The summer squash and tomatoes are gone and the temperature is starting to drop. November is the time to start controlling those cool climate crops to see what is ripe for the harvest.
Depending on when you started your cool weather crops, you may have a Bountiful harvest to serve at Thanksgiving! Some vegetables need a frost or two to sweeten. If it’s already been a little cold, they should be ready by now.
If you’ve been taking a close look at your garden lately, you’ll notice that a few things are booming. Grab your harvest basket and head out to sort through your brassicas and leafy greens. here they are nine crops that you can harvest in November!
Spinach ‘Oceanside’
Tender spinach leaves are packed with nutrients and taste delicious too! This cool weather crop is one of the fastest maturing crops, especially if you want to harvest young leaves. ‘Oceanside’ is ready to harvest in 25 days and fully matures in 40-60 days. The tender leaves are easy to clean and have a soft texture.
You can plant spinach in late summer and early fall, depending on the weather. It is frost resistant and loses its bitterness after one or two frosts, making it sweeter and more flavorful. It’s cold resistant down to -7°C (20°F), so you still have plenty of time in most climates. The best time to harvest is between the first frost and the first hard frost.
In zones 8 and 9, it may still be early and too hot for spinach. It is best to wait for a cold front to arrive. At Zone 7 you’re probably almost ready. North of that, head to the gathering and enjoy that delicious spinach!
‘Cosmic Purple’ Carrots
If you planted some late summer carrots, they should be ready to pull at any time. ‘Cosmic Purple’ matures in about 70 days, which falls right in the middle of most varieties. This beautiful purple carrot is sweet, crunchy, and packed with healthy anthocyanins.
You can sow carrot seeds directly from spring to late summer for a continuous supply. They are frost tolerant, although the tops will wilt. The roots are much more tolerant and can survive colder temperatures. However, it is best 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 above. Like leafy greens, carrots become sweeter in cold weather. It is best to remove them after one or two frosts. Cold weather converts starch to sugar, making them extra sweet and delicious.
The ‘Copenhagen market’ of cabbage
Cabbage is another cool weather crop that can be harvested as it does better in the cold weather of November. A few nights between 20 and 32°F (-7 and 0°C) will sweeten them nicely. Covering them may help them last a little 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 pick it all up. The ‘Copenhagen Market’ is the gold standard for cabbages. It matures quickly, so if you plant before the first of September, they should be ripe no later than mid-November. Compact heads work well in smaller gardens. In hot weather, be sure to wait until cold weather hits.
Meyer Lemon ‘Improved’
I have been monitoring my meyer lemon tree closely over the last few weeks, and they are almost ready. Most citrus fruits ripen in November. They take so long to ripen that when I see them starting to turn yellow I get excited.
Meyer lemons are a hybrid between a lemon and a tangerine. They are extra sweet and smooth, but still have the tartness of their lemon parentage. They grow best in zones 8 to 11, but they also make pretty patio trees. You can keep them pruned to a manageable size and bring them indoors to freeze hard.
I see that my tree produces a good harvest every two years. We still get a few in bad years, but good years bring about 40 lemons from my ten foot tree. The fruits are not pithy, so they are excellent for infusing oil and making limoncello.
Cauliflower ‘Twister’
Cauliflower is another cool-season brassica that matures at about the same time as cabbage. Plant this hardy crop in late summer for harvest in November. In terms of flavor, it is not greatly affected by frost, so as soon as it is ripe, bring it in. However, it will tolerate frost, so don’t worry if you can’t get it right away.
‘Twister’ is a fun variety with medium-sized heads and twisted green leaves. The leaves wrap tightly around the heads, giving them additional protection from sunburn. This variety is also heat tolerant, making it ideal for warmer climates. The leaves are also edible and taste similar to chard.
Delicata Squash ‘Honey Boat’
If you wait until November, this crop is about to be 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 squashes are a favorite in my house. We love roasting them with butter and honey, yum!
‘Honey Boat’ It matures quickly, so you can plant a crop of these in summer for a late fall harvest in temperate climates. They have rich, golden flesh and a thin but tough skin. This is the perfect pumpkin, in my opinion. They store very well, so you’ll have them all winter, but the skin is tender enough to eat with the rest.
Delicata squash is high in vitamins A and C, folate, calcium, and potassium. They are a powerhouse of nutrients and the flavor is well balanced with a soft and tender pulp.
‘Winter Red’ Lettuce
Lettuce is another cool climate, leafy green that likes a little frost. You can harvest lettuce continuously for a long period as it tolerates temperatures as low as -7°C (20°F). Like other vegetables, frost sweetens them, so it is good to leave them in the ground until that happens. In Zones 8 and above, wait unless it has been a cold season.
‘Rouge d’Hiver’ is a magnificent traditional French variety with great staying power. It’s been popular for over a century and it’s no wonder. This crisp variety of romaine lettuce gets its name from its color and season, winter red. The leaves have a stunning bronze-red hue. You can harvest tender vegetables in as little as 20 days after planting.
Broccoli ‘Di Cicco’
Broccoli is a fan favorite and one I can be sure my kids will always eat. There are many ways to cook those crispy little florets and they are nutritious and dense. Broccoli freezes well and tolerates cold temperatures, similar to cauliflower. A little cold gives them more flavor. The leaves are edible and the frost will sweeten them too.
‘Di Cicco’ is a beautiful relic Italian variety that produces tons of medium-sized florets. The flavor is excellent, it matures quickly, in about 48 days, and produces over a long period. Cut the main flower when it reaches three inches in diameter. This will encourage branching and the formation of more florets.
Radish ‘Cherry Belle’
Cute, crunchy, and quick-maturing, radishes are an excellent cold-weather crop. You can plant them in October for a November harvest or start earlier and grow in succession for a continuous harvest. Radishes are great to grow with kids because they grow quickly. They are easy to care for and don’t mind cold weather. Like carrots, the cold sweetens them and the tops die with frost, but the roots are much more tolerant.
‘Beautiful Cherry’ It is a small, quickly maturing traditional variety. One-inch red radishes have a mild flavor and add a nice crunch to salads and sandwiches. He also won the All-American Selections award. These pretty radishes make a lovely side dish and the flavor is mild enough to eat raw.
