

Mulch Strategically: Add 5–10 cm (2–4 in) of mulch before heavy winter rains. In clay soils, mulch before storms to prevent compaction.

Thin Root Crops: Space carrots and beets 2–3 cm apart; eat the thinnings as microgreens.

Plant Remaining Spring Bulbs: Finish early November. Late planting yields short stems.

Protect Sensitive Crops: Fleece or cloches over brassicas and leafy greens when forecasts dip below 3 °C (37 °F).

Tough Tip: Keep fleece handy, not buried in storage. The first frost never announces itself politely.

Building Resilience Before Winter Sets In

Even as daylight fades, November offers one final chance to strengthen your Mediterranean garden before winter fully arrives. By laying mulch, protecting greens, and fine-tuning your planting rhythm, you’re not just maintaining a garden — you’re building a living system that carries itself through the cold months ahead. Every fleece cover, compost layer, and harvested root is a quiet investment in next season’s abundance.

Wild companions — yucca, jade, lemongrass, and a surprise Macrolepiota procera mushroom sharing November soil.

If you’ve followed this November Mediterranean planting guide, you’re already a step ahead — sowing hardy crops, insulating soil, and preparing for a resilient cool-season harvest that will thrive from Zone 8 through 11. Keep your gloves close, your notes handy, and your mindset flexible. This is the month where troubleshooting becomes part of the craft.

Join the Kraut Crew for monthly planting updates, resilience tips, and our behind-the-scenes experiments from the Quinta. Let’s keep growing — even when the days grow short.

Herman’s Tough Kraut Fixes: Troubleshooting Guide for Mediterranean Planting in November

No Mediterranean garden gets through November without a few hiccups — and that’s exactly why we keep this section. Whether it’s soggy soil, frost-nipped lettuce, or garlic sprouting too early, these troubleshooting tips help you read your garden like a pro. The answers below come straight from real experience on our Portuguese hillside, where one cold snap or sudden downpour can test even the toughest mulch layer.

In this FAQ, you’ll find practical, no-nonsense fixes for the most common November setbacks. From compacted soil to lingering pests, these quick solutions keep your cool-season crops thriving and your garden resilient. Remember — perfection isn’t the goal; progress and observation are. The more you tune into the land’s rhythm, the fewer surprises each winter will bring.

Q: My seedlings are slow or stunted. What’s wrong?

A: Cold nights reduce root activity. Water with slightly warmed rainwater (not cold hose water) and add a light compost dressing. Growth rebounds once roots feel consistent warmth.

Q: Frost burned my spinach and lettuce edges. Can they recover?

A: Yes. Trim damaged leaves and cover with fleece at night. Spray lightly with diluted seaweed extract to stimulate new growth.

Q: Heavy rain compacted my soil. How can I fix it?

A: Loosen the surface gently with a hand fork once it’s semi-dry, then top-dress with leaf mold or straw mulch. Never dig when soggy — you’ll seal in the damage.

Q: Pests are still active! I thought winter stopped them.

A: Mild Mediterranean winters let aphids and snails linger. Encourage ladybugs, set beer traps for slugs, and remove dense mulch around greens if nights stay above 8 °C (46 °F).

Q: My garlic shoots too early. Should I worry?

A: Not at all. Early sprouting is common in warm zones. Mulch well; the green tops will hold steady through winter and resume bulb growth once daylight lengthens.

Recommended Books & Resources

Books

• The Winter Harvest Handbook by Eliot Coleman

  Gold-standard playbook for cool-season production using unheated or minimally heated covers, low tunnels, and timing. It pairs perfectly with November sowings and simple protection like fleece and cloches.

• The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener by Niki Jabbour

  Practical, beginner-friendly tactics for succession planting, low tunnels, and harvest scheduling so your beds work all winter. Clear, actionable, and easy to adapt to Mediterranean microclimates.

• The Dry Gardening Handbook by Olivier Filippi

  A Mediterranean masterclass on plant choice, spacing, and soil prep for low-water success. Ideal for shaping resilient beds before the next dry season.

• Mediterranean Gardening: A Waterwise Approach by Heidi Gildemeister

  Classic reference on drought-smart design, plant palettes, and irrigation restraint that aligns with TK’s tough-love gardening.

Resources

• Zippered shrub/plant frost jackets

  Reusable, breathable covers with drawstrings and zips that slip over tender greens, young citrus, or herbs on frost-forecast nights. Faster than fiddling with loose fleece.

• Tough Kraut Resources

  A curated collection of the exact gear, guides, and garden solutions we rely on every season here in Central Portugal.