What to Sow in November: Flowers, Herbs & Vegetables to Sow Now

November is the month the sowing calendar seems to run out. Outdoors, the soil is cooling fast, daylight drops below nine hours in much of northern Europe, and very little that is sown now will grow before February. But "what can I sow in November?" has a better answer than "nothing". There are three kinds of seed that actually suit this month: hardy seeds that need a winter outdoors before they germinate, fast leaves and sprouts grown indoors, where day length hardly matters, and slow, warmth-loving houseplants and exotics that benefit from a long head start on a heated windowsill. Here is exactly what to sow in November, where to sow it, and what to leave until spring.

• Outdoors perennials & wildflowers in pots or beds — let winter do the work
• Cold frame last-chance sweet peas, winter purslane & spinach, early in the month
• Windowsill microgreens, sprouts, cress & leafy herbs all month
• November rule sow for cold or for warmth — not for the in-between

What changes between October and November

In October there was still a short window for hardy annuals, green manures and winter salads outdoors. By November that window has closed. Seedlings sown now meet what we call the 10-hour daylight rule: below ten hours of light a day, growth effectively stops until late January or February. A lettuce sown outdoors this month is not a slow lettuce — it is a seedling that sits still until spring, exposed to slugs and wet.

So in November, the useful question is not "will it grow?" but "where is it warm, or where is it cold on purpose?" Seeds that need a period of winter chill are happy outside. Seeds that need warmth and light go indoors. Anything in between waits.

Outdoors: seeds that need a winter

This is the most underrated sowing job of the year. Many hardy perennials, wildflowers and shrubs have a natural dormancy that only breaks after weeks of cold, moist conditions. Sown in November and left outside, they germinate on their own schedule in early spring — often more evenly than seed sown in a warm room in March.

• Hardy perennials in pots — sow perennial flowers such as globe thistle, Shasta daisies, lychnis and garden pinks in pots of gritty compost, cover with a thin layer of grit and stand them outside against a wall or in an open cold frame. Our guide to perennials from seed and cold stratification explains which ones need the cold and how long.
• Wildflowers — November is still a good month to sow a wildflower meadow or a patch of native wildflowers on cleared, unfertilised ground, as long as the soil is not waterlogged. Seed sown now gets a natural winter and germinates as the soil warms.
• Biennials for a late show — hollyhocks and forget-me-nots sown in modules in a cold frame now will still flower, on smaller plants, a little later than a summer sowing.

The cold frame: early November only

• Sweet peas, last call — mid-October is the classic date, but sweet peas sown in deep pots or root trainers in the first week of November still make strong roots over winter and flower earlier than a spring sowing. Full method in how to grow sweet peas from seed.
• Winter purslane and spinach under glass — winter purslane (claytonia) and hardy spinach such as Winterreuzen and Viroflex can still be sown in a greenhouse border or cold frame early in the month. Expect small pickings in late winter and a proper flush in March. See winter salad leaves beyond lettuce for the others worth trying.
• Peas and broad beans: check before you sow — only very hardy, round-seeded peas survive a November sowing, and only in mild areas on free-draining soil. The broad beans we stock are spring varieties; our broad bean guide explains the best timing for them.

Indoors: the November harvest

The windowsill is where November sowing really pays off. Microgreens and sprouts ignore day length almost completely: pea shoots, radish, mustard, mizuna and tatsoi are ready to cut in 7–14 days on a tray, and sprouting seeds such as mung bean, alfalfa, lentil and broccoli need only a jar and three to five days. The organic sprouting range is certified organic. Cress on damp paper is the fastest of all. Start with how to grow microgreens and sprouts.

Leafy herbs are slower in winter but still worth a pot. Chives, parsley and coriander grow on a bright south- or west-facing sill; basil needs warmth and, in November, really a grow light. Our guide to growing herbs indoors in winter covers pots, watering and light, and grow lights for seedlings explains when a light is worth buying.

Indoors with heat: houseplants and exotics from seed

Here is the November job most gardeners never consider. Slow, warmth-loving plants take months to reach a useful size, so a start now, on a heated propagator or a warm windowsill, gives you a sturdy young plant by early summer. These sowings need a steady 20–25 °C and good light, so they suit a spot above a radiator with a grow light, not a cold porch.

• Houseplants, cacti and succulents — sow on the surface of gritty compost, cover with a clear lid and keep warm. Cacti are slow but satisfying; most germinate within a few weeks.
• Sensitive plant — Mimosa pudica germinates quickly after a soak in warm water and is a favourite with children: the leaves fold when touched.
• Climbers for next summer — passion flower (Passiflora caerulea) and wisteria both benefit from a long start. Soak the seed for 24 hours first. Be patient with wisteria: seedlings grow well, but can take many years to flower. For annual climbers, see the best climbing plants to grow from seed.
• Something exotic — bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae) and the ornamental pink banana are slow, erratic germinators that need warmth for weeks or months. Winter is a good time to start them, because you have time to wait.

A November weekend: the order to work in

1. Sow the outdoor pots first Perennials and wildflowers gain from every week of cold. Label clearly — they may not appear until March.
2. Finish the cold frame Last sweet peas, winter purslane and spinach in the first week. Ventilate on mild days.
3. Collect leaves Bag up fallen leaves to make leaf mould — free seed compost in two years.
4. Mulch the root crops Cover rows of parsnips with straw or leaves so you can still dig them in a freeze — see when to harvest parsnips.
5. Start a windowsill tray Microgreens or sprouts — something to eat in a week, all winter long.
6. Check your seed box Do a quick germination test on old packets and note what to reorder; parsnip and other short-lived seed should be bought fresh — see how long seeds last.

Sow for cold or sow for warmth

Common November sowing mistakes

• Sowing vegetables outdoors for a quick crop — below ten hours of light, nothing sown outside now will crop before spring.
• Bringing cold-needing seed indoors — perennials and wildflowers that need stratification will not germinate in a warm room. Leave the pots outside.
• Sowing exotics on a cold windowsill — without steady warmth, slow seed simply rots. Use a propagator or wait until spring.
• Overwatering — cool, damp compost is the perfect setting for damping off. Water from below and sparingly.
• Starting tomatoes and peppers now — they get leggy in the low light. Wait until January–February, or use a grow light.
• Giving up on unlabelled pots — outdoor perennial sowings can take until April. Don't tip them out in February.

Frequently asked questions

Is it too late to sow seeds in November?
Not for the right seeds. Hardy perennials and wildflowers sown outside, early sweet peas in a cold frame, and microgreens, sprouts, herbs and houseplants indoors all suit November. Most vegetables are better left until late winter.

What vegetables can I sow in November?
Very few outdoors. In a cold frame or greenhouse, winter purslane and hardy spinach early in the month; in mild areas, very hardy round-seeded peas. Indoors, cress, microgreens and sprouting seeds give a harvest within days.

Can I sow sweet peas in November?
Yes, in the first week or two. Sow in deep pots, keep them in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse, and pinch out the tips at three or four pairs of leaves. After mid-November, a January sowing under glass usually catches up.

Which flower seeds can be sown outdoors in November?
Hardy perennials and native wildflowers, especially those that need winter cold to germinate. Sow in pots or on cleared ground and let the weather do the rest.

November sowing is quiet work with a long payoff: a few pots of perennials outside, a tray of pea shoots on the sill, and a passion flower slowly unfolding by the radiator. While you are planning next spring, our guide to growing parsnips from seed explains why that crop starts with a fresh packet. Browse all our vegetable seeds, flower seeds and herb seeds, check the flower sowing calendar, or explore the rest of our growing guides.